Hearings of additional witnesses in the case of Jan Grabowski versus the Polish League Against Defamation.
On the last Friday, another session of the District Court in Warsaw took place regarding Prof. Jan Grabowski’s lawsuit against the Polish League Against Defamation.
Let’s recall that Prof. Jan Grabowski filed a lawsuit against the Polish League Against Defamation at the beginning of 2019 concerning the published „Position” of the Redoubt regarding Jan Grabowski’s research methods, supported by 135 Polish scientists. It’s worth noting that Jan Grabowski sued the Polish League Against Defamation only a year and a half after the publication of our „Position,” which raised concerns about the information presented in his work. When the book „Dalej jest noc” („Night Without End”), edited by Prof. Jan Grabowski, was released, we decided to routinely verify the credibility of the content presented in this publication, which resulted in an official position supported by scientists, the subject of the ongoing legal proceedings.
During the session of the Court, which took place on May 10, 2024, witnesses were summoned, including Professor Wojciech Musiał, a historian and researcher, who testified, as well as Professor Wojciech Roszkowski, a historian and parliamentarian. However, Professor Roszkowski’s testimony as a witness could not be heard due to the time constraints of the court proceedings.
Witness Bogdan Musiał, who testified during the session, pointed out how he approaches the criticism of Prof. Grabowski’s research methods and confirmed the thesis that Grabowski conducts research in an unreliable manner and makes false accusations against Poland. In response to the presiding judge’s question, the witness leaned towards the mass criticism of Grabowski’s publication „Judenjagd,” to which he repeatedly referred during the trial, and which is particularly close to him as it narrates the extermination of Jews in the regions where he originates. Musiał has specialized in Holocaust studies for over 25 years, dedicating his doctoral thesis and several other scientific publications to the topic. Additionally, he comes from a family of historians deeply involved in Holocaust studies.
Musiał admitted that he awaited the publication of a book that seemed to be a compendium of knowledge about Nazi actions that occurred in his native areas. He wanted to know the perspective of another historian dealing with this topic because he believes that such condensed knowledge is needed. The witness himself possesses extensive knowledge of historical events in this region due to his profession and residence, but primarily because he worked in local archives, which provided him with additional insights into local events. However, after reading the work, he was very confused by what and how the author described, as, in the witness’s opinion, it is nothing but a distorted historical context, embellished with numerous errors and distortions of facts. The witness also stated that he is convinced that these distortions do not result from superficial analysis, as he initially thought, but rather from the author’s own overinterpretation or even distortion.
He also emphasized that the Germans almost always documented their actions when murdering the population, always in two languages - German and Polish, and also conducted legal proceedings, so most of the facts can be verified, as they are confirmed and archived, unfortunately contradicting the narrative presented by Grabowski.
Initially, Musiał assumed that the distortion of facts might result from a lack of knowledge of the German language or incorrect translations carried out independently. However, at a later stage, he realized that Grabowski manipulates by omitting, for example, a very important aspect from a historical perspective, namely that the cooperation of Poles with Germans was not voluntary but forced. Cooperation carried the death penalty, regardless of the context of assistance provided to Jews, which Grabowski does not mention in his work.
The author of „Judenjagd” omits facts, distorts, and falsifies, for example, labeling common actions related to the massacre of Jewish civilians and using egregious phrases such as „Poles were under German guardianship,” which is a deliberate overinterpretation that he continues throughout his work. One of the examples that made a big impression on the witness was the description of the Action in Szczurow, during which members of the OSP allegedly volunteered to join the organizing German gendarmes and helped in the execution of Jewish civilians. Additionally, he pointed out that Grabowski ignores the context that during the war, OSP was only the same name as before the armed conflict, but the character of this organization changed completely. It was not voluntary but compulsory, under the penalty of death. Interestingly, Grabowski cites as the source of this voluntary work of Poles the publications of Bogdan Musiał’s uncle, Adam Musiał, who previously described it in a completely different, correct way, specifying the entire context of the situation and the changes that occurred.
This is one of the obvious examples, as indicated by the witness, that Grabowski distorts the historical context in his works. He also points out that in his entire activity, Grabowski assumes that the testimonies of Germans or Jews as Holocaust witnesses must be accepted as true and are not subject to verification, while when it comes to Polish testimonies, they are preemptively discredited by Grabowski and strongly questioned each time.
