Polish death camp controversy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Polish death camps" and "Polish concentration camps" are politically charged, misleading terms that have appeared in non-Polish media and print publications in reference to German concentration camps used in the Holocaust by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II. The non-Polish media also makes other similarly misleading references to the German run extermination program in Poland such as Polish Holocaust Survivor, Poland’s Concentration Camp, Polish Ghetto and Polish Camp. The terms are potentially confusing, because they conflate the location of the camps with those who built and operated them, leaving a false impression that it might have been the Poles who were responsible for the Nazi German genocide. The intention of the writers in almost all cases is the mere geographical use of the term "Polish". No attribution of responsibility is actually intended. However, the potential for confusion can be offensive, especially as Poles themselves suffered greatly under the Nazi occupation.

Auschwitz, German Nazi death camp built on Polish soil
Auschwitz, German Nazi death camp built on Polish soil
Polish survivor of the German Nazi Holocaust, Minister of Foreign Affairs Władysław Bartoszewski
Polish survivor of the German Nazi Holocaust, Minister of Foreign Affairs Władysław Bartoszewski

Poland was occupied by the Nazis from 1939 to 1945 and no Polish collaboration government was formed during that period. The legal Polish government-in-exile had no administration or political influence over the occupied territories during World War II apart from a limited underground judical system. There were no Polish guards at any of the camps and no Polish police were involved in the rounding up of Jews.[1]

Concerns about the use of the term "Polish death camp" led the Polish government to request that UNESCO change the official name of Auschwitz from "Auschwitz Concentration Camp" to "former Nazi German concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau"[2] in order to make clearer that the concentration camp was built and operated by Germans, not Poles. On 28 June 2007 at its meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand, the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO changed the name of the camp to "Auschwitz Birkenau. German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945)."[3][4] Previously, some media, including Der Spiegel in Germany, had called the camp "Polish".[5]

The use of these terms has been monitored and discouraged by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Polonia organizations around the world as well as by all Polish governments since 1989. The American Jewish Committee also has condemned the usage, stating that "that Auschwitz-Birkenau and the other death camps, including Belzec, Chelmno, Majdanek, Sobibor and Treblinka, were conceived, built and operated by Nazi Germany and its allies."[6]

[edit] Examples

  • Daily Mirror, Jan 05, 2008 - "before reaching the Polish camp"
  • Liverpool Daily Post, Jan 05, 2008 - "parents were killed in a Polish death camp"
  • Fayetteville Observer, Jan 09, 2008 - "Treblinka, the Polish death camp" [7]
  • Yorkshire Post, Feb 23, 2008 - "to visit the Polish death camp"
  • The Post and Courier (Charleston Net), Mar 1, 2008 - "kill his mother in a Polish ghetto"
  • BBC, Mar 7, 2008 - "Polish death camp"
  • MK News, Mar 15, 2008 - "four Polish concentration camps"
  • Garforth Today, Apr 2, 2008 - "the trip to the Polish camp"
  • Cincinnati.com - Apr 10, 2008 - "Polish Holocaust victim"
  • Daily Herald, May 5, 2008 - "Polish concentration camps" [8]
  • Variety, May 6, 2008 - "Polish concentration camp"
  • Among the TV stations to use the term was the CTV Television Network.[9]

In most cases the publisher apologized for the misleading usage. Newspapers said to have used such a term include the following:

  • Wall Street Journal, February 5, 1999.[10]
  • The New York Times, December 5, 2005.[11]
  • Australian Jewish News, November 11, 2005.[12]
  • The Guardian, January 2005.[13]
  • Toronto Star, September 21, 2005.[14]
  • The Vancouver Sun, September 30, 2005.[15]
  • San Francisco Chronicle, January 1, 2006.[16]
  • German Die tageszeitung[17]
  • Israeli Haaretz, June 21, 2005 and June 22, 2005.[18]
  • Der Spiegel[19]
  • Canadian Daily Gleaner [20]

