An Invitation to Discuss the Latest Book by Dariusz Libionka

Mateusz Szczepaniak / materiały prasowe, 16 June 2017
The Polish Centre for Holocaust Research, the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology Polish Academy of Sciences as well as the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Research on Holocaust Literature extend an invitation to discuss Dariusz Libionka's latest book entitled "The Genocide of the Jews in the General Government - an Outline of the Issues", published by the State Museum in Majdanek. As well as the author, others to participate in the discussion include Prof. Joanna Tokarska-Bakir and Robert Szuchta. The discussion will be led by Prof. Jacek Leociak.

"Operation Reinhardt" began on the night of 16th March 1942 with the deportation of Jews from the Lublin ghetto to the Bełżec death camp. The aim of the operation with the extermination of the Jewish population in five districts of the General Government (Warsaw, Radom, Kraków, Lublin and Galicja). At the end of 1942, the operation was expanded to include the Białystok area of East Prussia.

More about "Operation Reinhardt"

Dariusz Libionka's latest book describes the genocide of the Jews within the General Government. It is the first detailed study of the subject. The author concentrates on the activities of the perpetrators and the mechanisms of the Holocaust, describing their issue-chronological order. He also devotes much of the text to the reactions of the Jews and to the attitudes of the Christian population.

"This book needs to be read in silence and with a gripped heart", reads the the Polish Centre for Holocaust Research's invitation to take part in the discussion. "But one should talk about this book loudly - very loudly. Why?Almost all market squares in Polish cities and towns became places for the assembling of Jews to be deported. Almost every street in Polish cities and town, at the time, flowed with blood. Almosty every larger railway station was a loading point, heading for extermination. Today, according to research conducted in 2009 at the request of the Museum of World War II in Gdańsk, Treblinka, as the biggest of Operation Reinhardt's camps, accounetd for the extermination of 13.8% Poles. Sobibór accounted for 1.9% and  Bełżec 0.9%. For this reason, we will speak loudly about this book. We will discuss it."

The event will take place on 28th June 2017 at 6:00 pm at Staszic Palace, 72 Nowy Świat Street in Warsaw, Room 144 (A. Mickiewicz Room, 2nd Floor). Admissionis free. The book will be available for purchase at a discounted price.