The witness discussed Grabowski’s descriptions of „facts” that are inconsistent and antagonistic to historical facts. As a key argument, he cited that Grabowski invariably insults and discredits other historians by saying that they are wrong and do not know history. He threatens them with court and intimidates them with his lawyer if someone has a different opinion and agrees with the records of historical literature, which also gives food for thought.
During the trial, the topic previously discussed in recent years emerged, namely Grabowski’s claim that „200 thousand Jews were murdered by Poles.” Musiał confirmed that this phrase exists in the environment and has entered scientific circulation as an example of a lack of historical knowledge and denial of facts. However, Grabowski repeats these false statements both in interviews and in the press, and even promotes them. According to Musiał, this is a very dangerous practice because despite the falsity of the phrase, it has entered circulation as a heavily debated, repeated, and quoted one, yet it remains in the public consciousness, not always with an explanation of its origin. Based on this, among other things, Musiał emphasized that Grabowski’s writings do a great injustice to our history. It is also known that propaganda readily picks up and uses such theses, which is also extremely dangerous, especially since they are not supported by any facts but still remain in the public domain. The witness admitted that Grabowski’s work mobilized him to write a book on German legislation regarding Polish-Jewish relations to create another substantive source from which true historical knowledge can be drawn. Foreign recipients are particularly important here, as they often do not have the opportunity to verify the information presented or access the sources that would allow them to recognize which are correct. Therefore, actions aimed at reducing the risk that untrue or incomplete information will be accepted by recipients as historical facts are crucial, as this could contribute to the perpetuation of distorted knowledge about Polish history.
The witness also mentioned that Szymon Datner, an employee of the Jewish Historical Institute, mentioned such a number in the 1980s in his deliberations, but with a full explanation of where and under what circumstances he estimates such values. However, Mr. Grabowski quoted only a fraction of these considerations as providing the exact number of Holocaust victims, which is another example of a selective, unreliable approach to published content.
Unfortunately, these are not the only examples, as Grabowski’s publications often include numbers of victims without specifying their nationality, tailored to a particular theme. Additionally, their nationality is often changed. An example is the crime of burning the school in Szczurow, where Polish soldiers were murdered. Unfortunately, Grabowski denies this in his work, relying on the testimonies of a supposed Holocaust witness who claimed that Jews were burned there. He ignores historical research, which proves that Polish soldiers were burned, confirmed in German documentation conducted in both Polish and German languages, thus creating a new reality.
In summary, according to Musiał, there are many such examples of unreliability, as Grabowski not only conducts superficial analysis and demonstrates a lack of detailed knowledge in his work but above all, as Musiał noticed only after a thorough analysis of the works, Grabowski’s theses are deliberately formulated with the intention of distorting historical facts. We now know that this is how propaganda works, used beyond our eastern, Soviet border. In such rhetoric, presenting knowledge does not require research of scientific sources but is based on simplifications and one’s own interpretation. However, scientific work cannot be based on assumptions but requires reliable knowledge confirmed in historical literature, wartime documents, and archives.
Mr. Grabowski does not do this, nor does he check the sources indicated in the footnotes, but literally uses fragmentary information, describing them as historical facts, which is unacceptable.
It should be noted that today’s witness, Professor Musiał, is an expert in the field of the Holocaust (including a doctorate) and continues to analyze this topic, looking for new sources and facts, which he will present in his just-completed monograph on the Holocaust in Auschwitz, which will be published in September. His works are published in both Polish and German, providing the opportunity for a more comprehensive analysis of factual literature.
Unfortunately, the length and detail of the testimony prevented the hearing of another Witness summoned to the trial, Mr. Wojciech Roszkowski. Another hearing has been scheduled for February 25, 2025, at 12:00, during which Professor Wojciech Roszkowski and Marek Chodakiewicz will testify, and on March 21, 2025, at 9:00, Mr. Kumoch and Mr. John Radziejowski will testify.
We will keep you informed about the course of subsequent hearings.
