Fact Check: Tusk father was nazi officer

Fact Check: "Tusk's Father Was a Nazi Officer"

What We Know

The claim that Donald Tusk's father was a Nazi officer is incorrect. The confusion likely stems from the history of Józef Tusk, Donald Tusk's grandfather, who was conscripted into the Wehrmacht during World War II. Józef Tusk was a Polish luthier and a member of the Polish-Kashubian minority. He was born in Emaus, a suburb of Danzig, which was part of the German Empire at the time. During World War II, he was forcibly conscripted into the Wehrmacht, which was the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany, not the SS or any Nazi political organization [source-1].

Józef Tusk's conscription into the Wehrmacht was not voluntary. He was initially arrested by the Gestapo and sent as a forced laborer to work on the construction of the Stutthof concentration camp. Later, he was imprisoned in the Neuengamme concentration camp before being conscripted into the Wehrmacht [source-4]. This conscription was a common fate for many Poles from regions annexed by Nazi Germany.

The controversy surrounding Józef Tusk's wartime service emerged during the 2005 Polish presidential election when it was used to attack Donald Tusk's candidacy. The claim that Józef Tusk volunteered to serve in the Wehrmacht was later admitted to be false by Jacek Kurski, a politician from the opposing party [source-1].

Analysis

The claim that Donald Tusk's father was a Nazi officer is not supported by credible evidence. Józef Tusk's service in the Wehrmacht was not voluntary, and there is no evidence that he held any officer rank or was involved in Nazi political activities. The European Council confirmed that Józef Tusk was Polish and a citizen of Gdańsk, and he was conscripted into the Wehrmacht under duress [source-4].

The sources that discuss this issue, such as Wikipedia and Full Fact, are generally reliable. Wikipedia articles are typically well-sourced and subject to community oversight, while Full Fact is a reputable fact-checking organization. The claim appears to have been politically motivated, as evidenced by its emergence during a heated election campaign and the subsequent retraction by the original claimant [source-1][source-4].

Conclusion

False. The claim that Donald Tusk's father was a Nazi officer is false. The confusion arises from the history of Donald Tusk's grandfather, Józef Tusk, who was forcibly conscripted into the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was not a Nazi officer, nor did he serve voluntarily. The claim was politically motivated and has been debunked by multiple sources.