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A Polish parliamentarian delivered an antisemitic tirade on Saturday outside the gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau, where more than one million Jews were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust.
Grzegorz Braun, a far-right MP and head of the Confederation of the Polish Crown party, spoke as Poland moved toward adopting its first national strategy to counter antisemitism and strengthen Jewish life between 2025 and 2030.
During his remarks, Braun claimed that “Jews want to be super-humans in Poland, entitled to a better status,” and argued that “the Polish police dance to their tune.” He then added, “Poland is for Poles. Other nations have their own countries, including the Jews.” He also compared support for Jewish life in Poland to “inviting Hannibal Lecter to move in next door.”
Braun escalated further. He vowed that his party “will scatter the International Auschwitz Council to the four winds” if it gains political influence. Under his proposed leadership, the council would lose both its legal foundation and its budget. He then claimed, “The area of the German Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau is de facto an extraterritorial zone. It is no longer a Polish territory.”
Officials Respond
The comments prompted an immediate backlash. Poland’s Prosecutor General and Justice Minister, Waldemar Zurek, told the Polish Press Agency that he would act against Braun and his party.
“I will not leave this without a response,” he said. “There is no place for antisemitism in Poland, and such statements cause significant damage to the Polish state internationally and within our country. We will not allow anyone to express such views with impunity. We will pursue them resolutely. It is truly shameful for Poles that someone like this, in the 21st century, after what happened in Poland during World War II, is turning this place [Auschwitz] into some hideous political game.”
Zurek has moved against Braun before. He previously signed a request to strip the MP of parliamentary immunity after Braun denied the existence of gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Polish law forbids Holocaust denial under Article 55 of the Act on the Institute of National Remembrance. The law prohibits public denial or distortion of German Nazi crimes and any suggestion that Poland was responsible for them.
Braun, who has a long history of antisemitic incitement, nonetheless retains a political following. He placed fourth in Poland’s most recent presidential election.
Auschwitz Used as Stage for Incitement
Braun’s speech weaponizes one of the most sensitive sites of Jewish history. Auschwitz-Birkenau stands as a memorial to the victims of German Nazi brutality. Exploiting it to attack Jews desecrates the memorial itself and warps the meaning of a place built on unimaginable loss.
As Poland prepares a national strategy to confront antisemitism and support Jewish life, Braun’s rhetoric shows why such measures remain essential. His words echo the hostility that once enabled atrocities on Polish soil and serve as a warning of how quickly hatred can grow when left unchecked.
Take Action
CAM has launched Report It — a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent — download it today on the Apple Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it. Together, we can fight this hate.
