Żydowskie osadnictwo na polskiej wsi w XIX i XX w. Problem identyfikacji, definicji i statystyki w odniesieniu do zjawiska "Żyda-rolnika"
Jewish Settlement in the Polish Countryside in the 19th and 20th Centuries: The Problem of Identification, Definition, and Statistics in Relation to the Phenomenon of the 'Jewish Farmer'
Author(s): Anna M. RosnerSubject(s): Economic history, Social history, Jewish Thought and Philosophy
Published by: Instytut Rozwoju Wsi i Rolnictwa Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Keywords: countryside; farmers; Jews; Jewish settlement; minority legislation; history of Poland; world history; history of Polish Jews; legislative history;
Summary/Abstract: The article addressed the presence and character of Jewish settlement in rural Poland during the 19th and 20th century, focusing on the question of whether Jews engaged in agricultural activity formed a recognisable social group. Historically, Jewish communities in Poland were only marginally associated with agriculture, animal husbandry, or other forms of primary food production. Instead, their economic roles in rural settings were varied but predominantly centred on craftsmanship and trade, both stationery and itinerant. Since the medieval period, Jews also operated within specific legal frameworks that granted them certain economic privileges, most notably the right to produce and distribute alcohol within defined territorial units, such as landed estates. The study is structured in five parts. The first interrogated the definition of 'Jews' tracing the etymology of the term, its historical meanings, and the evolution of its conceptual scope. The second challenged assumptions of homogeneity within Jewish
Journal: Wieś i Rolnictwo
- Issue Year: 209/2025
- Issue No: 4
- Page Range: 135-153
- Page Count: 19
- Language: Polish
