Bondage to the Dead: Poland and the Memory of the Holocaust

2000 ◽  
pp. 444-446
Author(s):  
Michael C. Steinlauf
Keyword(s):  
Primary Sources ◽  
Polish Literature ◽  
The People ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
The Press ◽  
Polish Society ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Sufficient Distance ◽  
Changing Attitudes ◽  
Second World

(Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1997); pp. xiv + 190 + 28 illus. The author of this book is well known among Polish historians. Since 1983 he has visited Poland several times and studied Polish–Jewish relations on site. In his new book he undertakes the difficult task of analysing the changing attitudes of Polish society towards the Holocaust, until 1995. He is probably the best person to write such a book. The Polish and Jewish historians who spent the Second World War in Poland or who are living now in Poland seem the best situated for gathering sources. They are, however, significantly affected by past and contemporary debates over the problems discussed in this book, and it would be difficult for them to free themselves from their own personal experiences. Yet most of the scholars living abroad are too far from the primary sources. Michael Steinlauf, who was born in France, speaks all the necessary languages (Polish and Yiddish, notably), has spent a long time in Poland, and has many Polish friends. He is free from the most significant personal biases and, at the same time, has the necessary knowledge of Polish literature, the press, and the people. He can, therefore, understand the problems and has sufficient distance from Poland and her current hot quarrels to view them with a properly critical eye....

Żydzi

1999 ◽  
pp. 339-340
Author(s):  
Jerzy Tomaszewski
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
Second World War ◽  
World War ◽  
Important Group ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
The First World War ◽  
Polish Society ◽  
Second World ◽  
First World

This chapter considers a series of books, A to Polska właśnie (This is Indeed Poland). These books introduce their readers to various issues of interest to anyone studying Polish society. The chapter focuses on the volume Żydzi (The Jews), in particular, as it is the first to discuss an important group among Poland's population. The volume covers the period up to the second half of the eighteenth century, political and social problems from the second half of the eighteenth century until the end of the nineteenth, Jewish culture and religion in the nineteenth century, the period from the First World War until 1939, the Holocaust, and Jews in Poland after the Second World War. The chapter contends that this book should be regarded not as just one more study about Polish Jews, but as making a singular contribution to the promotion of knowledge about Jewish traditions, culture, and history in Poland.

scholarly journals Archiwa Biblioteki Polskiej POSK w Londynie jako źródła do badań biograficznych

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 115-127
Author(s):  
Dobrosława Platt
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Second World War ◽  
World War ◽  
Polish Literature ◽  
Biographical Research ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Second World

In her article, Dobrosława Platt presents the archives of the POSK Polish Library in London as a source of biographical research. Biographies, i.e. detailed descriptions of the lives of specific figures, have, in her opinion, been particularly popular with readers for a very long time. Even when they were not as yet linked with any genre, and the biographies of famous figures were supposed to serve only as certain patterns of behaviour, readers would eagerly listen to or rewrite “the lives of famous men” for their own libraries. Frequently, they were not a reliable reflection of a given person’s life as such, but rather a desire to create a model to follow. The researcher also states that after the Second World War many outstanding writers, poets and publicists appeared in Great Britain and continued to create there, publishing their works in exile. It seems that many of them are still on the margins of Polish literature, although they do not deserve it, and creating their biographies would perhaps allow to re–evaluate their work. 

The ‘New Nazis’ or the ‘People of our God’? Jews and Zionism in the Latin Church of Jerusalem, 1948–1962

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-107
Author(s):  
MARIA CHIARA RIOLI
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Church ◽  
Jewish People ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Situation ◽  
The People ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Changing Attitudes ◽  
State Of Israel ◽  
The Church

In the aftermath of the Holocaust the elaboration of Catholic perceptions of the Jewish people has been particularly problematic. The weight of a long tradition of Christian antisemitism and its influence on the Nazi extermination programme, as well as the revision of this attitude before and after the Shoah in various Catholic circles as a means of promoting a rapprochement, made it difficult to redefine the image of Jewish people in the Catholic imagination, and gave rise to different and conflicting interpretations. Some members of the Latin Catholic Church of Jerusalem began to argue for an analogy between Nazism and Zionism. This assertion took different forms as the political situation in Palestine evolved and in response to changing attitudes within the Church towards the Jews. This paper will reconstruct the ‘new Nazis’ paradigm in the Jerusalem Church, analysing three key periods: the 1947–9 Arab-Israeli war; the consolidation of the State of Israel in the 1950s; and the Eichmann trial of 1961–2.

