Alienation of Civic Conscience and the Night of Democracy: A Comparative Analysis of the Holocaust in Romania and Bulgaria
Alienation of Civic Conscience and the Night of Democracy: A Comparative Analysis of the Holocaust in Romania and Bulgaria
Author(s): Irina SiminiceanuSubject(s): Civil Society, Comparative politics, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), History of the Holocaust, Inter-Ethnic Relations, Politics and Identity
Published by: Institutul National pentru Studierea Holocaustului din Romania ELIE WIESEL
Keywords: Holocaust; Romania; Bulgaria; civic conscience; democracy;
Summary/Abstract: A comparative analysis of how the authorities and citizens in Romania and Bulgaria reacted in the face of the “final solution” clearly demonstrates that the antisemitic measures and horrors that occurred in the 1940s, predominantly targeting Jews, could have been avoided if democratic mechanisms had been allowed to function and if the civic conscience of their fellow citizens had been genuinely active. The two nations shared certain similarities in their historical development, as both faced common challenges and conflicts over the years. They both had to deal with waves of immigrants, ethnic diversity, and the consequences of shifting borders and alliances. In this context, we can compare both nations’ collective and individual responses during moments of crisis that historical circumstances placed them in.
Journal: Holocaust. Studii şi cercetări
- Issue Year: XV/2023
- Issue No: 16
- Page Range: 67-82
- Page Count: 16
- Language: English
- Content File-PDF