Historian Tomasz Szarota dies at age 86

Professor Tomasz Szarota, a prominent Polish historian specializing in 20th-century history, has passed away at the age of 86. The Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences confirmed his death.

Szarota was a distinguished scholar who focused his research on post-WWII settlement in Lower Silesia, national stereotypes, and the German occupation of Poland. He was widely recognized for his work on the daily life of occupied Warsaw, particularly through his book ‘Okupowanej Warszawy dzień powszedny’. He was also noted for publishing significant historical sources, including personal diaries and memoirs.

His personal history was deeply intertwined with the era he studied; he was the son of Rafał Marcel Blüth, a Jewish convert who was executed by Nazi forces in 1939. Szarota was regarded by colleagues as a meticulous and responsible researcher dedicated to preserving historical truth against myths and falsehoods.