The article presents the fate of the Jewish population settled in Lower Silesia, Poland, during t... more The article presents the fate of the Jewish population settled in Lower Silesia, Poland, during the anti-Semitic campaign of 1967-1968, focusing on two towns: Dzierżoniów and Bielawa. Through an analysis of archival sources, the text reconstructs the fate of individual members of this community, including its leaders, beginning in 1967 (during the Six-Day War) and continuing through the following months, till the events of March 1968. The paper takes a special interest in the attitudes of Jews towards Poland, as well as in the government anti-Semitic campaign and accusations of disloyalty to Poland. It also presents the experiences of hostility, as well as the consequences of stigmatization by anti-Semitism. The analysis exemplifies the impact of the anti-Semitic campaign on a small, provincial Jewish community, living far from Warsaw and the student protests in 1968 or the centre of communist authority.
The settlement of the Jewish population in Lower Silesia is an important component of the postwar... more The settlement of the Jewish population in Lower Silesia is an important component of the postwar history of Jews in Poland. It is also a notable part of the narrative surrounding the so-called Recovered Territories. The article presents the state of research on the history of the Jewish population in Lower Silesia immediately following the end of World War II. The author puts forward the thesis that scholars are somewhat less interested in the history of the community of Jewish survivors living in Poland after 1945, despite the fact that the number of publications on this topic has increased significantly in recent years. The research problem is an attempt to show new trends and viewpoints, as well as a recommendation to identify several research areas that may prove enormously useful in the development of further studies on the topic. In addition to noting the most important publications relating to the immediate postwar period (1945–1950), current research trends as well as new perspectives and challenges facing scholars are discussed.
The Holocaust was the most important issue in history of Jewish people in Poland in the 20th cent... more The Holocaust was the most important issue in history of Jewish people in Poland in the 20th century. Its consequences were vivid in the next years just after the Second World War, especially in attempts of reconstructing the community and migrations. The paper presents Jewish experiences in Poland of that time through the life of Artur Schneider, who survived the War and settled down in the West Lands of Poland just after 1945. What is worth to mention, he served in the “people’s” army for many years till the Six-Day War, when, as a Jew, was expelled from military service. Finally he left Poland in consequences of 1968 March accidents and anti-Zionistic campaign. The paper examines a Jewish perspective on Poland in given years, based on Schneider’s experiences, which were written in his memoirs and archival documents. It focuses on the factors that influenced his attitude to Poland and shaped a final decision to migrate from the country.
Legnica w okresie tuż po drugiej wojnie światowej stała się ważnym ośrodkiem osadnictwa żydowskie... more Legnica w okresie tuż po drugiej wojnie światowej stała się ważnym ośrodkiem osadnictwa żydowskiego na Dolnym Śląsku, ale i szerzej – w Polsce. Kilkutysięczna grupa zamieszkujących miasto Żydów funkcjonowała w ramach struktur komitetu żydowskiego, ale również – przynajmniej częściowo – Kongregacji Wyznania Mojżeszowego. To właśnie dzięki niej w mieście funkcjonowało żydowskie życie religijne. Artykuł przedstawia najważniejsze ustalenia dotyczące tej sfery życia społeczności żydowskiej w latach 1946–1949, a więc w okresie działalności kongregacji. Dotyczy on m.in. konkretnych przestrzeni: domu modlitwy, mykwy, cmentarza, ale także poszczególnych osób i instytucji: bractwa pogrzebowego, rabina czy rzezaka.
The commemoration of 840 years of Jelenia Góra, organized in 1948, were a propaganda event based ... more The commemoration of 840 years of Jelenia Góra, organized in 1948, were a propaganda event based on narratives created at that time, concerning the history of those territories, in particular-the legacy of Piast dynasty. Such narration about the past was possible not only because of the communist vision of the past forced top-down on the society, but also thanks to stories about the origins of the medieval settlement which emerged at grassroots level. This paper presents research on the vision of the past disseminated in 1945-1948 through popular science publications-such releases contributed to making Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth (in the eyes of the Jelenia Góra citizens) the founder of the town, and to establishing the Silesian Piasts as the element legitimizing the postwar Polish settlement and the Polishness of those lands.
