The commemoration of the expulsions of the Jewish population that took place in 1968 took place at the University of Warsaw. During them he gave a speech Andrzej Duda. He emphasized that present-day Poland cannot be responsible for the actions of the Polish People's Republic authorities. At the same time, however, he asked for forgiveness three times for the expulsions that took place fifty years ago.
Disturbed speech of the President of the Republic of Poland
During Andrzej Duda's speech, there were shouts of, among others Polish citizens. The words "Constitution! Disgrace! Down with censorship! ”. They raised white roses in protest. There were also whistles and other words directed towards the President of the Republic of Poland.
A different overtone of words than the Premiere
He also delivered his speech last Wednesday Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki. However, his words were met with great criticism from both the media and the entire opposition. They were also commented unfavorably in the foreign press. Unlike Andrzej Duda, Mateusz Morawiecki put the entire responsibility on the then authorities, claiming that Poland was not a country at that time sovereign and therefore Poles cannot be blamed for anti-Semitic exiles, but only those in power.
March 1968 - What Happened?
It is worth recalling that March 1968 is a special moment in the history of the Republic of Poland. On day 8 brand In 1968, student protests began in the largest Polish cities. They were brutally defeated by the forces of the Citizens' Militia and the Volunteer Reserve of the Citizens' Militia.
The authorities of the Polish People's Republic at that time blamed students of Jewish origin for the outbreak of the protests. It was a continuation of the anti-Semitic campaign that began in the early 60s. The First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party described the student youth revolt not as a tension between workers and students, but as a conflict between supporters of socialism and its opponents. On the 19th brand In 1968, during the PZPR rally, Władysław Gomułka officially condemned scientific revisionists, as well as the so-called "nationalist and cosmopolitan Jews".
Mass emigration
As a result of the anti-Jewish campaign, between 13 and 20 people left Poland. people of Jewish origin. People from... also emigrated world of science and culture. They were given a letter to sign State Council, in which they renounced their Polish citizenship and also applied for an exit passport, without the right to return. The fact that a lot was of great symbolic importance people left Poland from the Gdański Railway Station in Warsaw. From the same place where transports to extermination camps departed during World War II.
