A new book examining the role of Polish mayors during the Holocaust is facing sharp criticism from prominent polish historians and diplomats, who allege the work distorts ancient facts. The German-language study, “Polish Mayors and the Holocaust” by Grzegorz Rossoliński-Liebego, sparked an open letter signed by 130 individuals asserting it falsely equates the actions of Polish officials with those of the Nazi German occupiers [[1]].The dispute underscores ongoing sensitivities surrounding the interpretation of WWII history and national responsibility in Poland, a nation that experienced brutal occupation and notable loss of life during the conflict.
A recently published German book, “Polish Mayors and the Holocaust,” has sparked protest from 130 Polish historians, former dissidents from the Polish People’s Republic, and diplomats. The signatories of an open letter, issued in opposition to the book’s promotion in Germany and Austria, argue that the work falsely equates the roles of Polish mayors with those of German occupiers.
The controversy centers on a German-language academic study by Grzegorz Rossoliński-Liebego. The author, a historian originally from Upper Silesia but residing in Germany for many years, received his habilitation – a post-doctoral qualification – in 2023 from Freie Universität in Berlin based on the research. The book was first presented on September 29, 2025, in Berlin and subsequently in Vienna.
The core of the Polish historians’ criticism lies in what they describe as a failure to provide historical context and a manipulation of facts. According to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), a comprehensive review by Dr. Damian Sitkiewicz of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) indicates that the author minimizes the role of Germans in the atrocities, creating a narrative where their actions are marginalized and Polish officials are allegedly shown to bear co-responsibility. Sitkiewicz writes that the book “omits the actions of the German apparatus of terror, emphasizing the alleged guilt of Polish mayors.”
An open letter concerning Rossoliński-Liebego’s publication was signed by 130 historians and representatives of social organizations and associations in early December.
Signatories include individuals close to Julian Kulski, as well as activists from the democratic opposition movement during the Polish People’s Republic era: Teresa Bochwic, Czesław Bielecki, Bronisław Wildstein, and Ewa Tomaszewska. Numerous leading historians also added their names, including Andrzej Chwalba (vice president of the Polish Historical Society), Wojciech Fałkowski, Piotr Franaszek, Mikołaj Iwanow (chairman of the “For Your Freedom and Ours” Foundation), Marek Kornat, Andrzej Nowak, Grzegorz Strauchold, Mirosław Szumiło, and Zofia Zielińska.
The debate over historical responsibility during World War II continues to be a sensitive issue in Poland and Germany, and this book has ignited a new round of scrutiny. The accusations leveled against Rossoliński-Liebego’s work raise questions about the interpretation of wartime events and the roles played by various actors under Nazi occupation.
