Hero, traitor – or just Silesian?


People walking by a mural of Wilimowski in Chorzow, Poland. Efforts in Silesia to honour Wilimowski, a local star who played for the national teams of both Poland and Nazi Germany, are raising tricky questions about national loyalty and betrayal. — Maciek Nabrdalik/The New York Times

WAS he a hero or a traitor? And if he was guilty of treachery, which of the nations that claimed him did he betray?

As nationalism surges across Europe, the legacy of – a long-dead footballer who played for both Poland and Nazi Germany – is stirring uncomfortable questions about loyalty and identity.

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