Trudne rozrachunki z historią. Śledztwa i procesy w sprawie przestępstw popełnionych w powojennych obozach pracy na Górnym Śląsku(Jaworzno...)
Hard settlements with history. The investigations and trials considering crimes committed in the postwar labor camps in Upper Silesia (Jaworzno...)

Summary/Abstract: The article is devoted to some investigations and trials concerning crimes committed after the end of the war in the most repressive - apart from the one located in Łambinowice- camps in Upper Silesia, i.e. in Jaworzno, Mysłowice, Siemianowice Śląskie, and Świętochłowice - Zgoda. Most of examinations were initiated by Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation in Katowice within the 90s of the past century and completed in the first decade of the present century. The last investigation was ended in 2011 (The Central Labour Camp in Jaworzno). All of the examinations that were conducted in Poland and called historical were ended up with remission. However, the investigation and trial of Kurt Antonius Glombitza (the ex-doctor in the Labour Camp in Świętochłowice – Zgoda), that happened in the federal Republic of Germany in the 60s of the past century and ended up with the verdict of guilty. Each of investigations had its specificity. The most extensive were the examinations concerning the crimes committed in the Central Labour Camp in Jaworzno. In this case, the main investigations and some of so-called chip examinations were conducted . The author of this article focused on the description of two key issues, i.e. those that the prisoners and captives’ abuse by the Central Labour Camp in Jaworzno officers, as well as, bullying the embedded Polish citizens of Ukrainian nationality by Office of Public Security and guards employed at the Central Labour Camp in Jaworzno. The nature of the investigations was complex and the examinations were conducted for many years. Another investigation that was discussed by the author concerned the crimes committed in one of the most repressive camps, i.e. the Labour Camp in Mysłowice. Over 2 thousand people died there. The examination that involved the Labour Camp in Siemianowice Śląskie was of totally different character. first of all, it was focused on the case of corpse exhumation and disputation about their belong, i.e. if they were ownership of civilians or soldiers of Wehrmacht. The crimes committed in the Labour Camp in Świętochłowice – Zgoda were the topic of two investigations, i.e. the abovementioned examination in the federal Republic of Germany in the 60s of the past century, and, next, the Kurt Glombitza trial, as well as, the Polish investigation conducted between 1992 and 2009 that was focused mostly on Salomon Morel, the ex-commanding officer of that camp. Analysing the course of the examinations, the author gives the critical judgment of the Polish legal system which allows so-called historical investigations to be conducted in Poland in chronic and expensive way and were ended up with remission giving the victims some reasons to feel disappointed and harmed. At the same time, the author indicates factual difficulties in carrying out investigations, i. a. the Israel refusal of Salomon Morel extradition, regular shrink of witness list, weak

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