Works by @rafal.milach from his project 'The First March of Gentlemen' illustrate a @codastory profiling Polish activists, historians, writers and educators pushing back against their government's nationalistic narrative about Polish actions during World War II. ⁠ ⁠ "Around three million Polish Jews were murdered by the Nazis. It wasn’t until the 1960s that Polish communist authorities tolerated much discussion of the genocide. When they did – such as during an anti-semitic purge of the party in 1968 – it was to blame Jews for not showing enough gratitude towards ethnic Poles who tried to save them," writes Katia Patin. ⁠ ⁠ Patin continues, "After the fall of communism, some of that silence was broken. More recently, the country’s ruling right-wing government has been consolidating a nationalistic narrative about the past that emphasizes pride over what they say are a politics of shame. It has been effective. Recent surveys show Polish people believe that more than half of Poles directly helped or hid Jews in their homes during Nazi occupation, an absurd overestimate." ⁠ ⁠ Magnum Photos in partnership with @codastory investigated contemporary battles over historical events across Europe, featuring works by @rafal.milach, @lua_ribeira and @thomasdworzak. ⁠ ⁠ All stories are available to view via the link in bio. ⁠ ⁠ PHOTOS: From 'The First March of Gentlemen.' Wrzesnia. Poland. 2017.⁠ ⁠ © @rafal.milach / Magnum Photos