In this article the author explores the question of Jews' emigration from Poland to Israel after ... more In this article the author explores the question of Jews' emigration from Poland to Israel after the events of the anti-Zionist campaign of 1968. On the basis of émigrés' accounts recorded in the 1970s, the author has reconstructed the complex mosaic of factors influencing their decision to leave Poland and choose Israel as their final destination. The most important among these factors were: the 'anti-Zionist campaign' and anti-Semitism of the period, as well as the resulting sense of alienation and stigmatization; the large number of people leaving the country, in particular those with family ties and relationships; disappointment with communism; and the Warsaw Pact's invasion of Czechoslovakia.
The Six-Day War of June 1967 and the victory of Israel over the Arab states influenced the intern... more The Six-Day War of June 1967 and the victory of Israel over the Arab states influenced the international situation not only in the Middle East, but also across the whole world. An example of this was the reaction of the USSR which broke off diplomatic relations with the Jewish state, a decision mirrored by the majority of Eastern Bloc countries, including Poland. The conflict also had a direct influence on the position of the Jewish population in Poland. The article discusses the issue through the prism of the activities of the Social and Cultural Society of Jews in Poland of Poland in June and July 1967, including the publication of a statement regarding the war in the Middle East. The history of the publication of this document, created with a long delay, demonstrates the influence of the decision-makers of the Polish United Workers’ Party on the association’s activists, as well as the lack of actual decision-making and the submission of the association to the authorities.
W krainie Ducha Gór. Tom pamięci doktora Przemysława Wiatera, 2021
The text presents an analysis from different perspectives of the decision of the Presidium of the... more The text presents an analysis from different perspectives of the decision of the Presidium of the Town National Council in Jelenia Góra in December 1970 on the premature closure of four necropolises. All the cemeteries had been established before 1945, and as post-German spaces, they had largely been subject to destruction and degradation over the following 25 years. The starting point for our considerations are documents – resolutions adopted by officials and councillors from Jelenia Góra. On the basis of these decisions, the symbolic and legal context of the decommissioning, its real significance and the current use of these areas over half a century after the consent for decommissioning was issued are discussed.
Wieś na Ziemiach Zachodnich i Północnych po 1945 r. Ciągłość czy zmiana?, 2020
For the survivors, the years immediately following the end of World War II in Poland were a perio... more For the survivors, the years immediately following the end of World War II in Poland were a period of rebuilding of the basic structures of Jewish life in its various aspects: organisational (committees), religious (congregations) and economic. Within the framework of the then promulgated productivisation, the concept, among others, of the settlement of Jews on the land was developed. One example of this was Dzierżoniów in Lower Silesia, where, as early as 1945, the first farm was taken over on the initiative of former prisoners from the Gross-Rosen prison camp. The growth in the employment of the Jewish population in this sector, as well as the development of productivisation itself, was dependent on many factors. The most important of these were: the processes of migration, public safety, and above all support from institutions such as the Society for Handicrafts and Agricultural Labour (ORT), the Central Committee of Polish Jews (CKŻP) or the Commissar for Affairs connected with the Productivisation of the Jewish Population (Komisarz dla Spraw Produktywizacji Ludności Żydowskiej), created in July 1946. This article addresses the issue of the employment of Jews in agriculture using the example of Dzierżoniów and its surrounding area in the years 1945–1946. Particular attention is paid to problems facing farms at the time, their production potential, and also possibilities for development and support.
Między Legnicą a Jelenią Górą. Prace dedykowane Stanisławowi Firsztowi w 40-lecie pracy w muzealnictwie i 65. urodziny, 2020
Tekst przedstawia różne formy współpracy polsko-niemieckiej w Jeleniej Górze tuż po zmianach ustr... more Tekst przedstawia różne formy współpracy polsko-niemieckiej w Jeleniej Górze tuż po zmianach ustrojowych 1989 r. na rzecz upamiętnienia materialnego dziedzictwa kulturowego. Prezentuję w nim przykłady różnego typu upamiętnień, które powstawały już w latach 90. XX w. Są to zarówno nowe monumenty jak i odnowione, te powstałe przed 1945 r. Opisywane i analizowane pomniki zostały podzielone na kilka kategorii: dawnych niemieckich upamiętnień, cmentarzy, ważnych postaci oraz polsko-niemieckich projektów dotacyjnych. Wiele z omawianych miejsc pamięci nie powstałaby gdyby nie zaangażowanie ludzi kultury i sztuki, również księży, lokalnych działaczy czy urzędników samorządowych.
