Poland – a land that time forgot?

Communist-era Nowa Huta

The backward image of Poland so often presented in history books has been tackled in a report issued on behalf of the Foreign Affairs Ministry by historian Professor Adam Suchoński from Opole University, who looked into the history textbooks used in high schools throughout Europe.

An excerpt from the British textbook issued in schools, History in the Making, published in 2002, claims that Polish agriculture is rather primitive, with horses and wagons roaming the countryside, while machines such as combine-harvesters are practically unused in the country.

German textbooks still feature images of people farming in fields by hand, with harnessed cows and plumes of smoke billowing out of chimneys at the communist-era industrial town of Nowa Huta, near Krakow.

One of the photos accompanying the text in the German history book is accompanied by the caption: “Is a country with such an approach to the environment fit to be in the European Union?”

“These textbooks are still very much in use. Reprinted every couple of years, reinforcing negative stereotype of Poles and their country,” says Professor Suchoński, adding that “[Poles] are depicted as fighters, victims of war, persecution and failed national uprisings.”

Over the years, succeeding Polish governments have done little to counter the problem, says the academic.

The historian suggests that Poland should prepare an extensive overview of its history, which it should forward to the Georg Eckert Institute, an acclaimed reference center for textbook research in Germany and a Mecca for authors of history books.

“If they have a proper source of information on Poland’s history and modern times, they will definitely make use of it,” the historian told the Gazeta Wyborcza daily. (ab/pg)