Disputed remains

Poland's recent history has been profoundly marked by multiple traumatic events, including the First and Second World Wars, the atrocities of Nazi concentration camps, and the massacres at Katyń, Wołyń, and Jedwabne. These events, along with the tortures and executions under the Communist regime, represent some of the most widely recognized yet not exhaustive examples of severe human rights violations that occurred on Polish soil. Forensic archaeology and anthropology have emerged as crucial tools in understanding such events, uncovering the identities of victims, and ultimately promoting historical justice. Forensic anthropology, through the analysis of human remains, enables the identification of victims and the reconstruction of events leading to their deaths. By doing so, it helps to uncover the truth about historical atrocities and provides a sense of closure to the families of victims. This article provides a comprehensive overview of selected events and explores the application of forensic anthropology in investigating Poland's traumatic past. Moreover, we critically examine the applicability of forensic anthropology in a historical context and its social and political challenges. The field faces several challenges, including the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, ethical considerations, and the potential for political and social resistance to the findings.

Forensic anthropology · Historical anthropology · Human rights · Nazism · Politics · Transitional justice · German History and Society · Memory, Trauma, and Commemoration · Polish-Jewish Holocaust Memory Studies