Attitudes and behavior of Poles towards Jews during the German occupation in second-cycle publications in the Polish People's Republic Cover Image

Postawy i zachowania Polaków wobec Żydów w czasie okupacji niemieckiej w publikacjach drugiego obiegu w PRL
Attitudes and behavior of Poles towards Jews during the German occupation in second-cycle publications in the Polish People's Republic

Author(s): Martyna Grądzka-Rejak, Jan Olaszek
Subject(s): Jewish studies, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), History of Communism, History of the Holocaust
Published by: Stowarzyszenie Centrum Badań nad Zagładą Żydów & IFiS PAN
Keywords: Holocaust; opposition in communist Poland; underground publications; Polish-Jewish relations during World War II; stances; help; the Righteous; blackmail (szmalcownictwo); indifference; passivity;

Summary/Abstract: This article analyzes the books and periodicals published underground in communist Poland in terms of their depiction of the stances of Poles towards Jews during the German occupation. It discusses the political commentary texts and historical articles which clearly highlighted the positive Polish stances, then moves on to those which focused on the negative stances, and last but not least, ends with voices of an ambiguous character. The next part of the text regards fiction and memoirs, while the last one pertains to the discussion on the ‘Jewish’ issue of the Aneks émigré quarterly. Grądzka-Rejak and Olaszek analyze publications issued by various milieus though belonging to the main opposition current. The analysis of the sources collected reveals two concurrent tendencies: the intention to affirm the aspects of history distorted by communism and the readiness to discuss difficult topics.

  • Issue Year: 2019
  • Issue No: 15
  • Page Range: 168-218
  • Page Count: 51
  • Language: Polish