The account presents the fortunes of Amalia Reisenthel, born just after the end of Wor... more The account presents the fortunes of Amalia Reisenthel, born just after the end of World War II in Wrocław into a family who had survived the Holocaust. Her biographical story addresses issues concerning the ori-gins and fate of her parents during war, life in an assimilated Jewish fam-ily in the so-called Recovered Territories, experiences of anti-Semitism, studies at Wrocław University of Technology and the events of 1968. The key section of the narrative is the relation of her departure from Poland as part of the “post-March” emigration and also her later return visits to the country in the 1980s and 1990s. During the interview, topics connected with identity and the attitude of the witness to history to Poland were also discussed, including her contacts with Polish culture and language. Many of her statements relate to the environment and most recent history of Wrocław, the witness of history’s hometown, to which she often returns, and where she still has numerous friends
The article presents a fragment of memoirs of Klemens Nussbaum, former officer of Polish People's... more The article presents a fragment of memoirs of Klemens Nussbaum, former officer of Polish People's Army (ludowe Wojsko Polskie), who fled Poland in 1969. His relation was written down after some years of living in Israel and deposited in one of archives in Tel Aviv. It bears witness to his military service, Polish-Jewish relations and the change in author's attitude to Poland. It contains statements about experiencing anti-Sem-itism and about life in the Stalinist period.
The article presents the fate of the Jewish population settled in Lower Silesia, Poland, during t... more The article presents the fate of the Jewish population settled in Lower Silesia, Poland, during the anti-Semitic campaign of 1967-1968, focusing on two towns: Dzierżoniów and Bielawa. Through an analysis of archival sources, the text reconstructs the fate of individual members of this community, including its leaders, beginning in 1967 (during the Six-Day War) and continuing through the following months, till the events of March 1968. The paper takes a special interest in the attitudes of Jews towards Poland, as well as in the government anti-Semitic campaign and accusations of disloyalty to Poland. It also presents the experiences of hostility, as well as the consequences of stigmatization by anti-Semitism. The analysis exemplifies the impact of the anti-Semitic campaign on a small, provincial Jewish community, living far from Warsaw and the student protests in 1968 or the centre of communist authority.
The settlement of the Jewish population in Lower Silesia is an important component of the postwar... more The settlement of the Jewish population in Lower Silesia is an important component of the postwar history of Jews in Poland. It is also a notable part of the narrative surrounding the so-called Recovered Territories. The article presents the state of research on the history of the Jewish population in Lower Silesia immediately following the end of World War II. The author puts forward the thesis that scholars are somewhat less interested in the history of the community of Jewish survivors living in Poland after 1945, despite the fact that the number of publications on this topic has increased significantly in recent years. The research problem is an attempt to show new trends and viewpoints, as well as a recommendation to identify several research areas that may prove enormously useful in the development of further studies on the topic. In addition to noting the most important publications relating to the immediate postwar period (1945–1950), current research trends as well as new perspectives and challenges facing scholars are discussed.
The Holocaust was the most important issue in history of Jewish people in Poland in the 20th cent... more The Holocaust was the most important issue in history of Jewish people in Poland in the 20th century. Its consequences were vivid in the next years just after the Second World War, especially in attempts of reconstructing the community and migrations. The paper presents Jewish experiences in Poland of that time through the life of Artur Schneider, who survived the War and settled down in the West Lands of Poland just after 1945. What is worth to mention, he served in the “people’s” army for many years till the Six-Day War, when, as a Jew, was expelled from military service. Finally he left Poland in consequences of 1968 March accidents and anti-Zionistic campaign. The paper examines a Jewish perspective on Poland in given years, based on Schneider’s experiences, which were written in his memoirs and archival documents. It focuses on the factors that influenced his attitude to Poland and shaped a final decision to migrate from the country.
