Most people have no idea how insulting the expressions “Polish concentration camp” and “Polish death camp” are to Poles. During World War II Poland never surrendered to Germany and there was no puppet government in the occupied Poland. Everything that happened there and then was the result of decisions made and executed purely by Germans. All those camps were German concentration camps or German death camps.
(Click the below photos to enlarge.)
PS. To be clear: I believe that young generations should not be blamed for what their ancestors did, but those who distort history ARE to be blamed.
UPDATE:
Please notice that "Auschwitz-Birkenau" is not a Polish name and "Arbeit Macht Frei" is not a Polish sentence. These words are in German.
Ten days ago (on 26 June 2018) the prime ministers of the State of Israel and the Republic of Poland presented a very important joint declaration. And they both got criticized by their own compatriots. Nobody is happy, so we have a true compromise.
I myself got angry that the Polish Government backed off from a recent law change that was meant to defend the good name of Poland, but I must admit that the declaration on its own is rather positive. To me the most important parts are these:
“It is obvious that the Holocaust was an unprecedented crime, committed by Nazi Germany against the Jewish nation, including all Poles of Jewish origin.”
“We have always agreed that the term “Polish concentration/death camps” is blatantly erroneous and diminishes the responsibility of Germans for establishing those camps.”
“The wartime Polish Government-in-Exile attempted to stop this Nazi activity by trying to raise awareness among the Western allies to the systematic murder of the Polish Jews.”
“We are honored to remember heroic acts of numerous Poles, especially the Righteous Among the Nations, who risked their lives to save Jewish people.”
“We reject the actions aimed at blaming Poland or the Polish nation as a whole for the atrocities committed by the Nazis and their collaborators of different nations.”
“We acknowledge the fact that structures of the Polish underground State supervised by the Polish Government-in-Exile created a mechanism of systematic help and support to Jewish people, and its courts sentenced Poles for collaborating with the German occupation authorities, including for denouncing Jews.”
“Both governments vehemently condemn all forms of anti-Semitism, and express their commitment to oppose any of its manifestations. Both governments also express their rejection of anti-Polonism and other negative national stereotypes.”
Here is the full text of the declaration:
https://www.premier.gov.pl/en/news/news/joint-declaration-of-prime-ministers-of-the-state-of-israel-and-the-republic-of-poland.html
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