Besieged fortress – truth – hierarchy. On the Code of Ethics by the Polish Historical Society

The article is a commentary on the Code of Ethics of the Polish Historical Association published in March 2021. In the first part of the article, we critically discuss the Code using the metaphor of a “besieged fortress” and the categories of hierarchy and truth. In our view, by taking a defensive position, reproducing hierarchical relations within the community of historians and in relation to the public, and by placing the category of truth at the centre of the principles of the discipline, the authors of the Code do not respond to the contemporary challenges facing history. In the second part, we postulate the rebuilding of the Code on the basis of the categories of dialogue, polyphony and democracy, and we propose a number of amendments to its content