Legnica w okresie tuż po drugiej wojnie światowej stała się ważnym ośrodkiem osadnictwa żydowskie... more Legnica w okresie tuż po drugiej wojnie światowej stała się ważnym ośrodkiem osadnictwa żydowskiego na Dolnym Śląsku, ale i szerzej – w Polsce. Kilkutysięczna grupa zamieszkujących miasto Żydów funkcjonowała w ramach struktur komitetu żydowskiego, ale również – przynajmniej częściowo – Kongregacji Wyznania Mojżeszowego. To właśnie dzięki niej w mieście funkcjonowało żydowskie życie religijne. Artykuł przedstawia najważniejsze ustalenia dotyczące tej sfery życia społeczności żydowskiej w latach 1946–1949, a więc w okresie działalności kongregacji. Dotyczy on m.in. konkretnych przestrzeni: domu modlitwy, mykwy, cmentarza, ale także poszczególnych osób i instytucji: bractwa pogrzebowego, rabina czy rzezaka.
The commemoration of 840 years of Jelenia Góra, organized in 1948, were a propaganda event based ... more The commemoration of 840 years of Jelenia Góra, organized in 1948, were a propaganda event based on narratives created at that time, concerning the history of those territories, in particular-the legacy of Piast dynasty. Such narration about the past was possible not only because of the communist vision of the past forced top-down on the society, but also thanks to stories about the origins of the medieval settlement which emerged at grassroots level. This paper presents research on the vision of the past disseminated in 1945-1948 through popular science publications-such releases contributed to making Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth (in the eyes of the Jelenia Góra citizens) the founder of the town, and to establishing the Silesian Piasts as the element legitimizing the postwar Polish settlement and the Polishness of those lands.
In this article the author explores the question of Jews' emigration from Poland to Israel after ... more In this article the author explores the question of Jews' emigration from Poland to Israel after the events of the anti-Zionist campaign of 1968. On the basis of émigrés' accounts recorded in the 1970s, the author has reconstructed the complex mosaic of factors influencing their decision to leave Poland and choose Israel as their final destination. The most important among these factors were: the 'anti-Zionist campaign' and anti-Semitism of the period, as well as the resulting sense of alienation and stigmatization; the large number of people leaving the country, in particular those with family ties and relationships; disappointment with communism; and the Warsaw Pact's invasion of Czechoslovakia.
The Six-Day War of June 1967 and the victory of Israel over the Arab states influenced the intern... more The Six-Day War of June 1967 and the victory of Israel over the Arab states influenced the international situation not only in the Middle East, but also across the whole world. An example of this was the reaction of the USSR which broke off diplomatic relations with the Jewish state, a decision mirrored by the majority of Eastern Bloc countries, including Poland. The conflict also had a direct influence on the position of the Jewish population in Poland. The article discusses the issue through the prism of the activities of the Social and Cultural Society of Jews in Poland of Poland in June and July 1967, including the publication of a statement regarding the war in the Middle East. The history of the publication of this document, created with a long delay, demonstrates the influence of the decision-makers of the Polish United Workers’ Party on the association’s activists, as well as the lack of actual decision-making and the submission of the association to the authorities.
W krainie Ducha Gór. Tom pamięci doktora Przemysława Wiatera, 2021
The text presents an analysis from different perspectives of the decision of the Presidium of the... more The text presents an analysis from different perspectives of the decision of the Presidium of the Town National Council in Jelenia Góra in December 1970 on the premature closure of four necropolises. All the cemeteries had been established before 1945, and as post-German spaces, they had largely been subject to destruction and degradation over the following 25 years. The starting point for our considerations are documents – resolutions adopted by officials and councillors from Jelenia Góra. On the basis of these decisions, the symbolic and legal context of the decommissioning, its real significance and the current use of these areas over half a century after the consent for decommissioning was issued are discussed.
Wieś na Ziemiach Zachodnich i Północnych po 1945 r. Ciągłość czy zmiana?, 2020
For the survivors, the years immediately following the end of World War II in Poland were a perio... more For the survivors, the years immediately following the end of World War II in Poland were a period of rebuilding of the basic structures of Jewish life in its various aspects: organisational (committees), religious (congregations) and economic. Within the framework of the then promulgated productivisation, the concept, among others, of the settlement of Jews on the land was developed. One example of this was Dzierżoniów in Lower Silesia, where, as early as 1945, the first farm was taken over on the initiative of former prisoners from the Gross-Rosen prison camp. The growth in the employment of the Jewish population in this sector, as well as the development of productivisation itself, was dependent on many factors. The most important of these were: the processes of migration, public safety, and above all support from institutions such as the Society for Handicrafts and Agricultural Labour (ORT), the Central Committee of Polish Jews (CKŻP) or the Commissar for Affairs connected with the Productivisation of the Jewish Population (Komisarz dla Spraw Produktywizacji Ludności Żydowskiej), created in July 1946. This article addresses the issue of the employment of Jews in agriculture using the example of Dzierżoniów and its surrounding area in the years 1945–1946. Particular attention is paid to problems facing farms at the time, their production potential, and also possibilities for development and support.
