Wywiad z Ewą Gąsowską

• Published in: Studia Litteraria et Historica Vol. 2; no. 2; pp. 585 - 640
• Main Author: Stec, Monika
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Polish
• Published: Warsaw Instytut Slawistyki Polskiej Akademii Nauk 2013; Institute of Slavic Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences; Institute of Slavic Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences (ISS PAS)
• Subjects: Armed forces; Cognition & reasoning; Courts; Death & dying; Families & family life; History; Politics; Post-War period (1950 - 1989); Recent History (1900 till today); Poland; Polska Partia Robotn; Jan Rybak; Ścinawka; court case; Narodowe Siły Zbrojne (National Armed Forces) NSZ guerillas; Radomyśl nad Sanem; Bolesław Alfons Chmielowiec; historical policy; World War II
• DOI: 10.11649/slh.2013.025

In the interview, Ewa Gąsowska described her ten-year-long struggle with the Polish legal system. Gąsowska’s objective has been to reinstate the good name of her grandfather, Jan Rybak, who was murdered in 1945. According to Gąsowska, the reason for her grandfather’s death was his political activity in PPR (Polish Labourers’ Party) and his post-war commitment to the reconstruction of People’s Poland (Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa). Gąsowska claims that he was murdered by members of Narodowe Siły Zbrojne (National Armed Forces). Almost 60 years after the death of Jan Rybak, a book was published which presents his activity and death in a different light. The book had been written by one of those regarded by Rybak’s family as his murderers. This “courtroom drama” is situated in the context of the relations between the Rybak family and the local community (the place where Jan Rybak, and most likely also his murderers, were born), as well as the socio-political transformations in the contemporary Poland.