In Poland and elsewhere the breakdown of communism has resulted in an increased interest in various aspects of the Polish-Jewish past which can be explained, the author argues, in terms of a broader intellectual need to explore the "blank spots" of Poland's national history. This quest begins and ends with Polish anti-Semitism and the Shoah, during which most of Europe's Jews were annihilated on Polish soil. How is it possible that, considering the virtual absence of a Jewish population in today's Poland, Jews still play an important role in the cultural expressions and the consciousness of the Polish people? To find an answer the author explored Polish-Jewish relations in a small Galician town from the early 19th century to the end of World War II. A detailed historical-anthropological analysis of archival materials as well as interviews with Polish inhabitants of this town and Jewish survivors living elsewhere reveal a pattern of Polish-Jewish interdependence that has led to a far more complex picture than is generally assumed and calls into question the prevalence of Polish anti-Semitism.

Book Information
ISBN 9781571817945
Author Rosa Lehmann
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint Berghahn Books, Incorporated
Publisher Berghahn Books, Incorporated
Weight(grams) 490g