Między Legnicą a Jelenią Górą. Prace dedykowane Stanisławowi Firsztowi w 40-lecie pracy w muzealnictwie i 65. urodziny, 2020
Tekst przedstawia różne formy współpracy polsko-niemieckiej w Jeleniej Górze tuż po zmianach ustr... more Tekst przedstawia różne formy współpracy polsko-niemieckiej w Jeleniej Górze tuż po zmianach ustrojowych 1989 r. na rzecz upamiętnienia materialnego dziedzictwa kulturowego. Prezentuję w nim przykłady różnego typu upamiętnień, które powstawały już w latach 90. XX w. Są to zarówno nowe monumenty jak i odnowione, te powstałe przed 1945 r. Opisywane i analizowane pomniki zostały podzielone na kilka kategorii: dawnych niemieckich upamiętnień, cmentarzy, ważnych postaci oraz polsko-niemieckich projektów dotacyjnych. Wiele z omawianych miejsc pamięci nie powstałaby gdyby nie zaangażowanie ludzi kultury i sztuki, również księży, lokalnych działaczy czy urzędników samorządowych.
The account presents the fortunes of Amalia Reisenthel, born just after the end of Wor... more The account presents the fortunes of Amalia Reisenthel, born just after the end of World War II in Wrocław into a family who had survived the Holocaust. Her biographical story addresses issues concerning the ori-gins and fate of her parents during war, life in an assimilated Jewish fam-ily in the so-called Recovered Territories, experiences of anti-Semitism, studies at Wrocław University of Technology and the events of 1968. The key section of the narrative is the relation of her departure from Poland as part of the “post-March” emigration and also her later return visits to the country in the 1980s and 1990s. During the interview, topics connected with identity and the attitude of the witness to history to Poland were also discussed, including her contacts with Polish culture and language. Many of her statements relate to the environment and most recent history of Wrocław, the witness of history’s hometown, to which she often returns, and where she still has numerous friends
The article presents a fragment of memoirs of Klemens Nussbaum, former officer of Polish People's... more The article presents a fragment of memoirs of Klemens Nussbaum, former officer of Polish People's Army (ludowe Wojsko Polskie), who fled Poland in 1969. His relation was written down after some years of living in Israel and deposited in one of archives in Tel Aviv. It bears witness to his military service, Polish-Jewish relations and the change in author's attitude to Poland. It contains statements about experiencing anti-Sem-itism and about life in the Stalinist period.
In 1948, during the holiday months, almost the whole country was looking at Wrocław – the largest... more In 1948, during the holiday months, almost the whole country was looking at Wrocław – the largest city transferred to Poland as part of the so-called Recovered Territories – where the Exhibition of the Recovered Territories was being held from July to October. In August of the same year and in the same province, right next to the border with Czechoslovakia, a slightly different event was organized, although in line with the propaganda of the time. The 840th anniversary of Jelenia Góra, combined with the Karkonosze Days festival, was intended to show the Piast roots of these areas, as well as encourage potential tourists to come to the nearby mountains, to areas that were not widely known at that time. The mere fact that this local event was organized was something extraordinary, all the more so since the initiative was a grassroots one. It was also the idea of the inhabitants of the city and the surrounding area that attempts were made to establish cooperation and include the Jelenia Góra celebrations in the Wrocław exhibition activities. This publication presents the history of the jubilee event in the capital of the Karkonosze Mountains, starting from the original idea, through the organizational work, and finally the course of the event itself. Moreover, the paper also shows the later attempts to continue the celebration of the city’s festival in subsequent years, including referring to the ideas of the initiators of the celebrations immediately after the war. The whole discussion of this event in Jelenia Góra in August 1948 is set in the perspective of locality but also considers the influence of propaganda, attempts to create historical policy, and finally also the identity processes taking place at that time – the integration of settlers and the incorporation of the landscape. All this in reference to the past, using the symbolism of the urban space and the building of a foundation myth based on the Piast inheritance to legitimize authority. The 840th anniversary of Jelenia Góra, although not widely known previously, is a good example of both the activity and initiative of the local elites, as well as the actions implemented for the development of the city and the surrounding area. This event was supposed to be an opportunity to revive tourist traffic, and to some extent also to raise awareness of these foothill areas among other inhabitants of the country. Was the activity undertaken in this matter effective and was the celebration an important moment in the history of Jelenia Góra and the region? This publication tries to answer these and other questions.