Dissent among Non-Russian Writers of the U.S.S.R. – A Philologist's Analysis

1973 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 10-16
Author(s):  
Laszlo M. Tikos
Keyword(s):  
Soviet Union ◽  
50Th Anniversary ◽  
Second World War ◽  
Mutual Understanding ◽  
World War ◽  
The Soviet Union ◽  
The People ◽  
Literary Periodicals ◽  
The Press ◽  
Second World

On December 21, 1972, the Soviet Union celebrated what was called in the official press the “50th Anniversary” of the birth of the multinational Soviet state. Brezhnev spoke at the festive meeting and in his speech he underlined the unity, mutual understanding and independence of the people who make up the Soviet Union. As a demonstration of the equality of all nations within Soviet boundaries, leading Soviet literary periodicals, such as Novyi Mir, or Yunost' published more and more authors with non-Russian names. Indeed, these periodicals began to look like a Soviet Reader's Digest, publishing a “little bit from everywhere for everybody.” On the surface it was multinational literature all right, but upon a closer reading one was surprised by the uniformity of it. The Kazakh poet sang of the heroes of the Second World War in the same terms as the Lithuanian writer, and the Tadzhik kolkhoz life was depicted in the same glowing terms as in the poems from the Moldavian countryside. A little bit boring, perhaps, but still, judging by these publications, Brezhnev was telling the pure truth talking about the brotherly union of “our multinational” state. The press was also inundated with articles, essays, poems, etc. on this theme.

scholarly journals Gdy treść i forma idą w parze. O edytorskich i estetycznych walorach czasopisma „Oficyna Poetów” wydawanego w Londynie w latach 1966–1980

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 151-179
Author(s):  
Jan Kaczorowski
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
Print Quality ◽  
Great Effort ◽  
Literary Magazines ◽  
Polish Literature ◽  
Aesthetic Form ◽  
The Press ◽  
Polish Society ◽  
Polish Intelligentsia

When the content and form go hand in hand with one another. Aesthetic and editorial value of “Oficyna Poetów” — a magazine published in London between 1966 and 1980“Oficyna Poetów” was aliterary and cultural magazine published in London by Polish-born émigré couple, Krystyna and Czesław Bednarczyk. After World War II they settled in Great Britain, and almost immediately started private printing press. That periodical was one of their biggest projects. “Oficyna…” was one of few magazines published abroad devoted to Polish literature and art. During communism era it was aplace where Polish authors could publish not being afraid of repercussions or censorship. The magazine also integrated Polish intelligentsia around the world and was some kind of alternative for “Kultura” published in Paris. During the years the owners of “Oficyna Po­etów iMalarzy” developed their skills and machine park of the press. Struggling from low budget and lack of support they still managed to maintain very high aesthetical level of their hand-made prints. The article is devoted to graphic and typographic form of the periodical. The Bednarczyks were editors, designers, typesetters and printers at the same time. They put great effort in selection of paper, print quality and acquired the most talented émigré illustrators to cooperate in “Oficyna…”. Aesthetic form of the magazine, as well as its cultural impact on Polish society in Great Britain can be sapid for researchers interested in emigration culture, literary magazines and niche printing movement in Great Britain.