1 September saw the third hearing in the case brought against the Polish League Against Defamation by Prof. J. Grabowski
On September 1st 2023, the anniversary of the German attack on Poland, another court hearing took place in connection with Prof. J. Grabowski’s lawsuit against the Polish League Against Defamation. This hearing is of particular significance in the context of the anniversary of Germany’s aggression against Poland, recalling the importance of defending historical truth and national identity. The Polish League Against Defamation, in an effort to maintain a reliable and historically correct narrative about Poland, is undertaking a legal battle against Professor Grabowski, whose views and publications have raised controversy regarding the presented interpretation of historical events.
On Friday (1st of September), the Regional Court in Warsaw held the third hearing in the case brought against the Polish League Against Defamation by Prof. Jan Grabowski. The court session began with Prof. Grabowski, the plaintiff’s attorney, submitting an objection to the protocol, which concerned an infringement related to the admission of evidence – the testimony of a witness – Dr. Piotr Gontarczyk. Despite the objection, Dr Piotr Gontarczyk testified in the case.
In his explanations, Dr. Gontarczyk pointed out that in the case of Prof. Grabowski’s scientific works, „we are not talking about any debate or difference of opinion, but about crude falsification of documents – cutting out parts of the text with scissors, or changing individual words.” and also „about falsification of witness testimony, or the use of bibliographic descriptions that make it difficult to find source information.” The witness testified that for many years he has been involved in the verification of J. Grabowski’s publications, and added that he is the author of scientific and journalistic articles in which he not only discusses Prof. Grabowski’s work, but also publishes, scans of documents where scans of information presented by Jan Grabowski are included alongside the original source documents. In this way, he presents violations or falsifications of facts committed by the plaintiff.
Dr. Gontarczyk, when asked what, issues he had concerns about Prof. Grabowski’s scientific activities, indicated that the plaintiff’s activities were not scientific activities because „he follows methods that are totally unacceptable in science.” The witness stated that Prof Grabowski „repeatedly and on a large scale falsifies documents” by, inter alia, „changing words in quotations, writing things that are not there, giving false facts or names of documents.”
Dr. Gontarczyk also referred to the thesis propounded by J. Grabowski that „Poles contributed to the deaths of 200,000 Jews”, the witness indicated that he remembered such cases in which the plaintiff gave different figures and added that these figures have „absolutely no real scientific basis, none”. The witness also pointed out that J. Grabowski’s publications have a wide range of reception (especially in the USA, Canada) and the information contained in them is disseminated, reprinted and popularised and is mainly assimilated by recipients who do not have sufficient knowledge and is used by circles which treat Prof. Grabowski’s works as confirmation of schemes concerning Jews and the Holocaust, as well as anti-Polish schemes. According to the witness, the publications unfortunately find fertile ground and reverberate, being inconsistent with historical facts.
Dr. Gontarczyk gave extensive testimony, pointing out many examples concerning – in his opinion – falsifications committed by Prof. Grabowski in his publications or studies of which he was the scientific editor. He cited the example of the book „Next is Night” (the plaintiff was the scientific editor of the study) and referred to the question of the location of the Treblinka camp, which in reality lay in the Sokolow district, while in the book the location of the camp was transferred to the Węgrów district.
Dr Gontarczyk confirmed that prior to 2017, he was aware of publications in which other academics had commented on Grabowski’s activities.
Reminder:
The second hearing of the case from Prof. J. Garbowski’s lawsuit against the Polish League Against Defamation took place on February 7th 2023, and during the hearing, Prof. Tomasz Panfil, MD, PhD, of the Catholic University of Lublin, testified, indicating that Jan Grabowski had manipulated the actual quotes, presented to the court his motivation for signing the post, and outlined the broader context of the entire case as a case for conducting reliable historical research. The second witness summoned, Dr Piotr Gontarczyk, did not have time to be questioned as Prof Panfil’s extensive questioning continued until the end of the trial, Dr Gontarczyk will testify on September 1st 2023.
The first court hearing in this case took place on September 2nd 2022. During the hearing, witnesses Prof. Grzegorz Berendt and Prof. Artur Przelaskowski testified.
