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Jews in the Interwar Poland. Poland. 1918 German part: strong Polish nationalism – anti-semitism Austrian part: Poles had strong autonomy Russian part: part industiralized, Galicia backwards Multinationalism: 21 mio – 1/3 non Poles Democracy: Sejm
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Poland • 1918 • German part: strong Polish nationalism – anti-semitism • Austrian part: Poles had strong autonomy • Russian part: part industiralized, Galicia backwards • Multinationalism: 21 mio – 1/3 non Poles • Democracy: Sejm • L – PPS – Jozef Pilsudski – 1926-35 authoritarian regime • R – Endek – Roman Dmowski • 1935 – influence of Nazism
The Jewries of Interwar Period • Galicia • Assimilationism x nationalism • Kresy • Multinational region • Orthodoxy x haskala • Political activity • Bund • Strong Zionism • Congress Poland • Extremeassimilationism x extreme orthodoxy
Demography • Jews: 1/3 of urban population • Lower middle class, proletariat
The Jewish Question in the New Poland • Zionists negotiate to obtain Jewish national autonomy • Proportional representation at the Sejm • Polish leaders not interested • Treaty on Minorities – deep ressentment among Poles • No Jewish autonomy despite the Treaty • 1918-20 pogroms tolerated by the army • Limited civil rights for Jews of Congress Poland untill 1931
1920´s • Zionism (strong in Galicia & Kresy) • Bund (strong in Congress Poland) & Poalei Zion - Marxist • Agudat Israel (leading in Congress Poland) • Antizionist, orthodox • active cooperation with the government after 1926
Zionists-unprecedented mass Zionist movement- divided • „The main thing is to take Jews to Palestine, not to spend valuable time and money on election campaigns.“ • Palestine : new Jewish workers society • General Zionists: National Minorities Bloc – Grünbaum
4th aliyah • 1924-26 • Over 30 thousand Jews – for the 1st time more Polish Jews to Palestine than to America • 1926 – economy crisis in Palestine
Culture • Yiddish : schools, press, theatre, litterature • Tarbut – Hebrew schools • 60% of Jews – free Polish state schools
Violent anti-semitism in the 1930´s • 1934 – German-Polish non agression pact increase of Nazi influence • 1935 – antidemocratic constitution • Death of Pilsudski • 1936 – economic discrimination • Government supports Jewish emigration • Madagascar • Supported by Jabotinski – welcome by the Polish government
Violent anti-semitism in the 1930´s • 1935-36 • Interdiction of the Jewish ritual slaughter • „ghetto benches“, student murders • 1937 „Aryan paragraph“ – Jews can´t make part of doctors or journalists associations • Economic boycott • Regular pogroms • Greater poverty
1930´s • Success of Jabotinski and Betar (Jew. youth promoting military discipline) • Bund – success in Warsaw city council 1938 • Disunity among Jews • Aliyah as a solution of the Jewish question = failure
Conclusion • New nation-state = dangerous for Jews • No autonomy granted to Jews – not recognized as a nation • No anti-Jewish legislation in the 1930´s ( x Rumania & Hungary)