Outrage at Polish Embassy bid to “glorify” Nazi collaborator

Poland’s Embassy in the UK has been accused of “glorifying” a Polish nationalist politician believed to have collaborated with the Nazis.

A Polish anti-racist organisation has criticised the Embassy over its involvement in the restoration of the grave of Władysław Studnicki, who died in London in 1953.

Mr Studnicki espoused antisemitic views saying that Jews were “parasites on the healthy branch of the Polish tree.” He also proposed the forced removal of 100,000 Polish Jews every year to bring about the “de-Judaization” of Poland.

The row erupted after it was reported that a member of the Embassy’s political staff was involved in restoring Mr Studnicki’s grave in London and was actively promoting the project online. The Embassy official, Agata Supińska, said on Twitter that Studnicki  was “one of the greatest Polish thinkers of the 20th century,” who had not “been accorded respect and was forgotten for many years.”

In a statement, the Polish Embassy said that Ms Supińska “got involved in this project in a purely personal capacity” but that it was “supportive of her efforts to restore Studnicki’s grave,” adding that the efforts to restore the grave was a civic initiative.

 The Embassy statement went on to note that it supported “all grassroots civic initiatives aimed at preserving the memory of Poles and their achievements in Great Britain.”

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