Why Polish author Jacek Dehnel feels he can return home

Polish author Jacek Dehnel can breathe a sigh of relief. Literary events for his readership are happening in his homeland again — and he is being invited. This was not a given under the previous government of the national-conservative Law and Justice party (PiS), which was in power in Poland from 2015 to 2023.

"Things gradually reduced and got worse over time," Dehnel told DW.

The openly gay author is one of Poland's best-known contemporary writers. He has written numerous novels and poetry collections, as well as made a name for himself as a translator. His works have been translated into German and English.

Five years ago, Dehnel reached the conclusion that Poland was "not a safe place for LGBT people." The PiS government was constantly stirring up animosity toward LGBT communities.

Polish President Andrzej Duda, who remains in office until mid-2025, claimed that "LGBT is an ideology, not people." Almost a third of Polish cities and municipalities were declared "LGBT-free zones."

"It was discrimination, persecution of our community, state-organized agitation," Jacek Dehnel said, explaining why he and his husband, writer Piotr Tarczynski, decided to make their home in the German capital, Berlin.

No legal changes

Now, these "PiS refugees" are returning to Poland. "To a somewhat better Poland," Dehnel said with a smile, although he admitted his homeland is "not heaven on Earth."

"Many things in Poland still need changing and improving," he said. "The legal situation for LGBT people hasn't changed."

Poland was a trailblazer in the emancipation of its homosexual citizens. Same-sex relationships were decriminalized there in 1932, compared to 1957 in East Germany and 1969 in West Germany. But since then, there has been little progress.

"Fundamental changes have not yet taken place, such as protection against hate speech based on sexual orientation and identity, and the possibility of same-sex partnerships or marriage equality," Dehnel said.

Poland is one of five EU countries that does not offer registered same-sex partnerships, let alone marriage.

The current liberal government under Prime Minister Donald Tusk wants to change this. A bill on registered civil partnerships has now been presented, initiating a tough battle within Tusk's own coalition, which includes the Christian democratic-conservative alliance The Third Way.

It's not clear when the law might come into effect, and even if it is passed, Duda, a PiS ally, could veto it.

Changing society

Dehnel and Tarczynski have been together for 21 years and got married in London in 2018. Their marriage is not recognized in Poland, where they have an agreement registered with a notary.

"The Polish state treats us like strangers. When we cross the bridge over the Oder River and enter Poland, we are divorced until we drive back and are married again on the Oder. A wedding made out of water," is Dehnel's symbolic description of his situation.

Although the legal situation in Poland has not yet changed, there is hope. What Dehnel called a "huge societal change," which is "in some ways more important."

"Many people already think quite differently about us," he said happily. Recent polls indicate that the majority of Poles support same-sex civil partnerships. "There's a big difference between Polish society, which is increasingly open, and the political class, which is still conservative and afraid of the church." 

More and more LGBT people are coming out, including some public figures. Dehnel said he sees Pride parades as proof of this. For a long time, they were isolated events that only took place in big cities. Now, people with rainbow flags march in more than 30 communities, including some small towns. "The parades are becoming safer; people are getting used to them," Dehnel said. With every year that passes, fomenting hatred against LGBT people becomes more difficult.

However, it remains to be seen whether they will be able to live their lives as openly in Warsaw as they have in Berlin. Dehnel has not experienced any homophobic comments in the German capital — "except one, from a Pole."

Even in Berlin, though, the situation is changing, and it can vary depending on which neighborhood you're in. "German LGBT organizations indicate that there has been a sharp increase in violence against queer people in Germany," Dehnel said.

Berlin in 'profound crisis'

And this is not the only thing that concerns him. Dehnel cited living conditions and the "profound crisis" the German capital finds itself in as other reasons for leaving. Many expats find the city no longer lives up to their expectations. The worst thing, he said, is the bureaucracy, which "constantly multiplies problems."

As examples, he specified the non-recognition of Polish documents, "the malicious querying of various things," and long wait times for official decisions. "My husband waited 11 months to be recognized as an artist, then had to pay retrospective health insurance contributions for those 11 months when he wasn't able to claim on the insurance," the writer said.

He stressed that this is far from an isolated case. Many expats have become disillusioned and are leaving the city, h esaid. Once famous for its cultural openness and tolerance, affordable rents, and a vibrant creative scene, Dehnel believes Berlin no longer lives up to its reputation.

His criticisms were published at the end of October in the Polish Newsweek magazine and on social media, and caused quite a stir among Poles living in Germany. "We are citizens of the European Union. When we come to Berlin, we're not really moving away — we're coming to another part of the community to which Poland and Germany belong. We have certain expectations," Dehnel told DW. Expectations such as being able to deal with certain aspects of the bureaucracy in English, to pay with a credit card, and access better digital infrastructure.

"I expect a certain quality of service. More than this: I compare it with the level in Poland," he added. The comparison often turns out to be in Poland's favor.

Dehnel has been living in Warsaw since the beginning of December, having symbolically divorced once more time when he crossed the Oder. He's keeping his apartment in Berlin, though — just in case.

This article has been translated from German.