Ryszard Bender

Ryszard Janusz Bender (16 February 1932 – 24 February 2016) was a Polish right-wing politician and historian. He is noted for his characterization of Auschwitz as a "labour camp", attracting allegations of Holocaust denial.

Career He was professor of History at John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. From 1976 to 1980 and from 1985 to 1989, he was a deputy of the Sejm. He continued to be a senator in post-Communist Poland from 1991 to 1993 and from 2005 to 2007. He was one of the co-founders of the League of Polish Families, a far-right party.

Characterization of Auschwitz and Holocaust denial In January 2000, Bender took part in a show on Radio Maryja — a socially conservative radio station — to defend Dariusz Ratajczak, a Polish historian, who was convicted of the denial of Holocaust for arguing that the Auschwitz Gas Chambers were meant to disinfect the Jews than to kill them among other things. Speaking on the occasion, Bender characterized Auschwitz as "not a death camp [but] a labour camp" where the "labour was not always hard"; he claimed that the Jews were not only well-fed but also occupied significant positions in the camp administration. He concluded that the "Jewish lobby" was persecuting Ratajczak.

The remarks attracted immediate ire from various quarters including Catholic Bishops who demanded an unconditional apology, his university which initiated disciplinary proceedings, and survivors of concentration camps; in what was a "national scandal", he was accused of engaging in antisemitism and Holocaust denial. Legal proceedings were initiated at a court in Torun but the case was dismissed.

Jedwabne Pogrom While campaigning for the 2001 elections, Bender denied Polish culpability in the Jedwabne pogrom.

Personal life and death Bender has a daughter - Bogna Bender, a journalist for TVP Lublin.

Death He died from stroke on February 24, 2016 in Lublin, Poland. At age of 84.