Verwerkt en onverwerkt verleden - Oorlogstrauma’s in postcommunistisch Polen

Abstract

In post-communist Poland the Second World War is still capable of rousing intense emotions. Issues such as the killing of Jews in Jedwabne, the murder of more than 20,000 Polish officers in Katyń, the clash with Ukrainians in Volhynia, the Soviet role during the Warsaw Uprising, and the appropriation of Auschwitz regularly cause public debate and political tension. This is not surprising: Poland suffered more than any other country during the war and was not allowed to discuss this openly during the communist era. However, a closer analysis of the major Polish weeklies after 1989 shows that the Polish relationship with the past is not as unusual as often thought. Several aspects of the war, including the role of Germany, are no longer debated. Most other issues are dealt with in a nuanced way, with much criticism of nationalistic and one-dimensional approaches.