A group of soldiers from the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade was ordered to attend an event featuring Agnieszka Holland, a filmmaker known for her critical stance toward defenders of the Polish border. The order came from the General Command of the Armed Forces, according to the news portal Niezalezna.pl.
The soldiers expressed outrage at being sent to the event, where one of the speakers was Holland, the director of The Green Border. According to the order, they were required to listen to her presentation.
“This is how it works: a command is issued to assign a certain number of soldiers. People were outraged. The Polish Army should have its honor and refuse to participate. That’s what the oath is about,” said one soldier who asked to remain anonymous.
The event in question took place on April 16 at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews and was dedicated to the release of a book about Jan Karski. It was attended by politicians, including former president Aleksander Kwaśniewski. A lecture was delivered by Professor Tadeusz Gadacz, a philosopher affiliated with the Civic Platform party, who ran unsuccessfully for parliament in 2023 as a candidate of the Civic Coalition.
Following the lecture, a panel discussion was held, moderated by left-wing journalist and commentator Jacek Żakowski. Among the participants was Agnieszka Holland. According to organizers, around 500 people attended the event — a significant portion of whom were soldiers.
Niezalezna.pl has confirmed that the order directing the soldiers to attend came from the General Command of the Armed Forces.
When asked for clarification, the brigade’s press spokesperson responded:
“The soldiers of the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade were directed to the event at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews on April 16, 2025, based on an operational task letter from their superiors. The subject of the event was the promotion of the book Jan Karski in Others’ Memory, with COURAGE as the central theme — regarded as a fundamental value. Before attending, the soldiers were informed of the list of speakers. Nevertheless, their participation was meant to support the initiative promoting Jan Karski and the values he embodied, not to judge the invited guests based on their views or public opinions. The 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade strongly opposes any attempts to defame the Polish Army uniform or question the honor of a soldier. A soldier, in carrying out assigned duties and orders, always acts in the interest of the Homeland and the safety of the citizens of the Republic. Honor, loyalty, and responsibility are the foundation of military service, and all actions of soldiers are subject to these principles,” stated Captain Jacek Piotrowski, press spokesperson for the brigade.
The outlet notes that it had requested a statement multiple times and only received a response a week after submitting its questions.
It is worth noting that shortly before this event, Agnieszka Holland gave an interview on the Kanał Zero YouTube channel, in which she once again accused Polish soldiers and border officials of misconduct.
“Beatings, dog attacks, forcing people to the ground, pushbacks. This is not humane behavior,” said the director, adding that “unfortunately, some border guards engage in such actions.”
These remarks were sharply criticized by Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz:
“The statements made by Ms. Agnieszka Holland on Kanał Zero about Polish uniformed services are scandalous and unacceptable. Our personnel are not abusing anyone — they are defending the border and ensuring our safety. Ms. Holland’s remarks undermine that safety,” he wrote in a public statement.