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Ceremony held on 81st anniversary of Jedwabne massacre

10.07.2022 15:30
A ceremony was held in Jedwabne on Sunday marking the 81st anniversary of the WWII massacre of Jewish inhabitants of the town in northeastern Poland.
Commemoration ceremony in Jedwabne.
Commemoration ceremony in Jedwabne.Photo: PAP/Michał Zieliński

Polish, and Israeli officials attended the event, including Israeli ambassador to Poland Yacov Livne, as well as Polish deputy Human Rights Ombudsman Hanna Machińska, and the head of Polish President's office Wojciech Kolarski.

Livne told the media that remembering the tragedy of Jedwabne is crucial for history not to repeat itself.

Representatives of Polish opposition parties also laid wreaths at a memorial site in Jedwabne.

The pogrom, carried out by a group of ethnic Poles, took place on 10 July 1941 in the town of Jedwabne, which was then under the Nazi German occupation.

Over 300 local Jews of all ages were herded into a barn which was then set alight.

Poland's Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), which is tasked with investigating crimes against Polish citizens, took up the case in 2000, and found that Poles played the 'decisive role' in the pogrom, although Nazi German encouragement was stressed.

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Source: PAP