Lack of reliability and the consequences of disinformation

An analysis of Dariusz Kwiecień's work leads to a clear conclusion: his stories don't hold up to scrutiny . Many of his revelations are repetitions of unverified legends , misinterpretations of random finds, or simply factual errors.

The harm of spreading such myths is manifold. First, historical disinformation distorts collective memory . Instead of educating readers about real victims and the mechanisms of evil (e.g., the Nazi labor camp system or the general modus operandi of totalitarian systems of power), the audience is fed fantasies of monsters and sorcery. This can lead to downplaying real suffering —because when attention is focused on unreal sensationalism, it's easy to forget that real people died of hunger and exhaustion in those same Riese vaults. Historians warn that mythologizing World War II can diminish awareness of the tragedy of the Holocaust and the occupation. Instead of compassion for the victims, there's a thrill about "secrets"—which is morally questionable .

Secondly, conspiracy theories like those propagated by Kwiecień deepen distrust of science and institutions . If people believe that the truth about Riese or the ancient Slavs has been "hidden" for decades, they are even more likely to question other official information. This is a direct path to broader denial – from disbelief in the findings of historians, one can move to disbelief in current facts (e.g., climate change or issues related to armed conflicts), as the mechanism of conspiracy thinking is similar. Historical disinformation becomes part of the broader problem of post-truth , in which facts give way to attractive, though not necessarily accurate, narratives.

Third, such activity carries specific social threats . There have been cases where, inspired by sensationalism, treasure hunters illegally entered dangerous, collapsed tunnels, risking their lives in pursuit of "Wrocław's gold" or "Hitler's secret weapon." Dariusz Kwiecień himself resorted to acts that could be considered harmful: he publicly vandalized a statue of St. Barbara in a miners' chapel, justifying his actions by arguing against a "pagan" cult imposed on the Slavs. Such acts of vandalism demonstrate that pseudo-historical zeal can escalate into the actual destruction of cultural or religious heritage. Words have consequences – constantly telling people that they are "being lied to," that a great evil lurks somewhere to be defeated, can incite irresponsible actions.