Polish History Professor Fired

Dariusz Ratajczak, a Polish history professor was fired by his university. In addition, he was banned from teaching elsewhere for writing and publishing the book Dangerous Themes. This book asserts that Nazi Germany did not have a comprehensive plan for exterminating Jews. Although this view is accepted by many scholars, the University of Opole, which is run by the Polish state determined that Ratajczak had violated ethical standards and would be banned from teaching at other universities for a period of three years.

Ratajczak was suspended from his post in Opole last year after prosecutors opened an investigation into the publication of his book which also asserts that the gas chambers of the concentration camps were used solely for delousing purposes and that some 3 million Jews died in the Holocaust.

Ratajczak says that he will appeal the ruling. Ratajczak argues that he had merely summarized opinions of historians who are skeptical about elements of the orthodox Holocaust tale and that his own views are not in line with all the opinions in his book. He was reported to have said, “I was only presenting various views on the Holocaust to students.” In today's Poland as in most of Europe, alternative views on the Holocaust are forbidden by law.

A court in Opole in December found Ratajczak guilty of spreading revisionist views on the Holocaust. The court however did not punish him, saying the book's limited distribution was not damaging enough to warrant punishment under a Polish law which makes it a crime to publicly deny Nazi or communist-era crimes. The court also said Ratajczak had distanced himself from revisionist views in a preface to the second edition of the book.

It appears that the courts relatively mild treatment of Ratjaczak resulted in the current action by his university. Ratjaczak personally financed a second edition of 30,000 copies. His publisher, a small firm in Warsaw is said to have censored certain passages in the text. The Holocaust theme proved to be dangerous indeed for Ratajczak.

Today it remains a crime to openly debate aspects of the Holocaust story in most European countries.

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