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Institute Finds Kielce Pogrom Mob-Driven, Not Soviet Plot

7/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Polish Institute of National Remembrance concluded the 1946 Kielce pogrom was a spontaneous mob reaction, not a Soviet-orchestrated plot.
On July 4 1946 a mob in Kielce murdered roughly 40 Jewish survivors.
Historian Julian Kwiek recorded roughly 1,100 Jewish murders in Poland from 1944-1947.
Nine alleged perpetrators were tried, sentenced to death, and executed within a week of the pogrom.
The violence prompted about 100,000 Jews to leave Poland.

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Story summary

The Polish Institute of National Remembrance concluded the 1946 Kielce pogrom was a spontaneous mob reaction, not a Soviet-orchestrated plot.
On July 4 1946 a mob in Kielce murdered roughly 40 Jewish survivors.
Historian Julian Kwiek recorded roughly 1,100 Jewish murders in Poland from 1944-1947.
Nine alleged perpetrators were tried, sentenced to death, and executed within a week of the pogrom.
The violence prompted about 100,000 Jews to leave Poland.