History of Censorship in Poland
The history of censorship in Poland is deeply intertwined with the nation's tumultuous past, marked by foreign domination, war, and political upheaval. During periods of external rule, particularly under Russian control, strict limitations were imposed on national expression, including the suppression of the Polish language and patriotic sentiments. Following World War I, Poland enjoyed a brief period of independence, but this was shattered in 1939 when the country was partitioned again by Germany and the Soviet Union, leading to further repression. After World War II, Poland became a communist ally, and the establishment of the Central Office of Publications and Entertainment in 1946 formalized government control over media.
Despite this repression, a vibrant underground press thrived, alongside the influential voice of the Roman Catholic Church. The early 1980s saw a significant shift with the rise of the Solidarity movement, culminating in the 1981 Act on Censorship, which temporarily eased restrictions. However, martial law was imposed later that year, curbing these freedoms once again. The end of martial law in 1983 ushered in a more tolerant environment for free expression, leading to the legalization of independent publications by 1990. Since then, while censorship has largely been dismantled, debates have emerged around recent international agreements perceived as potential threats to freedom of expression, highlighting the ongoing complexities in Poland's relationship with censorship.
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History of Censorship in Poland
Description: Eastern European country which began a transition from authoritarian to democratic government in the late 1980s
Significance: Poland has experienced a typical transition from almost total suppression of freedom of expression under communism to a more open democratic system
Poland’s history is characterized by periods of dominance and partitioning by foreign powers. During these periods of external rule severe controls were often placed on any form of national expression, including use of the Polish language. During the period of Russian dominance, for example, censors would not allow the use of the word “Polish” in newspapers, and any appeal to Polish patriotism was strictly forbidden.
Between World War I and World War II, Poland was independent, and characterized by radical and sometimes vicious anti-Semitism, often government-supported, typical for Central Europe of that era. In 1939 Poland was once again partitioned, this time by Adolf Hitler’s Germany and Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union. Hitler continued his Jewish extermination campaign in Poland, while Stalin repressed any move toward Polish independence.
With the Soviet army in place in Eastern Europe after 1945, Poland soon became a communist ally. In 1946 the institutional mechanism for controlling the media, designed to consolidate and maintain the power of the Communist Party, was established, the Central Office of Publications and Entertainment. This office developed a set of criteria to cover published and broadcast material, ranging from taboo subjects that were never to be mentioned under any circumstances, to sensitive topics that needed to be handled with extreme caution.
Despite these efforts, an independent press enjoyed success in Poland unequaled anywhere else in Eastern Europe. Some underground newspapers had circulations as high as twenty thousand. The Roman Catholic church, through the pulpit and through its own publications, such as Universal Weekly, also provided an independent voice. In the early 1980s the independent trade union, Solidarity, began to assert its growing political power. In July 1981, the communist government passed the Act on Censorship, which provided ways for reducing the power of the censors, including an appeal process.
This freedom was short-lived, however, as General Wojciech Jaruzelskiimposed martial law in December 1981, suspending the freedoms that were beginning to develop, closing many newspapers and putting the broadcast media under military control. Martial law ended in 1983, and the government became increasingly tolerant of free expression. For example, The Public Interest, a dissident periodical which was first published in the late 1970s, received official permission to publish in May 1987, the first nonstate, nonchurch magazine ever to appear legally in Eastern Europe under Communism.
By April 1990, after elections which gave the newly legalized Solidarity Party significant political power, state censorship was abolished, and the publishing and distribution monopoly broken up. This was followed by an explosion in the number of newspapers and magazines. The electronic media was slower to respond to the elimination of censorship, however.
While Poland has enjoyed minimal conflict over censorship since it was abolished, the country's signing of an international treaty in 2012 did spark debate over whether the agreement could be seen as a form of Internet censorship. While the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement was designed to enforce and protect intellectual copyright, activists, including those in Poland, became concerned that the requirement of Internet service providers to monitor user activity would lead to restrictions of freedom of expression online. Marches and protests had taken place all over the country in the days leading up to the signing.
Bibliography
Curry, Jane Letwich. The Black Book of Polish Censorship. New York: Random, 1983. Print.
"In Belarus, Journalist Charged with Libeling Lukashenko." Committee to Protect Journalists. CPJ, 2 July 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
Krakus, Anna. "The Abuses, and Uses, of Film Censorship." Cineaste 39.3 (2014): 3–9. Print.
Smith, Alex Duval. "Polish Minister Tried to Ban Nobel Winner's 'Pornographic Play.'" Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 23 Nov. 2015. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
"Thousands March in Poland over ACTA Internet Treaty." BBC News. BBC, 26 Jan. 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.