Book Reviews

1997 ◽  
pp. 344-414
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Challenge ◽  
Polish Literature ◽  
Jewish Art ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
History Of ◽  
Polish Government ◽  
Second World ◽  
Zionist Organization ◽  
Lower Silesia

This chapter looks at 29 book reviews. The first set of books discusses hasidism in Poland; the history of the Jewish population in lower Silesia after the Second World War; the Jewish communities in eastern Poland and the USSR; Jewish emancipation in Poland; and the memoirs of Holocaust survivors. The second set of books examine the Holocaust experience and its consequences; the ethical challenge of Auschwitz and Hiroshima; the history of the Jews of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the eleventh to eighteenth centuries; and Russia's first modern Jews. The third set of books assesses the Kishinev pogrom of 1903; the history of feldshers in general and Jewish feldshers in particular; the diplomacy of Lucien Wolf; the Berlin Jewish community; the aspects of Jewish art; magic, mysticism, and hasidism; and the Jewish presence in Polish literature. The fourth set of books explores the depictions of Jews by Polish artists, both Christian and Jewish; the history of co-operation between the Polish government and the New Zionist Organization; and the origins of Zionism.

Knowledge of the Mass Murder of Jewish People Possessed by Ordinary German

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian Yijing Liu
Keyword(s):  
Jewish People ◽  
Mass Murder ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Nazi Party ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Nazi Ideology ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Second World

In 1933, the Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler, came to political power in Germany. As a direct result of the Nazi’s actions, approximately 6 million Jewish victims were killed. The Nazi Party members were undoubtedly responsible for these results, but were the non- party Germans? To answer this sensitive question, the extent of knowledge of these events must be investigated. To what extent did “ordinary” German civilians know about the extermination of Jews during the Holocaust in Berlin from 1942 to the end of the Second World War? The population must be categorized by those who knew about the Jewish deportations and murders, those who chose to know, those who chose not to know, and those who did not know. To investigate this idea, oral interviews were collected. They hold value as a first hand perspective, but have limitations of dishonesty and censorship of information. A large collection of survey information from 1985 was heavily considered, in addition to various secondary sources such as articles, videos, and books, and primary sources such as maps and photographs. After weighing probable statistics and popularity of Nazi ideology, evidence supports the idea that more Germans chose not to know about the extermination of Jews than any other extent, due to the high number of Nazi ideology supporters, high degree of terror propaganda, and indoctrinated youth. 

scholarly journals The Darkest Page in the History of Lithuanian Journalism: anti-Semitism in Legal Press During the Second Half of 1941

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 110-146
Author(s):  
Mantas Bražiūnas
Keyword(s):  
National Socialism ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
The Other ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Anti Semitism ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
The Press ◽  
History Of

There is a saying of warfare: inter arma silent musae – when arms speak, muses are silent. And yet some Lithuanian journalists had found their inspiration even in 1941 – when Lithuania was at the epicenter of war and the Holocaust. Later on, this period will be defined as the darkest page in the history of Lithuanian journalism,1 because the genocide of the Jews had been accompanied by an outbreak (on a scale previously unseen) of anti-Semitism in Lithuanian press. It is a well-known but little-studied case. Moreover, usually anti-Semitism within the press was interpreted only as an integral part of the Nazi propaganda in Lithuania. It is not surpris­ing, since this already mythical concept appears as a “phantom,” most often when someone wishes to employ easily understandable arguments for justi­fication or explanation. Political activists sought to restore the independence of Lithuania in the summer of 1941. It was the main reason why they also rebuilt press orga­nizations in the country. Initially, it was certainly not a Nazi propaganda project. Therefore, the same Lithuanian activists could be held responsible for the escalation of hate aimed at Jews as much as the Germans. On the other hand, Lithuanian anti-Semitism can be seen in many ways: as a form of revenge, a collaboration strategy or an uncritical adoption of totalitar­ian Nazi rhetoric, finally, as an integral part of Lithuanian nationalism or National Socialism – a pragmatic ideology used to achieve political goals. So, this essay revolves around two main questions: who and why pub­lished the anti-Semitic writings within Lithuanian press in 1941? Study findings are based on a combination of primary sources and secondary liter­ature. This study was also supplemented by an analysis of hundreds of anti- Semitic articles (their headlines and content) published June 24-December 31, 1941. The purpose of this analysis is to characterize the discourse of anti-Semitism in Lithuanian press. Our study seeks to identify the authors of these publications and their sources, determine the most common topics and genres, as well as to see whether there was a proposition (direct or indirect) to prosecute and use physical violence or even murder Jewish individuals.

