All-Polish Youth
Encyclopedia
The All-Polish Youth is a Polish
nationalist
youth group
, formerly affiliated with the League of Polish Families
, with a Catholic-National
philosophy. Its agenda declares that its aim is to raise Polish youth in a Catholic and patriotic spirit.
Its manifesto from 1989 states, for example, that "one's country is the greatest earthly good. After God
, your foremost love belongs to the Homeland, and foremost after God you must serve your own country," and declares itself opposed to "doctrines promoting liberalism
, tolerance
, and relativism
.
The earliest roots of Polish Youth reach back to 1922, the organisation was delegalised in 1934 and the present incarnation was created on December 2, 1989. Polish Youth was affiliated with the League of Polish Families
, but was never officially its youth wing.
. The Founding Convention of the All-Polish youth took place in March 1922, with Roman Dmowski
being selected honorary chairman.
The term "All-Polish" is intended to represent a desire to unify all Polish lands, and accentuate national ties and the equality of all people of Polish origin regardless of their wealth or social status. In the inter-war period, members of the organisation participated actively in academic life, and became the heads of many student organisations. The goals of the organization were focused on three issues:
All-Polish Youth was more radical than any of organizations of the National Democracy camp. It openly praised Mussolini
and his Italian fascism
for its hardline stances towards the left and realisation of "national revolution". Part of the members, including Jędrzej Giertych
, also praised Hitler's Germany
but understood that it is with the contradiction with Polish national interests. Members of All-Polish Youth also praised authoritarian regimes of the Mediterranean, Salazar's Portugal
and Franco
's Spain
.
They also favoured economically boycotting the Jews, limiting their access to higher education (numerus clausus
) and actively campaigned for ghetto benches
, segregated seating for Jewish students
in 1989, on the initiative of Roman Giertych
, the former leader of the League of Polish Families
(LPR). Continuing the tradition of its precursors, the organisation maintains its aim of raising youth with their ideology, and operates across all of Poland, working with high-school and university students. The membership of the organisation is approximately 3,000 people.
In 2006, the Polish Public Prosecutor's office launched an investigation after a video recording from a private party was leaked to the Polish press. In the video, All-Polish Youth members including Leokadia Wiącek, a personal assistant of Maciej Giertych
(member of the European Parliament), were seen fraternizing with Neo-Nazi skinheads, listening to Neo-Nazi bands, and saluting the swastika
.. Following the incident, Leokadia Wiącek was expelled from All-Polish Youth however it caused the League of Polish Families
to cut their political ties with All-Polish Youth because of their links to Neo-Nazism
.
All-Polish Youth have declared that it is only by making Poland a Catholic state that its future will be secured, and chairman Konrad Bonislawski has stated "We do not want to become like Holland with its free drugs and gay marriage....since joining the European Union we have seen attempts to destroy our Catholic values."
All-Polish Youth have gained considerable press coverage due to their staunch opposition of abortion and, particularly, homosexuality (which their website condemns as "unnatural behaviour" and describes Gay Rights
marches as "militant homosexualism"). This has led to (sometimes violent) clashes with Pro-choice
and Gay Rights demonstrators
.
All-Polish Youth have been widely condemned as homophobic by various organisations including Amnesty International
, Human Rights Watch
, and even the United Nations
(which, in their Universal Periodic Review, describes All-Polish Youth as an "extremist homophobic grouping"), as well as a multitude of Gay Rights organisations such as OutRage!
and the Polish Campaign Against Homophobia
. In 2004, 2005, and 2006, All-Polish Youth members and sympathizers violently attacked people who were taking part in pro-gay demonstrations, throwing eggs, bottles and rocks at them, and were reported to have shouted "Send the fags to the hospital", "Perverts, get out of Cracow", "Let's gas the fags" and "We'll do to you what Hitler did to the Jews".
