The Israeli Holocaust Memorial Jad Vaschem yesterday expressed concern about a trial against two Holocaust researchers in Poland.
The authors are being sued for defamation by the niece of a former mayor from the eastern Polish village of Malinowo. The woman sees the memory of her uncle defamed, she demands the equivalent of around 22,500 euros in compensation and a public apology from the authors.
Her uncle Edward Malinowski was mayor during World War II. The historians write in their book that Malinowski was complicit in the deaths of more than 20 Jews hidden in the forest, who were handed over to the Germans. In a post-war trial, the mayor was acquitted after a Jewish witness testified wrongly and in his favor. However, the book lacks evidence to support these two claims.
Confusion damages authors‘ credibility
In a declaration that was later added, Engelking also had to admit that in depicting the relationship between this Jewish witness and the mayor, she had made two people of the same name Edward Malinowski one. Although this confusion is insignificant for the allegation that the mayor betrayed Jews, it damages the authors‘ credibility.
According to “Gazeta Wyborcza”, the “Reduta. Fortress of the good name – League against Defamation ”, which is close to the national-conservative PiS government. The verdict is expected on February 9th.
Jad Vaschem reiterated the position „that any attempt to limit academic and public discourse through political or legal pressure is unacceptable“. It is „a serious attack on free and open research“.
The Israeli newspaper “Haaretz” wrote that Grabowski, whose Jewish father fought in the Warsaw ghetto uprising, had been the target of an “anti-Semitic smear campaign” in Poland. Grabowski himself wrote on Facebook: „Should we be found guilty, it would have a huge impact on how historians will write about“ difficult „topics in the future.“