Prof. Berendt pointed out how he and other historians who criticise Prof. Grabowski’s research methods are treated by him. He mentioned, among other things, the deprecation of those who disagree with Prof. Grabowski (which he himself experienced) and the use of non-substantive argumentation.
Professor Przelaskowski, on the other hand, indicated to the court why he signed the 'Position’ published by RDI and what his motivation was. Professor Przelaskowski testified that he also signed the position today and explained why such a position was justified and needed in the public area.
The lawsuit filed by Prof. J. Grabowski against the Polish League Against Defamation relates to the „Position Statement” published by us, supported by 135 Polish scientists who expressed their opposition to Prof. Jan Grabowski’s activities and called on him to maintain his scientific integrity. The letter was published by the Polish League Against Defamation in 2017 and Prof. Jan Grabowski, a year and a half later, decided to sue us at the Foundation. We are fully aware that it is inevitable to be involved in a lengthy legal process. The Polish League Against Defamation is, as always, solidly prepared for the legal process and is constantly collecting and analysing material in order to be able to clearly present its position on Prof. J Grabowski’s scientific activities. All this is done in order to obtain a fair and fact-based resolution of the case.
Highlighting the importance of this procedure is crucial, as two important elements need to be addressed. Firstly, there is the possibility that by citing expert testimony, Professor Grabowski’s workshop errors can be demonstrated. It seems that the professor treats historical sources selectively, choosing those that support his theses, or commits manipulation or falsification of historical facts. The testimonies of witnesses who have repeatedly analysed Professor Grabowski’s publications confirm the need for in-depth analyses, fact-checking and correctness of the sources that are presented by Jan Grabowski.
This proceeding is important from the point of view of the dissemination of historical truth and education in the broadest sense, especially in the case of foreign audiences, who often do not have the opportunity to verify the information presented or access sources that would allow them to learn historical facts. Therefore, it becomes important to take action to reduce the risk that false or incomplete information will be accepted by recipients as historical facts, which could shape a distorted knowledge of Polish history.
This case is also of further importance because the information disseminated by Professor Grabowski is being used by anti-Polish circles to create an untrue image of Poland and to attribute co-responsibility for the Holocaust to the Poles, which may diminish the guilt of one perpetrator of this crime – the Germans. Through this case we also want to respond to such absurd accusations or suggestions.
It should be clearly emphasised that Professor Grabowski’s studies reach a diverse foreign audience, including politicians who influence good international relations and determine world security. In this context, the restoration and dissemination of the truth about Polish and Polish history is of great importance, which the Foundation has been emphasising for more than ten years.
Experts' testimony in the case brought by Prof. J. Grabowski against the Polish League Against Defamation
On 07.02.2023, another hearing of Prof. J. Garbowski’s lawsuit against the Polish League Against Defamation was held in the District Court in Warsaw. The case concerns the famous letter of 135 scientists who expressed their opposition to Prof. Jan Grabowski’s activities and called on him to maintain scientific integrity.
During the trial, Prof Tomasz Panfil – associate professor at the Catholic University of Lublin – and Dr Piotr Gontarczyk – professionally connected with the Historical Research Office of the Institute of National Remembrance – gave evidence.
Prof. Tomasz Panfil indicated that he still subscribes to the position today. He indicated that Jan Grabowski was manipulating the actual quotes, presented to the court his motivation for signing the post, and outlined the broader context of the whole case as a case for conducting reliable historical research.
The second witness, Dr Piotr Gontarczyk, was not heard, as Prof Panfil’s questioning took over an hour.
Interestingly: today at the hearing, in addition to the witnesses, Prof. Jan Gross was present as an audience member, connecting via a web application.
Reminder:
The first court hearing in this case took place on 27.09.2022. During the hearing, witnesses Prof. Grzegorz Berendt and Prof. Artur Przelaskowski testified.
Prof. Berendt pointed out how he and other historians who criticise Prof. Grabowski’s research methods are treated by him. He mentioned, among other things, the deprecation of those who disagree with Prof Grabowski (which he himself experienced) and the use of non-substantive argumentation.
Prof. Przelaskowski, on the other hand, indicated to the court why he signed the 'Position Paper’ published by RDI and what his motivation was. Prof. Przelaskowski testified that he also signed the position today and explained why such a position was justified and needed in the public space.
