Ambasada Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej
w Waszyngtonie (PolishEmbassyDC)
23 stycznia 2017 roku
Words matter. We hear this all the time. So why does the same not apply, when discussing German World War II
concentration camps? Let's start from the beginning!
On September 1st, 1939 Nazi Germany invaded Poland, sparking World War II. A conflict, which would forever
change human history and claim the lives of tens of millions. Poland alone lost 6 million citizens, including
3 million Jews.
During the war Nazi Germany carried out the systematic extermination of European Jewry, known as the Holocaust.
The Nazis established thousands of labor camps, concentration camps and extermination camps across Germany and
occupied Europe. The largest and most infamous camp, Auschwitz as well as the six extermination camps were all
located on occupied Polish territory. Today oftentimes journalists inaccurately refer to these camps as Polish
camps or camps in Poland, when referring to German Nazi concentration and extermination camps. This is wrong.
There were no Polish camps. These camps were established and operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland.
Words matter. Using misleading language obscures the tragedy of millions of Holocaust victims. It's not just
semantics. It's a matter of historical integrity and accuracy. Words matter. Remember to use the correct terms:
German Nazi camps!