SMELLING THE GHETTO
SMELLING THE GHETTO
Smells in the Warsaw Ghetto According to Ruben Ben Shem's (Feldschu) Diary
Author(s): Victoria NizanSubject(s): Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Political history, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, History and theory of sociology, Studies in violence and power, Substance abuse and addiction, Victimology, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), History of Antisemitism, Ethnic Minorities Studies
Published by: Centre of European Dialogue and Cultural Diplomacy
Keywords: Warsaw Ghetto; Ruben Ben Shem; smelling; Holocaust – personal documents;
Summary/Abstract: This article deals with allusions to smells and odours in Ruben Ben Shem's diary, an extensive journal that was written in the Warsaw ghetto from November 1940 until April 1943. The paper attempts to define the nature of the gap between allusions to smells related to by the diary writer in contrast to our understanding of the information acquired through reading the diary. The difficulty of the attempt relates to elusiveness of odours which causes them to be difficult to imagine, especially if one wasn't exposed to them beforehand. (Katz 1997: 4)
Journal: Journal of Global Politics and Current Diplomacy
- Issue Year: 5/2017
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 5-25
- Page Count: 21
- Language: English