A Case Study in Arrogance: Some Remarks on the Publication by Zbigniew Girzyński

Abstract

The article is a critique of Z. Girzyński's publication (in "Klio" 2/2024) containing an interview with A. Paczkowski about H. Jabłoński. It presents arguments leading to the conclusion that the publication violates academic and ethical standards. The main criticisms include publishing a raw, unedited transcript of the conversation without the interviewee's authorization, despite the text having been previously rejected by the editorial board of "Kwartalnik Historii Nauki i Techniki" for the same reasons. The interview adds no new information compared to existing sources. The scholarly apparatus (introduction, footnotes) is assessed as unreliable, containing numerous factual errors, omissions, and a lack of context for the figures and events discussed. The author concludes that Girzyński's actions demonstrate a disregard for the rigors of the historian's craft and the principles of professional ethics.