Chapter 5
In: Politics and the Media in Poland from the 19th to the 21st Centuries
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Abstract
Scientific objective: PAX Publishing Institute, which was established in 1949, was run by the PAX Association. It was one of the largest and most important publishing houses in Poland under Communism. It was also the only place where, along with religious publications, memoirs and books about the Home Army and works by the greatest writers of Polish and world literature could be published on a larger scale. The price to be paid for this was the support provided by PAX to the communist authorities. The Association, although it was openly collaborating with the communist authorities, had amongst its ranks former Home Army soldiers, members of the independence underground and those who could not find employment due to their anti-communist activities, providing them with work at their Publishing Institute and periodicals and enterprises. The aim of the study is to recall the history of this publishing house, summarize its achievements and draw attention to its ambiguous role under the political situation of the time.
Research methods: The following methods were used: historical, bibliographic and press content analysis.
Results and conclusions: The PAX Association was involved in politics, and the texts of some leaders and activists fit perfectly into the imposed ideology. Nevertheless, the PAX Publishing Institute published works by authors who were not politically involved, or even represented opposing views.
Cognitive value: Historians, media researchers and political scientists may be interested in the study.