Publikacja poświęcona życiu i działalności dra Stanisława Bernatta, wydana w ramach "Roku Stanisł... more Publikacja poświęcona życiu i działalności dra Stanisława Bernatta, wydana w ramach "Roku Stanisława Bernatta" obchodzonego przez Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Jeleniej Góry w 2019 r., dzięki wsparciu finansowemu programu "Patriotyzm Jutra" MKiDN.
Tablice Pamiątkowe Jeleniej Góry [w:] Pomniki i Tablice Pamiątkowe Jeleniej Góry, red. I. Łaborew... more Tablice Pamiątkowe Jeleniej Góry [w:] Pomniki i Tablice Pamiątkowe Jeleniej Góry, red. I. Łaborewicz, Jelenia Góra 2012, ss. 170..PDF
Wrocławski Rocznik Historii Mówionej jest wydawanym przez Ośrodek "Pamięć i Przyszłość" interdysc... more Wrocławski Rocznik Historii Mówionej jest wydawanym przez Ośrodek "Pamięć i Przyszłość" interdyscyplinarnym, jedynym w Polsce czasopismem naukowym poświęconym oral history, którego celem jest stworzenie platformy do refleksji metodologicznej nad oral history oraz do wymiany doświadczeń różnych ośrodków i osób-przedstawicieli różnych dyscyplin naukowych-zajmujących się szeroko rozumianą historią mówioną.
Zapraszamy do nadsyłania zgłoszeń na konferencję naukową "Centra i peryferie Polski ludowej", któ... more Zapraszamy do nadsyłania zgłoszeń na konferencję naukową "Centra i peryferie Polski ludowej", która odbędzie się w dniach 18-19 września 2023 r. we Wrocławiu w Centrum Historii Zajezdnia. Konferencja jest odpowiedzią na rosnące zainteresowanie badaniami ukazującymi PRL z bardziej oddolnej i zdecentralizowanej perspektywy, które prowadzone są zarówno w skali kraju, jak i poszczególnych regionów.
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Papers by Marek Szajda
Jelenia Góra. On the basis of these decisions, the symbolic and legal context of the decommissioning, its real significance and the current use of these areas over half a century after the consent for decommissioning was issued are discussed.
Jelenia Góra. On the basis of these decisions, the symbolic and legal context of the decommissioning, its real significance and the current use of these areas over half a century after the consent for decommissioning was issued are discussed.
in the Wrocław exhibition activities.
This publication presents the history of the jubilee event in the capital of the Karkonosze Mountains, starting from the original idea, through the organizational work, and finally the course of the event itself. Moreover, the paper also shows the later attempts to continue the celebration of the city’s festival in subsequent years, including referring to the ideas of the initiators of the celebrations immediately after the war. The whole discussion of this event in Jelenia Góra in August 1948 is set in the perspective of locality but also considers the influence of propaganda, attempts to create historical policy, and finally also the identity processes taking place at that time – the integration of settlers and the incorporation of the landscape. All this in reference to the past, using the symbolism of the urban space and the building of a foundation myth based on the Piast inheritance to legitimize authority.
The 840th anniversary of Jelenia Góra, although not widely known previously, is a good example of both the activity and initiative of the local elites, as well as the actions implemented for the development of the city and the surrounding area. This event was supposed to be an opportunity to revive tourist traffic, and to some extent also to raise awareness of these foothill areas among other inhabitants of the country. Was the activity undertaken in this matter effective and was the celebration
an important moment in the history of Jelenia Góra and the region? This publication tries to answer these and other questions.