Marie Ulčová and her Contribution to the West Bohemian Museums

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-23
Author(s):  
Nela Štorková
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Second World War ◽  
World War ◽  
The West ◽  
West Bohemia ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Second World

While today the Ethnographic Museum of the Pilsen Region represents just one of the departments of the Museum of West Bohemia in Pilsen, at the beginning of the twentieth century, in 1915, it emerged as an independent institution devoted to a study of life in the Pilsen region. Ladislav Lábek, the founder and long-time director, bears the greatest credit for this museum. This study presents PhDr. Marie Ulčová, who joined the museum shortly after the Second World War and in 1963 replaced Mr. Lábek on his imaginary throne. The main objective of this article is to introduce the personality of Marie Ulčová and to evaluate the activity of this Pilsen ethnographer and the museum employee with an emphasis on her work in the Ethnographic Museum of the Pilsen Region. The basic aspects of the ethnographic activities, not only of Marie Ulčová but also of the Ethnographic Museum of the Pilsen Region in the years 1963–1988, are described through her professional and popularising articles, archival sources and contemporary periodicals.

PEMBENAHAN TERHADAP LEMBAGA PEMASYARAKATAN DAPAT MENIADAKAN OPSI HUKUMAN MATI BAGI NARAPIDANA DI INDONESIA (THE IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY OF PENITENTIARY CAN ELIMINATE THE DEATH PENALTY OPTIONS OF CONVICTED CRIMINALS IN INDONESIA)

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 175
Author(s):  
Nomensen Freddy Siahaan
Keyword(s):  
Death Penalty ◽  
Deterrent Effect ◽  
Criminal Cases ◽  
Psychological Burden ◽  
The Real ◽  
The Public ◽  
Good Citizen ◽  
The People ◽  
Long Time

After a long time was not heard to the public area, lately death penalty toward the criminal cases that classified as extraordinary crime are appear. The author discovers electronic article about the execution of the death penalty which is the prosecutor prepares to execute death penalty toward the drugs dealer. The president of Republic of Indonesia stated that it is necessary to give a deterrent effect to the convicted  criminal and keep the morality of Indonesian teenagers. According to my opinion, the author argues that it will be better and wiser if we discuss about renovating all of the Penitentiary in Indonesia than debating whether death penalty could be done in Indonesia or not, because it will be displeasure many parties, death penalty infringed the human rights of the convicted criminals and cause psychological burden to them, families, the executor of the death penalty, and other parties. Because if we have to improve the quality of the Penitentiary, if the function of Penitentiary for fostering moralily has been optimal or properly enough to the convicted criminals, Indonesia will be no longer need the death penalty option as sanction to the convicted crimanals including for the extraordinary crime (especially for drugs trafficking in our country). Penitentiary is one of the public services which aims for fostering the people that initially have bad habits (commited to the crime), so that they will have the awareness to change their bad attitude into the be better ones, will not harm others, and positively contributed to the society. Already Penitentiary’s conditions should be designed in such a way and as good as possible, so that the inmates feels like at their own home (like having a second home after his own home), and feel humaner to spend their days in the Penitentiary. The author believes that if the Penitentiary has been improved and optimized its function well, then the real purpose of Penitentiary will definitely achieved. As stated in Law Number 12 Year 1995 regarding to Penitentiary Article 2 which states "sanction system are organized in order to fostering the convicted criminals in order to be the real man, aware of their fault, improve themselves, and not to repeat the criminal act so that they can be friendly received by the community, can actively participated in the development of our country, and can socialize themselves as good citizen."Article 3 on this regulation also intensifies the function of Penitentiary "the function of Penitentiary is to prepare convicted criminals to be able to properly integrated to the society, so they can be accepted again as members of the public who are free and responsible ones." 

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