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Nasza Przeszłość

Vol. 93 (2000): Our Past

Miscellanea

The position of the Catholic Church towards the Jewish pogrom in Kielce. The state of research

  • Ryszard Gryz
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52204/np.2000.93.411-434  [Google Scholar]
Published: 2000-06-30

Abstract

The pogrom of Jews in Kielce in July 1946 was a taboo topic in Polish historiography for many years, which resulted from the policy of the then party and state authorities, which ignored this drama in the hope that it would cease to exist in the memory of contemporaries. However, the lack of open discussion contributed to the accumulation of understatements, half-truths and stereotypes in both the Polish and Jewish communities. In this review of the state of research, the authors attempt to familiarize readers with the literature on the attitude of the Catholic Church to the events in Kielce. They emphasize that despite the availability of studies that meet scientific requirements, there are also publications based on theses that are not supported by a reliable analysis of sources, which can be classified as journalistic or propaganda publications. Research on the causes, course and consequences of the pogrom began in Poland only in the 1980s and developed in the 1990s. The key question remains whether the pogrom was a spontaneous occurrence of an anti-Semitic crowd or the result of a previously prepared provocation. Despite many years of research on the Kielce pogrom, many unknowns remain and there are still no answers. It is necessary to continue research, especially through a query of archival sources, including operational files of various services, which may bring important findings. It is worth noting that new sources may change the perspective on the issue of the Catholic Church's attitude to the events in Kielce.

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