ThoughtCrime: 11/16/99
Polish Professor Tried for Revisionism
A professor of history was put on trial for having written a book that
calls into question the theory that the Nazis had developed a systematic
plan to exterminate the Jews of Europe. Dariusz Ratajczak, 37, argued that
he was innocent. He claims that his book merely summarizes the opinions
of revisionist historians. Ratajczak notes that his own views are not necessarily
in line with all of those presented in his aptly named book, Dangerous
Themes.
In yet another example of the pervasiveness of thought crimes legislation
throughout Europe, prosecutors have accused Ratajczak of violating a law
banning public denial of Nazi crimes. If convicted, he faces up to three
years in prison.
Ratajczak announced "Historical revisionism is a historical and social
fact," in his opening statement to the court. Ratajczak asserts in his book
that gas chambers at Nazi concentration camps were used for delousing and
not for mass murder. Ratajczak was also dragged into court for estimating
that 3 million Jews died in the Holocaust and not 6 million.
According to excerpts reprinted in newspapers, the book calls testimony
from eyewitnesses "useless" and describes researchers of Nazi crimes as
"followers of the religion of Holocaust" who impose on others "a false image
of the past."
Ratajczak himself is today being treated as a heretic. For daring to
question the Holocaust orthodoxy, Ratajczak was suspended from his position
at the Historical Institute of the University of Opole after a commission
investigating Nazi crimes in Poland complained to prosecutors about his
book.
"Thoughtcrime does not entail death: thoughtcrime IS death."
George Orwell
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