The lawsuit filed by Prof. J. Grabowski against the Polish League against Defamation relates to the published „Position”, supported by 135 Polish scientists. This lawsuit is chronologically the first (it relates to a 2017 event) in relation to the proceedings of the late Filomena Leszczynska’s lawsuit against Prof. J. Grabowski and B. Engelking. When the book Further is Night, of which Prof. Jan Grabowski is the scientific editor, was published in early 2019, we decided to routinely check the reliability of the information presented in this publication. During a site visit in the village of Malinowo, in March 2019, the late Filomena Leszczyńska asked us to help her defend the good name of her uncle, the late Edward Malinowski, described by the co-author of this book and editor Barbara Engelking as „an accomplice in the death of Jews”. After analysing the information in the book concerning the late Edward Malinowski, RDI decided to help the late Filomena Leszczynska by providing her with legal protection. Hence the high-profile lawsuit filed by Filomena Leszczyńska against Prof. Jan Grabowski and Prof. Barbara Engelking, which was won in the court of first instance.
With regard to the pending litigation, we recall that one and a half years after RDI issued a position paper questioning the reliability of the methodology of Prof. Jan Grabowski’s scientific work, this historian working as a professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada filed a lawsuit against RDI. RDI sent an extensive response to the court, in which, among other things, he alleges selective treatment of the sources researched and cited by Mr Grabowski. It should be mentioned that Prof. Grabowski is the author disseminating the untrue thesis that „Poles contributed to the death of 200,000 Jews”.
It should be pointed out that the pending proceedings are important for several reasons, firstly, they will allow for the presentation of the basis for the assessment of Prof. J. Grabowski’s research methods, and secondly, they will contribute to the dissemination of historical truth and concern for the good name of Poland and Poles. This proceeding is equally important in the global context, as Prof. Jan Grabowski’s publications are distributed worldwide and their message is assimilated by many recipients who will not take the trouble to verify their veracity, all the more so as most of the sources on which this researcher works are mostly in the Polish language, so foreign readers do not have the opportunity to verify the presented conclusions. With the above in mind, the Polish League Against Defamation has taken appropriate action and meticulously prepared for the trial in order to present the facts in court regarding the controversy surrounding the research methods and presentation of historical information in Prof. Jan Grabowski’s publications.
The first hearing in the lawsuit filed by Mr Grabowski against RDI is behind us (28.09.2022)
Press release of the Polish League Against Defamation
Warsaw, 28.09.2022r.
In court, the Polish League Against Defamation will present the basis for its assessment of Prof. J. Grabowski’s research methods.
Yesterday (27.09.2022), the first hearing in the case from Prof. Jan Grabowski’s lawsuit against the Polish League Against Defamation took place before the District Court in Warsaw.
During the court session, witnesses Prof. Grzegorz Berendt and Prof. Artur Przelaskowski testified.
Prof. Berendt pointed out how he and other historians who criticise Prof. Grabowski’s research methods are treated by him. He mentioned, among other things, the deprecation of those who disagree with Prof. Grabowski (which he himself experienced) and the use of non-substantive argumentation.
Professor Przelaskowski, on the other hand, indicated to the court why he signed the 'Position’ published by RDI and what his motivation was. Professor Przelaskowski testified that he also signed the position today and explained why such a position was justified and needed in the public space.
The lawsuit against the Polish League Against Defamation was filed by Jan Grabowski at the beginning of 2019. It concerns the published 'Position Statement’ of the Polish League Against Defamation on Jan Grabowski’s research methods, supported by 135 Polish scientists. This lawsuit is chronologically first and concerns an event from 2017. Jan Grabowski sued the RDI a year and a half after the publication of our 'Position’. When the book „Dalej jest noc”, of which Prof Jan Grabowski is the scientific editor, was published at the beginning of 2019, we decided to routinely check the reliability of the information presented in this publication. During a site visit to the village of Malinowo, in March 2019, the late Filomena Leszczynska asked us to help defend the good name of her uncle, the late Edward Malinowski, described by the book’s co-author and editor Barbara Engelking as „an accomplice in the death of Jews”. After analysing the information contained in the book and concerning the late Edward Malinowski, RDI decided to help the late Filomena Leszczyńska by providing her with legal protection. Hence the high-profile lawsuit filed by Filomena Leszczyńska against Prof. Jan Grabowski and Prof. Barbara Engelking, which was won in the court of first instance. All the while, the start of the lawsuit by Jan Grabowski against the Polish League Against Defamation was awaited.
