[no subject]

[barak rosenshine <rosen...>]

Enclosed is an email I received from the Polish Embassy.
   B. Rosenshine

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From: Polish Embassy <embpol (at) DGS(dot)dgsys(dot)com> 
Mon, 29 Apr 1996 09:31:19 -0400 (EDT)
To: Polish Embassy <embpol (at) DGS(dot)dgsys(dot)com>
Subject: Auschwitz - you were misinformed!


Dear Sir/Madam,

In reference to the latest developments  regarding  the constructionof 
a shopping  center near the former German Nazi  concentration  camp  in 
Oswiecim-Brzezinka  I would like to inform you that  after   the strong 
disapproval made by President  of the Republic of Poland Mr. Aleksander 
Kwasniewski and Prime Minister   Mr. Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz, a special 
fact finding government commission  as  set up to examine the legality 
of the planned supermarket localization. On March 12,  on behalf of the 
Polish government, Mr.Zdzislaw Podkanski, Minister of Culture,asked the 
local authorities of Oswiecim to  immediately  suspend the construction  
of a mini-mall shopping center near the former German Nazi camp.

As the results of the examination led by the government commission, on 
March 22,  Chief of  the Council of  the Ministers Office,  Mr. Leszek 
Miller and the Governor  of BielskoBiala Province, Mr. Marek Trombski 
on behalf of the Polish Government  ordered  to stop  the planned con-
struction. The official statement reads:

"1. THE DECISION by the Chief Architect of  the Voivodeship's Office, 
authorized by the  Bielsko-Biala Voivode, issued on March 22 with the 
purpose to halt the commercial  construction and related works by the 
"Maja" foundation IS FINAL  and  no complaint  lodged can reverse its 
execution. ANY OTHER INTERPRETATIONS  of the above decision  WOULD BE 
deemed as  ILLEGAL.

2. The decision  to halt  the construction   allows  the execution of 
appropriate works  needed  to secure  the site. The construction site 
cannot be abandoned immediately.  This is  the only reason justifying 
the presence of workers on the site after March 23.

3. The Board of  the International  Council  of  the State  Museum of 
Auschwitz-Birkenau will hold a special session at the end of April in 
Oswiecim."

On March 25,  Polish Trading Company Krakchemia SA had withdrawn from 
an  agreement  with  a service company run by "Maja" foundation which 
leased buildings  from Krakchemia SA  for the planned shopping center 
and the plans were dropped.

In view of the above, it is obvious  that  he  Government  of Poland 
undertook decisively the appropriate and prompt measures to close the 
planned  constructions of a shopping  center in compliance with legal 
and moral norms.

Sincerely yours,  
Mariusz Handzlik, First Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Poland



Washington, DC



Barak Rosenshine
U of Ill
2013 Cureton
Urbana, IL 61801
217/328-1038
rosenshine (at) uiuc(dot)edu