We spent nine months inside Pawiak, a Italian language jail when you look at the Warsaw, and soon after 7 years (1948-53) for the an excellent Communist prison, where We lasted an effective ten-month-a lot of time brutal interrogation concerning the, yet others, my personal involvement on the Gloss Underground
Mainly because terminology was indeed important for Bellert’s acceptance out of Kwasniewski’s apology plus they don’t can be found in the new page had written throughout the Gazette, i for this reason publish right here an entire contents of Bellert’s new page.
Mcdougal prices, but not, a couple sentences of a beneficial ten-time mobile discussion beside me : “Because a pole I was astonished once i been aware of Jedwabne,” Bellert told you. “Having half a century out-of communist rule, little or no are said about the career”. Both phrases are correct, but when juxtaposed, it indicate that aforementioned was how come regarding my personal becoming amazed, that’s not real. I’d like, for this reason, to express as to the reasons I found myself astonished and exactly why We enjoy the fresh new societal report you to definitely President Kwasniewski produced in Jedwabne.
Through the WW II, I became a member of a gloss underground company ZWZ, afterwards rebranded since the A.K.(the home Army). For this reason obviously We realized much concerning the fighting away from Poles from the Nazi Italian language army about Western, East and you can in to the filled Poland, and additionally in regards to the contribution regarding Poles in the impossible strive of saving the Jews if you’re risking execution of its whole parents. I also know about the shmalcovniks, people who denounced Jews from avarice otherwise hate.
Although not, never before got We been aware of for example a good despicable, cruel massacre of Jews in which Poles participated to the acceptance and you may instigation of the Gestapo – its top opponent. And this refers to the cause of my being shocked.
This might be also the reason why I think one Posts who fancy and you can love its country, and are also happy in being members of it nation, can simply condemn this new slaughter from inside the Jedwabne and you can express their sadness and you can apology for the sufferers and their household, in the place of refute the information, both away from decreased courage to stand the case otherwise wishful convinced that Poles cannot be involved in it.
There is, definitely, no cumulative responsibility, but if discover a collaborative satisfaction in being a-pole, indeed there must, in this case, become a collective shame. This is why President Kwasniewski precisely indicated sorrow and considering a keen apology inside the individual label, plus in title ones away from their compatriots who have the same way.
POLAND’S chairman, Alexander Kwasniewski, is key contour inside the promoting his nation into the European Partnership together with European union with the Posts. 6 months to your their 2nd four-season title, along with the Czechs’ Vaclav Havel in the future to help you retire, he’s, on 46, together with growing since old boyfriend-communist Main Europe’s best statesman. Experience his recent speech on Jedwabne, world 
out of a today well known slaughter inside the 1941. “The most important message in blog post-war Shine background,” an american diplomat calls it. Which is an excessive amount of-remember the young Lech Walesa-however, a beneficial statesman’s address it was.
It actually was the opportunity to lay Poland in the a far greater light which have America’s previously-suspicious Jews
The fresh massacre was previously blamed toward Nazis, that has merely captured the metropolis. Your situation, introduced because of the brand new historical degree, features shaken Poland to the key. On July 10th, sixty years back, Jedwabne’s Jews was indeed rounded right up, brutally outdone and then, individuals who weren’t dead currently, burned alive when you look at the a beneficial barn-of the its Catholic neighbours. “Fratricide,” Mr Kwasniewski phone calls they. During the service from remembrance, the guy dressed in an effective yarmulka and you may are flanked from the rabbis. “Although address has also been having our selves,” claims Mr Kwasniewski. “We Poles must search truth regarding vision, any truth, and you may say: it was very, it just happened.”
