Seen from Jedwabne in Yad Vashem Studies, Volume XXX

Seen from Jedwabne

The article looks at current reactions in Poland, especially in Jedwabne itself, to the revelations about Jedwabne. There are two versions of the July 10, 1941 murder of the Jedwabne Jews current in Poland. “The guilt version” is supported by the President, the National Memory Institute, and a significant part of Polish society. “The innocence version,” in which Poles are always the victims and the talk about Jedwabne is the result of a Jewish plot, is shared by the majority of Jedwabners and their priest and bishop. Those in Jedwabne who have the courage to reveal the truth are persecuted by their neighbors, and the mayor of Jedwabne, Krzysztof Godlewski, was forced to resign only because he took part in the anniversary ceremonies on July 10, 2001.