With regard to the pending proceedings, we recall that in early 2019, a year and a half after RDI issued a post questioning the reliability of the methodology of Jan Grabowski’s scientific work, this historian working as a professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada filed a lawsuit against RDI. RDI sent an extensive response to the court in which, among other things, it alleges selective treatment of the sources researched and cited by Mr Grabowski. It should be mentioned that Prof. Grabowski is the author disseminating the untrue thesis that „Poles contributed to the death of 200,000 Jews”.
„In the trial that is about to begin, we will have the opportunity to demonstrate before the court – in our opinion – the scandalous workshop errors of this Polish-Canadian professor, but also to show the public the basis of our assessment of Prof. J. Grabowski’s research methods.” – emphasised Maciej Świrski, founder of the Polish League Against Defamation.
7 June 2017. RDI published the „Position of Polish scientists gathered around the Polish League against Defamation towards the activities of Jan Grabowski”, which questioned the reliability of the methodology of his scientific works.
The full content of the above-mentioned position is available at the link:
„In our opinion, historian Jan Grabowski is selective in his treatment of historical sources and chooses those that are consistent with his theses. In his works, he also omits the historical context of the events described. It is particularly detrimental to Poles that Grabowski, in his publications, omits the fact that the Germans punished with death Poles who not only hid Jews but helped them in any other way. The claim propounded by Jan Grabowski that „Poles contributed to the deaths of 200,000 Jews” is obviously inconsistent with historical truth and indisputably detrimental to the memory of the thousands of Polish citizens who, during the Second World War, paid with their lives for the help shown to the Jewish population. Above all, the analysis of this historian’s scholarly workshop led the Polish League Against Defamation more than 5 years ago, to issue a 'Position’ supported by 135 Polish scholars.” – informed Maciej Świrski, adding „We still do not know why Prof. Grabowski decided to sue us a year and a half after the publication of our 'Position’. We have diligently prepared a response to the lawsuit (almost 1,000 pages), in which we present scientific studies verifying Jan Grabowski’s unsubstantiated theses. Many academics and historians have long questioned both the research methods and the presentation of facts by Jan Grabowski. We draw attention to the fact that it was Jan Grabowski who sued the Polish League Against Defamation, thereby censoring our opinion of his research. It is surprising that a Holocaust researcher, who himself expects freedom of speech and freedom of discussion, denies the same right to others. In our view, the basis of scientific activity is criticism of the theses and conclusions presented. Without criticism and discussion, there is no development. If scientific criticism is replaced by general nodding because there is a consensus on the 'merits’ and ’eminence’ of the author of the theses or conclusions under consideration and critics are intimidated – then we are dealing with a so-called cargo cult in science, not science.”
The ongoing proceedings are important for the dissemination of historical truth and concern for the good name of the Polish people. The proceedings are equally important in a global context, as Jan Grabowski’s publications are distributed throughout the world and their message is assimilated by many recipients who will not take the trouble to verify their veracity, all the more so as most of the sources on which this researcher works are mostly in Polish, so foreign readers have no way of verifying the conclusions presented. With the above in mind, the RDI has taken appropriate action and meticulously prepared for the trial in order to present the facts in court regarding the controversy surrounding the research methods and presentation of historical information in Prof. Jan Grabowski’s publications.
Information:
kontakt@rdi.org.pl
tel. +48 570 226 122
Historian Grabowski vs. the Polish League Against Defamation! First clash already on 12 February at the District Court in Warsaw
HISTORIAN GRABOWSKI VS. THE POLISH LEAGUE AGAINST DEFAMTION
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Every day brings new, extremely important events. After the victorious court verdict ordering Prof. Barbara Engelking and Prof. Jan Grabowski to apologise to Judge Filomena Leszczyńska – who bravely pleaded for the good memory of her uncle Edward Malinowski – another unprecedented trial is coming up.