[edit] 2008

  • Los Angeles Times - Jun 13 - "Poland's Trawniki labor camp" [21]
  • Haaretz - Jun 07 - "Polish extermination camp Sobibor" [22]
  • Forward (Jewish Daily) - Jun 06 - "Polish extermination camp Sobibor" [23]
  • Jewish Journal - Jun 06 - "trip to Polish concentration camps‏" [24]
  • Jewish Journal - Jun 06 - " pilgrimage to Polish concentration camps‏" [25]
  • Mount Desert Islander - May 23 - "Nazis in a Polish concentration camp" [26]
  • Real Movie News - May 22 - "young Jewish boy in Nazi Poland" [27]
  • Aldeemeen Dagblad (Dutch daily), May - "Polish concentration camps" [28]
  • Jurist (University of Pittsburgh School of Law) - May 19 - "Poland's Treblinka [PBS backgrounder] death camp" [29]
  • Polish News - May 14 - "Two Polish Holocaust heroes" [30]
  • Tyrone Courier (online) The Courier and News (Printed) - May 14 - "Polish concentration camp" [31][32]
  • Various (including Google News, Euro News and Statesman) - May 13 - "Polish Holocaust hero" [33][34][35]
  • Houston Chronicle - May 12 - "after fleeing a Polish ghetto" [36]
  • Idaho Statesman - May 11 - "the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau, Poland"(note: German name) [37]
  • Daily Mail - May 4 - "Poland's worst concentration camps " [38]
  • PressDemocrat.com - May 2 - "in the Polish death camp" [39]
  • Aurora Sentinel - May 2 - "daily beatings from guards in a Polish ghetto" [40]
  • 24 Dash - Apr 30 - "meets Polish Holocaust survivors" [41]
  • BBC - Apr 29 - "gather the names of 300 Polish Holocaust victims" [42]
  • Courier Journal - Apr 29 - "Polish concentration camp" [43]
  • Australian Jewish News - Apr 28 - "between two Nazi-Polish concentration camps, Auschwitz and Birkenau" [44]
  • LA Times - Apr 22 - "plays a Jew living in a Polish ghetto" [45]
  • Rocky Mountain News - Apr 18 - "the Majdanek camp in Nazi Poland" [46]
  • This is Gloucestershire - Apr 17 - "Polish death camps" [47]
  • Spiegel TV, April - "Polish concentration camp" [48]
  • Reuters - Apr 11 - "Polish Ghetto" [49]
  • Y Net News - Apr 11 - "Poland’s concentration camp" [50]
  • Northwest Hearld - Apr 9 - "The Polish ghetto" [51]
  • WPTV - Apr 4 - "leader of a Polish concentration camp" [52]
  • Lancester Online - Mar 27 - "the son of a Polish Holocaust survivor" [53]
  • Alligator - Mar 26 - "will visit sites of the Polish ghettos and concentration camps" [54]
  • The Huddersfield Daily - Mar 22 - "Polish Camp" [55][56][57][58]
  • Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Mar 2 - "in a Polish ghetto" [59]
  • The Star Tribune - Feb 26 - "Arriving at the notorious Polish concentration camp" [60][61]
  • The Independent - Feb 18 - "a Polish concentration camp" [62]
  • Time - Feb 18 - "Poland's Stalag Luft III" [63]
  • Express and Star - Jan 24 - "His mother had perished in another Polish camp" [64]
  • Daily Telegraph - Jan 12 - "were murdered at the infamous Polish camp" [65]


