'We have to do it wisely': The Censorship of Erotic Materials in Late Socialist Poland

• In Event: Sin, Skin, and Scandal: Pornography in 20th and 21st Century Poland and Russia

Abstract

This paper argues that the institutional approach toward ‘pornography’ in state-socialist Poland was a negotiated practice, and reactions to explicit materials greatly varied among censors. It draws on collections of letters and complaints received by the Censorship Office between 1982 and 1989 to further problematize the ambiguous role censorship played in defending the ‘socialist morality’ and counterbalancing conservative social forces. These exchanges offer a unique glimpse into the process of negotiating the socialist approach to pornography from above and below. As it appears, at least when it came to sexuality, the censors assumed a surprisingly liberal stance.

Author

• Anna Dobrowolska, U of Basel (Switzerland)