In January 2018 the whole Poland was shocked by reportage by TVN station, according to which Polish neo-Nazis were to pompously celebrate „Adolf Hitler’s birthday”. The event was to be held in May 2017 in the forest near Wodzisław Śląski. In January this year (after eight months!), the recording of the Neo-Nazi event was revealed by the „Superwizjer” programme of TVN. After the report had been made public, the prosecutor’s investigation started; the Interial Security Agency (ABW), police and other services took the action, and a false message was sent to the world, from which it was wrongly inferred that a Nazi bug indwells the Polish souls.

According to the testimony of Mateusz S., the organizer of the „birthday party”, to which we had access, it appears, however, that the whole event was ordered by mysterious men and was a masquerade, for which the organizer was paid 20 thousand zlotys. However, the clients had one condition: the mysterious Anna Sokołowska was to be invited to the „birthday party”. Who is this woman? In fact, it is Anna Sobolewska - a journalist of „Superwizjer” and, at the same time, the co-author of the reportage. Was the neo-Nazi spectacle shown to us by TVN a photo op for money from an unknown source? TVN did not answer our questions until the closing of this issue of the weekly „Sieci”.

20 thousand in a plastic carrier bag

This is the picture which emerges from the materials and analyses that we have reached. March 2017. Katowice. Mateusz S., a president of the association „Pride and Modernity”, comes to the kindergarten to collect his son. At some point, two men with a plastic carrier bag with 20 thousand zlotys inside approach him. They hand it over to Mateusz S. and they say that he should organize „Hitler’s birthday party” for this money. The men want the event to be grand. They instruct S. that the „birthday party of the Leader of the Third Reich” cannot proceed without burning swastikas, Nazi emblems, flags and uniforms. They demand one more condition. They want one of the invited guests to be Anna Sokołowska, who is to contact Mateusz S. about the event.

Mateusz S. is not very eager to organize the „birthday party”. He spends the money given to him by mysterious men on holidays and other pleasures. Announced Anna Sokołowska contacts him shortly after he received money from mysterious „sponsors”. The woman is interested in a trip to the concert in March 2017 organized by S. Afterwards, the contact stops for a few weeks, and in April, just before Hitler’s famous „birthday party”, Mateusz S. gets in touch with a journalist again.

The president of „Pride and Modernity” starts organizing a forest event. He prepares, among other things, a special graphics - an invitation which is sent to a group of friends in the Messenger application. Anna Sobolewska (still acting under the false name Sokołowska) wants to take part in the event. She asks if she could be accompanied by her colleague, Piotr Wacowski, who appears to be a co-author of the reportage.

„Birthday Party” with a journalist

The boozy „birthday party” of the German war criminal is organized on May 13, 2017. The event was to take place at the end of April, but the weather made the organizers’ plans impossible. Sobolewska stays at the party for a few hours. According to Mateusz S.’s testimony, she asked a lot of questions about the association, its goals and activities. Piotr Wacowski is not particularly talkative at first, but, at some point, he stands by the tree and raises his hand in the Nazi greeting. Then, by the bonfire, he asks a lot of questions to Adam B. (a participant of the event, recently convicted of participating in the neo-Nazi „Hitler’s birthday party”). He asks about refugees and suggests that Adam B. should actively „fight” against immigrants. Piotr Wacowski readily serves Adam B. with alcohol.

The event took place on a hill, in a forest near Wodzisław Śląski. The red flags with swastikas hung on the trees and Nazi military marches were played from the loudspeakers. On the spot, something similar to the „altar” in honour of Adolf Hitler with his black-and-white effigy was created. A large wooden swastika saturated with a barbecue firelighter was hung in the central place. After dark it was set on fire, photos were taken with it, and flares were also burned. Some of the participants were dressed up in Wehrmacht uniforms, Mateusz S. in the SS officer’s uniform. They praised Hitler’s alleged achievements, not mentioning that he is responsible for unleashing the most terrible war in history and the death of millions of people. At the end, toasts „to Adolf Hitler and our homeland, beloved Poland” were raised. A cake in the colours of the Third Reich flag was served.

The journalists got the recordings, but it takes many months before the materials are broadcast on TVN. Only in January this year „Superwizjer” reveals the recordings. For several weeks, the topic is „heated” by all the media, which actively fight with the government of the United Right. A false image goes into the world, showing the Poles as Nazis, who worship Adolf Hitler’s memory with torches and swastika banners. A plethora of „authorities” convince that Law and Justice collaborates with the extreme right, that it gives its consent to Nazi excesses.

Catastrophic reputational effects

After TVN reveals the recordings of the controversial event, the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice, which is investigating the case, decides to intervene. The next participants of „Hitler’s birthday party” testify; Mateusz S. reveals his version of the event. The investigators also establish that it is highly probable that Anna Sobolewska was using a false e-mail address while contacting Mateusz S. A memory portrait of a man who gave Matthew S. a plastic bag containing the money is made. The investigators also get the information, which does not come from Mateusz S.’s testimony, which proved that the money was actually given to him.

The Minister of Justice, Zbigniew Ziobro, confirms that the case of a possible masquerade is handled by the prosecutor’s office, but he cannot anticipate the final outcome of the investigation. He also emphasizes the fact that the reportage broadcast by TVN had disastrous effect on Poland’s image.

This case has extremely tarnished the reputation of Poland in the world. It was an act which deserves the greatest condemnation. The collected materials indicate a possible version related to the provocation of this event for a certain amount of money, probably 20 thousand zlotys. The second element connected with the payment of this sum of money was the presence of a lady who was a TVN journalist. I can say that evidentiary activities in this respect were carried out and brought confirmation of the findings connected with the delivery of the amount of money to one of the organizers. This amount was then intensively used by this man for various purposes. I would like to point out that this is one of the threads of this procedure. I do not anticipate the findings. The investigation is conducted intensively. I am counting on good cooperation with TVN in order to clarify this matter. The findings, which have been made, require a thorough examination and evaluation

— said Zbigniew Ziobro.

The account of the organizer of „Hitler’s birthday party” sheds new light on the case that TVN had been blowing up so dynamically. There are many indications that the group of masqueraders from the forest near Wodzisław Śląski was actually paid extras. In whose film did they play? Who really financed the event and what was the actual participation of TVN journalists and their stations in the event? Did they reveal the existing phenomena or were they also the animators? The prosecutor’s office is currently trying to answer all these questions.

The editorial office of „Superwizjer” in response to this information issued a communication in which they denied the suggestions resulting from Mateusz S’s explanations.

In connection with these reports, we categorically deny that any member of the TVN team participating in the reportage „Polish neo-Nazis” gave any money to Mateusz S. ps. Sitas or to anyone who took part in the organization of Adolf Hitler’s birthday party in the forest near Wodzisław Śląski. Reproduction of such information violates the personal rights of the authors of the reportage and TVN station. Therefore, we are considering taking legal action - as stated in the communication. It was pointed out that Mateusz S. talked to investigators after the accusation of promoting the totalitarian system was made. - As a result, he could not have given „testimonies” in these proceedings, which are referred to by the portal wPolityce. He could have provided explanations during which he could freely formulate the line of defence, and to put it bluntly - he could have lied in his defence

— it was stressed.

As emphasized by people who know the details of the investigation, Mariusz S.’s version is coherent and is confirmed by other events, and the motif of encouraging the participants of the event to organize it (Hitler’s birthday was never celebrated before) is unquestionable.

Wojciech Biedroń