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
youth group
Youth group
Youth group may refer to:* Youth Group, an Australian band* Youth club, a social and activities club for young people* Youth ministry, an age-specific type of religious ministry...
, formerly affiliated with the League of Polish Families
League of Polish Families
The League of Polish Families is a right-wing political party in Poland. It was represented in the Polish parliament, forming part of the cabinet of Jarosław Kaczyński, until the latter dissolved in September 2007....
, with a Catholic-National
Catholic-National Movement
Ruch Katolicko-Narodowy is a small political group in Polish parliament, MPs elected from the Liga Polskich Rodzin electoral committee.- Members of Polish Parliament :MP, constituency*Jerzy Czerwiński, Opole...
philosophy. Its agenda declares that its aim is to raise Polish youth in a Catholic and patriotic spirit.
Its manifesto from 1989 states, for example, that "one's country is the greatest earthly good. After God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, your foremost love belongs to the Homeland, and foremost after God you must serve your own country," and declares itself opposed to "doctrines promoting liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
, tolerance
Toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
, and relativism
Relativism
Relativism is the concept that points of view have no absolute truth or validity, having only relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and consideration....
.
The earliest roots of Polish Youth reach back to 1922, the organisation was delegalised in 1934 and the present incarnation was created on December 2, 1989. Polish Youth was affiliated with the League of Polish Families
League of Polish Families
The League of Polish Families is a right-wing political party in Poland. It was represented in the Polish parliament, forming part of the cabinet of Jarosław Kaczyński, until the latter dissolved in September 2007....
, but was never officially its youth wing.
Pre-war All-Polish Youth
The organisation, properly the Academic Union "All-Polish Youth" (Związek Akademicki "Młodzież Wszechpolska"), was founded in 1922 as an ideological youth organisation with a strong nationalist sentiment, and was the largest student organisation in the Second Polish RepublicSecond Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
. The Founding Convention of the All-Polish youth took place in March 1922, with Roman Dmowski
Roman Dmowski
Roman Stanisław Dmowski was a Polish politician, statesman, and chief ideologue and co-founder of the National Democracy political movement, which was one of the strongest political camps of interwar Poland.Though a controversial personality throughout his life, Dmowski was instrumental in...
being selected honorary chairman.
The term "All-Polish" is intended to represent a desire to unify all Polish lands, and accentuate national ties and the equality of all people of Polish origin regardless of their wealth or social status. In the inter-war period, members of the organisation participated actively in academic life, and became the heads of many student organisations. The goals of the organization were focused on three issues:
- Defending the autonomy of universities against centralising forces of the government.
- Campaigning for lower tuition fees.
- Exclusion of non-Polish, especially Jewish students from higher education.
All-Polish Youth was more radical than any of organizations of the National Democracy camp. It openly praised Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
and his Italian fascism
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
for its hardline stances towards the left and realisation of "national revolution". Part of the members, including Jędrzej Giertych
Jedrzej Giertych
Jędrzej Giertych was a Polish right-wing politician, journalist and writer, son of Franciszek Giertych, father of Maciej Giertych and grandfather of Roman Giertych...
, also praised Hitler's Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
but understood that it is with the contradiction with Polish national interests. Members of All-Polish Youth also praised authoritarian regimes of the Mediterranean, Salazar's Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
's Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
They also favoured economically boycotting the Jews, limiting their access to higher education (numerus clausus
Numerus clausus
Numerus clausus is one of many methods used to limit the number of students who may study at a university. In many cases, the goal of the numerus clausus is simply to limit the number of students to the maximum feasible in some particularly sought-after areas of studies.However, in some cases,...
) and actively campaigned for ghetto benches
Ghetto benches
Ghetto benches or bench Ghetto was a form of official segregation in the seating of students, introduced in Poland's universities beginning in 1935 at Lwow Polytechnic. By 1937, when this practice became conditionally legalized, most rectors at other higher education institutions had adopted this...
