As a Brit one hesitates to criticise or judge, as I often say we faced a different challenge. Of course the exhibition goes against the orthodoxy of Poland as victim, challenging the account of unmatched courage in the face of an existential threat. Of course the history of these conscripts and Witold Pilecki (see The Volunteer, Jack Fairweather, Penguin 2019) are both true and part of the larger account of Polish history in Second World War. Most, if not all, the occupied nations had men in the service of the Wehrmacht, even the Russians. And the UK, a handful. I can see why the Poles find this exhibition so painful however isn’t it better to deal with the facts? Challenging read with my Sunday morning coffee.
That's an interesting subject to have an exhibition about ,brave or foolhardy but it happened .I imagine the story ir repeated in every occupied country the nazis invaded ,but what choice did the young men realistically have ,I do know that in the Netherlands 34K fought for the Nazis while 10k for the Allies, these are the tough choices which thankfully never had to be made in the UK .Also I guess there would have been the urge to fight against communism as well .
Wow , talk about being between a rock and a hard place , they had little choice back then they had to join to try and save themselves, looks a brave / insensitive decision to put on this exhibition, fascinating country Poland , l have been fortunate to visit Gdańsk and Warsaw , I love the poles they’ve had a traumatic history in the last 100 years ,it’s a shame that this has caused so much controversy , especially with the way Europe is at the moment .
The story of my father in "Danzig" aged 14/15, who was able to escape to England pre-Dunkirk. Henryk never saw his mother (she outlived him) or his motherland again (she became free after his death). He never talked about it.
Wow; this was a thought provoking read for a Sunday morning! To declare an interest, I grew up in a West London community where many of my friends were Polish exiles, whether from 1939-40 or the mid 1950s. I have never understood why Poles “volunteered” to fight with the Heer but now I understand that they had little choice (almost certainly their families would have been murdered if they refused). I’m currently reading “First to Fight”, and that left me in no doubt the life chances of Poles in the annexed zone and occupied zone. As always, the most vocal critics of the exhibition apparently haven’t seen it and are only interested in furthering the cultural stories that support their nationalist ideology. But I’m sure all Poles must find any reflection on the ghastly choices faced by their parents and grandparents deeply painful.
Difficult one. I think I'm with the museum on this though, as it sounds like its an important part of that regions complicated history, and needs to be understood. It also feels a bit like the recent call for the Clive statue in London to be removed - politicians creating an issue without taking the time or trouble to understand the nuance and complication in all human history.
Thank you so much, Katja, for bringing this account to light. Important that people can grasp more ambiguous chapters of their nation's past. I'm an American, but my ancestors are Alsatian. So I had relatives fighting in both the AEF and the German Imperial Army in WW1. Then there's the other similar sensitive chapter of the "Malgré Nous" in WW2, of the Alsatians conscripted for the Wehrmacht in much the same way. Most disliked it, but there were Alsatians in the 2nd SS Panzer Division, which perpetrated the massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane.
Fascinating article. I remember an anecdote is one of Stephen Ambrose's books of a unit of poles in northern France who shot their German sergeant when the allies approached, and surrendered post haste.
Interesting piece, thanks. Your definition of history in the conclusion is spot on, but we can also ask what a museum's obligation is to the public. Is it to make us feel good or to teach us? Unfortunately, the entire Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, is getting slammed by MAGA who want to ignore history. I hope the Smithsonian can hold up against the onslaught of ignorance and not be forced to whitewash history.
We often judge books by their cover whether we like to admit it or not. What if the exhibit were entitled: Conscripted Countrymen? Would it receive the same negative feedback?
As a Brit one hesitates to criticise or judge, as I often say we faced a different challenge. Of course the exhibition goes against the orthodoxy of Poland as victim, challenging the account of unmatched courage in the face of an existential threat. Of course the history of these conscripts and Witold Pilecki (see The Volunteer, Jack Fairweather, Penguin 2019) are both true and part of the larger account of Polish history in Second World War. Most, if not all, the occupied nations had men in the service of the Wehrmacht, even the Russians. And the UK, a handful. I can see why the Poles find this exhibition so painful however isn’t it better to deal with the facts? Challenging read with my Sunday morning coffee.
That's an interesting subject to have an exhibition about ,brave or foolhardy but it happened .I imagine the story ir repeated in every occupied country the nazis invaded ,but what choice did the young men realistically have ,I do know that in the Netherlands 34K fought for the Nazis while 10k for the Allies, these are the tough choices which thankfully never had to be made in the UK .Also I guess there would have been the urge to fight against communism as well .
An informative article as always.
Wow , talk about being between a rock and a hard place , they had little choice back then they had to join to try and save themselves, looks a brave / insensitive decision to put on this exhibition, fascinating country Poland , l have been fortunate to visit Gdańsk and Warsaw , I love the poles they’ve had a traumatic history in the last 100 years ,it’s a shame that this has caused so much controversy , especially with the way Europe is at the moment .
The story of my father in "Danzig" aged 14/15, who was able to escape to England pre-Dunkirk. Henryk never saw his mother (she outlived him) or his motherland again (she became free after his death). He never talked about it.
Wow; this was a thought provoking read for a Sunday morning! To declare an interest, I grew up in a West London community where many of my friends were Polish exiles, whether from 1939-40 or the mid 1950s. I have never understood why Poles “volunteered” to fight with the Heer but now I understand that they had little choice (almost certainly their families would have been murdered if they refused). I’m currently reading “First to Fight”, and that left me in no doubt the life chances of Poles in the annexed zone and occupied zone. As always, the most vocal critics of the exhibition apparently haven’t seen it and are only interested in furthering the cultural stories that support their nationalist ideology. But I’m sure all Poles must find any reflection on the ghastly choices faced by their parents and grandparents deeply painful.
So glad you wrote about this. History is messy and must be examined to see whether we can learn something. Fascinating and tragic episode.
Difficult one. I think I'm with the museum on this though, as it sounds like its an important part of that regions complicated history, and needs to be understood. It also feels a bit like the recent call for the Clive statue in London to be removed - politicians creating an issue without taking the time or trouble to understand the nuance and complication in all human history.
Thank you so much, Katja, for bringing this account to light. Important that people can grasp more ambiguous chapters of their nation's past. I'm an American, but my ancestors are Alsatian. So I had relatives fighting in both the AEF and the German Imperial Army in WW1. Then there's the other similar sensitive chapter of the "Malgré Nous" in WW2, of the Alsatians conscripted for the Wehrmacht in much the same way. Most disliked it, but there were Alsatians in the 2nd SS Panzer Division, which perpetrated the massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane.
Fascinating article. I remember an anecdote is one of Stephen Ambrose's books of a unit of poles in northern France who shot their German sergeant when the allies approached, and surrendered post haste.
Interesting piece, thanks. Your definition of history in the conclusion is spot on, but we can also ask what a museum's obligation is to the public. Is it to make us feel good or to teach us? Unfortunately, the entire Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, is getting slammed by MAGA who want to ignore history. I hope the Smithsonian can hold up against the onslaught of ignorance and not be forced to whitewash history.
We often judge books by their cover whether we like to admit it or not. What if the exhibit were entitled: Conscripted Countrymen? Would it receive the same negative feedback?