The memory of the Shoah remains a contentious issue in Poland to this day. Since the mid-1980s, public discourse has repeatedly focussed on the issue of how to deal with the National Socialists' destruction of the Jews. This has raised accusations that the Polish people bore an element of moral or active guilt during World War Two which, however, conflict with the country's long-established perception of itself as a community of heroes and victims. The author examines the question of how Polish society is handling this contradiction and what effect the discussions have on the opinions formed by the population.

The memory of the Shoah remains a contentious issue in Poland to this day. Since the mid-1980s, public discourse has repeatedly focussed on the issue of how to deal with the National Socialists' destruction of the Jews. This has raised accusations that the Polish people bore an element of moral or active guilt during World War Two which, however, conflict with the country's long-established perception of itself as a community of heroes and victims. The author examines the question of how Polish society is handling this contradiction and what effect the discussions have on the opinions formed by the population.