, segregated seating for Jewish students
Modern days
The modern incarnation of the All-Polish Youth was founded in PoznańPoznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
in 1989, on the initiative of Roman Giertych
Roman Giertych
Roman Jacek Giertych is a Polish politician; he was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education until August 2007. He was a member of the Sejm from 2001 until October 2007, and chairman of the League of Polish Families party.- Biography :Roman Giertych comes from a prominent family of Polish...
, the former leader of the League of Polish Families
League of Polish Families
The League of Polish Families is a right-wing political party in Poland. It was represented in the Polish parliament, forming part of the cabinet of Jarosław Kaczyński, until the latter dissolved in September 2007....
(LPR). Continuing the tradition of its precursors, the organisation maintains its aim of raising youth with their ideology, and operates across all of Poland, working with high-school and university students. The membership of the organisation is approximately 3,000 people.
In 2006, the Polish Public Prosecutor's office launched an investigation after a video recording from a private party was leaked to the Polish press. In the video, All-Polish Youth members including Leokadia Wiącek, a personal assistant of Maciej Giertych
Maciej Giertych
Maciej Marian Giertych is a Polish dendrologist and social conservative politician of the League of Polish Families . He favours state intervention in the economy. He was a member of the Sejm and a Polish member of the European Parliament...
(member of the European Parliament), were seen fraternizing with Neo-Nazi skinheads, listening to Neo-Nazi bands, and saluting the swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
.. Following the incident, Leokadia Wiącek was expelled from All-Polish Youth however it caused the League of Polish Families
League of Polish Families
The League of Polish Families is a right-wing political party in Poland. It was represented in the Polish parliament, forming part of the cabinet of Jarosław Kaczyński, until the latter dissolved in September 2007....
to cut their political ties with All-Polish Youth because of their links to Neo-Nazism
Neo-Nazism
Neo-Nazism consists of post-World War II social or political movements seeking to revive Nazism or some variant thereof.The term neo-Nazism can also refer to the ideology of these movements....
.
All-Polish Youth have declared that it is only by making Poland a Catholic state that its future will be secured, and chairman Konrad Bonislawski has stated "We do not want to become like Holland with its free drugs and gay marriage....since joining the European Union we have seen attempts to destroy our Catholic values."
All-Polish Youth have gained considerable press coverage due to their staunch opposition of abortion and, particularly, homosexuality (which their website condemns as "unnatural behaviour" and describes Gay Rights
LGBT social movements
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements share inter-related goals of social acceptance of sexual and gender minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies have a long history of campaigning for what is generally called LGBT rights, also called gay...
marches as "militant homosexualism"). This has led to (sometimes violent) clashes with Pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
and Gay Rights demonstrators
LGBT social movements
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements share inter-related goals of social acceptance of sexual and gender minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies have a long history of campaigning for what is generally called LGBT rights, also called gay...
.
All-Polish Youth have been widely condemned as homophobic by various organisations including Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
, and even the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
(which, in their Universal Periodic Review, describes All-Polish Youth as an "extremist homophobic grouping"), as well as a multitude of Gay Rights organisations such as OutRage!
OutRage!
OutRage! is a British LGBT rights group that was formed to fight for equal rights of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in comparison to heterosexual people. It is a group which has at times been criticised for outing individuals who wanted to keep their homosexuality secret and for being...
and the Polish Campaign Against Homophobia
Campaign Against Homophobia
Campaign Against Homophobia is a Polish LGBT organisation, which aims to promote legal and social equality for people outside the heteronorm. It was founded in Warsaw in September 2001 and since it has grown to the biggest NGO of this kind in Poland...
. In 2004, 2005, and 2006, All-Polish Youth members and sympathizers violently attacked people who were taking part in pro-gay demonstrations, throwing eggs, bottles and rocks at them, and were reported to have shouted "Send the fags to the hospital", "Perverts, get out of Cracow", "Let's gas the fags" and "We'll do to you what Hitler did to the Jews".