ABSTRACT
This paper makes use of 5 newspaper articles printed between 1956 and 1984, one account published in 1926, and interviews by the author in 1984 and 1985, to discuss the persecution of witches in Poland in modern times. In a few cases Polish newspapers have mentioned current witch persecutions and “witch-trials” (see e.g. newspaper articles no. 4 and 5 below), describing them as astonishing remnants of an ancient superstition. The authorities involved in the trials denied all access to the information, so this article is limited to the discussion of popular ideas about crimes involving sorcery and witchcraft, while the official opinion is limited to the reports in the newspapers.