This Friday, 12 February, the first hearing in the lawsuit brought against the Polish League Against Defamtion by Jan Grabowski, a representative of the so-called New Polish School of Holocaust Research, will take place before the Regional Court in Warsaw. A year and a half after RDI issued a post questioning the reliability of the methodology of his scientific work, this historian, who works as a professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada, filed a lawsuit. RDI sent a lengthy response to the court in which, among other things, it alleges selective treatment of the sources studied and cited by Grabowski. This historian is also the author of the thesis that „Poles contributed to the deaths of 200,000 Jews”. According to RDI, Grabowski, by taking legal action, wanted to stop the constitutionally guaranteed right of criticism. It is worth remembering that the above-mentioned case was brought in February 2019 and is chronologically the first, before the Filomena Leszczynska case, which only arose in March 2019.
7 June 2017. RDI published „Position of Polish scientists gathered around the Polish League Against Defamation towards the activities of Jan Grabowski”, in which the reliability of the methodology of his scientific works was questioned.
In our opinion, historian Jan Grabowski treats historical sources selectively and chooses those that are in line with his theses. In his works, he also omits the historical context of the events described. It is particularly unfair to Poles that Grabowski in his publications omits the fact that Germans punished Poles who not only hid Jews but also helped them in any way with death.
Let us recall that Jan Grabowski graduated from the Faculty of History at the University of Warsaw, where he wrote his master’s thesis on the history of Jesuit missions among Canadian Indians. After leaving Poland, he defended his doctoral thesis at the University of Montreal on the co-existence of natives and French in Montreal between 1667 and 1760. Subsequently, the Holocaust became his primary field of research.
Jan Grabowski is the author of the thesis that „Poles contributed to the deaths of 200,000 Jews”. Among other things, this claim, but above all the analysis of this historian’s scholarly workshop, led the RDI to issue a „Position Paper” supported by 135 Polish scholars more than three years ago. Let us recall that the Standpoint negatively assessing the reliability of Jan Grabowski’s scientific work was published on 7 June 2017. Jan Grabowski’s reaction, in the form of a lawsuit, came only in February 2019.
We still do not know why Mr Grabowski decided to sue us. We have diligently prepared a response to the lawsuit, in which we present scientific studies verifying Jan Grabowski’s unsubstantiated theses. Many academics and historians have long questioned both Grabowski’s research methods and presentation of facts. In analysing this situation and in further discussions, we point out that it was he who brought the lawsuit against the Polish League Against Defamation, thereby censoring our opinion of his research. I am very surprised that a Holocaust researcher, who himself expects freedom of speech and freedom of discussion, denies the same right to others.
In its response to Grabowski’s lawsuit, the RDI strongly points to the selective treatment of sources by this scholar. This opinion was emphasised by well-known historians, including the renowned historian and researcher of the Polish occupation, Prof. Bogdan Musiał. Other historians, e.g. Dr Tomasz Domański, also spoke negatively about the workshop, the selection of sources, the presentation of facts and the change of words in the descriptions of events. It should also be remembered that in the judgment of. 9.02.2021, the District Court in Warsaw agreed with the allegation that the research which Grabowski branded with his authority as the scientific editor of the book „Dalej jest noc” was carried out unreliably in the case assessed by the court (the case of Filomena Leszczyńska v. J. Grabowski and B. Engelking, Ref. IIIc 657/19)
Jan Grabowski consistently rejects the findings of the aforementioned scientists. Contrary to what he claims not these are exclusively „right-wing historians” or nationalists, but a group of researchers who devoted their time to researching the course of the Holocaust in German-occupied Poland.
In my view, this issue is simply about the reliability of the ́historian and the possibility for it to be assessed by other scholars who have a methodological workshop. This applies not only to the historical sciences. The issue of the reliability of the presented research results is universal in science, regardless of the field. Besides, of course, in the case of a professor of history, the level of demandś on him or her, in terms of the methodology of the research conducted, is higher than those placed on the average expert in history. We have collected scientific studies, opinions of many historians and we have much to say about Prof Grabowski’s workshop. We are eagerly awaiting the start of this process. We simply cannot wait for our dossier to be made known to the public.
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