[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Robert Cherry, Annamaria Orla-Bukowska, Rethinking Poles and Jews: Troubled Past, Brighter Future, Rowman & Littlefield 2007, ISBN 0742546667
  2. ^ Tran, Mark. (2007-06-27). "Poles claim victory in battle to rename Auschwitz." Guardian Unlimited.
  3. ^ UNESCO World Heritage Committee. (2007-06-28). World Heritage Committee approves Auschwitz name change". Press release. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
  4. ^ Lilley, Ray. (2007-06-28). "UNESCO committee renames Auschwitz." Associated Press. Guardian Unlimited.
  5. ^ BBC News. (2006-03-31). "Poland seeks Auschwitz renaming."
  6. ^ (English)American Jewish Committee. (2005-01-30). "Statement on Poland and the Auschwitz Commemoration." Press release.
  7. ^ FayettevilleObserver [1]
  8. ^ DailyHerald [2]
  9. ^ (Polish) Polish Concentration Camps Zarys chronicznego problemu
  10. ^ Christopher Rhoads' article "Deutsche Bank Discloses Involvement in the financing of Nazi Death Camp" refers to "Polish Concentration Camps" and a bank (Deutsche Bank) located in Krakow, Poland, as co-responsible for financing construction of Auschwitz
  11. ^ (Polish) Użycie przez „The New York Times” sformułowania - "Majdanek obóz śmierci w Polsce".
  12. ^ (Polish) Błędne sformułowanie „polskie obozy koncentracyjne” w artykule opublikowanym w tygodniku „The Australian Jewish News”.
  13. ^ Watt, Nicholas. (2006-04-01). "Auschwitz may be renamed to reinforce link with Nazi era." The Guardian.
  14. ^ (Polish) Błędne sformułowanie „polski obóz koncentracyjny w Treblince i Sobiborze” w publikacji dziennika „The Toronto Star” nt. śmierci Szymona Wiesenthala
  15. ^ (Polish) Błędne sformułowanie „Poland’s Krakow ghetto” w publikacji „Vancuver Sun”.
  16. ^ (Polish) Błędne sformułowanie „Polish genocide” w artykule „The San Francisco Chronicle"
  17. ^ (Polish) List Ambasadora RP w Berlinie do redaktorów naczelnych czołowych niemieckich dzienników.
  18. ^ (Polish) Dziennik “Ha’aretz” przeprasza za “polskie obozy”
  19. ^ (Polish) "Polskie obozy zagłady" w "Der Spiegel"
  20. ^ Daily Gleaner Schindler's furniture (maybe) up for auction today 2007-08-25
  21. ^ Los Angeles Times Jun 13, 2008.
  22. ^ Jun 07, 2008.
  23. ^ Forward, Jun 06, 2008.
  24. ^ Jewish Journal Jun 06, 2008.
  25. ^ Jewish Journal, Jun 06, 2008.
  26. ^ Mount Desert Islander, May 22, 2008.
  27. ^ Real Movie News, May 22, 2008.
  28. ^ Aldeemeen Dagblad (Dutch daily), reported in May 2008 by Polish Radio
  29. ^ Jurist (University of Pittsburgh School of Law), May 19, 2008
  30. ^ (English) www.polishnews.com, Wednesday, May 14, 2008.
  31. ^ Tyrone [3]
  32. ^ Tyrone [4]
  33. ^ Various [5]
  34. ^ Euro News [6]
  35. ^ Statesman [7]
  36. ^ Houston [8]
  37. ^ IdahoStatesman [9]
  38. ^ DailyMail[10]
  39. ^ PressDemocrat.com [11]
  40. ^ AuroraSentinel [12]
  41. ^ 24Dash [13]
  42. ^ BBC [14]
  43. ^ CourierJournal [15]
  44. ^ AJC [16]
  45. ^ LATimes [17]
  46. ^ RockyMountainNews [18]
  47. ^ Gloucestershire [19] 2008-04-17
  48. ^ SpiegelTV [20] 2008-April
  49. ^ Reuters [21] 2008-04-11
  50. ^ YNnews [22] 2008-04-11
  51. ^ Northwest Hearld [23] 2008-04-09
  52. ^ WPTV [24] 2008-04-04
  53. ^ Lancester Online [25] 2008-03-27
  54. ^ Alligator [26] 2008-03-26
  55. ^ Huddersfield Daily [27] 2008-03-22
  56. ^ Huddersfield Daily [28] 2008-03-22
  57. ^ Huddersfield Daily [29] 2008-03-22
  58. ^ Huddersfield Daily [30] 2008-03-22
  59. ^ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette [31] 2008-03-02
  60. ^ The Star Tribune [32] 2008-03-01
  61. ^ The Star Tribune [33] 2008-03-01
  62. ^ The Independent [34] 2008-02-18
  63. ^ Time[35] 2008-02-18
  64. ^ Express and Star [36] 2008-01-24
  65. ^ Daily Telegraph [37] 2008-01-12

[edit] External links