Anti-Semitism In Poland After Auschwitz: Book Review
A Gross Realization: The Presence of Anti-Semitism After Auschwitz Following the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, Poland was liberated by the communist Soviet Union. However, the communist regime significantly impacted the postwar legacy of Poland and the treatment of the surviving Jewish population. By the conclusion of the Second Word War and collapse of Nazism, an estimated five million victims from Polish descent were killed (168). However, violence against the Jews did not conclude with the Second World War but led to persecution and pogroms. In Fear: Anti-Semitism in Poland After Auschwitz (2006), Jan T. Ross confronted Poland’s postwar anti-semitism and violence against the Jews after the Holocaust of the European Jewry. He argues that Polish anti-semitism was an
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integral aspect of society, with or without Nazi influence. The Jews were not just victimized by Nazis, but also Poles. Furthermore, the book strives to answer a perplexing question: How could violence against the Jews continue in Poland following the Holocaust? Overall, Fear is a substantial study of Polish anti-semitism, the reception of surviving Poland’s Jewish community, and the manipulation of the communist party to consolidate authority. Due to the widespread acclaim and controversy surrounding Gross’s first novel, Neighbours: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland (2001), his second novel confronted another aspect of Polish history.
Published in 2006 by Princeton University Press, the same university where Gross teaches as a history professor, and Random House, Fear: Anti-Semitism in Poland After Auschwitz was engulfed by controversy. The historian’s scholarly work did not censor nor glorify the brutality endured by the Jews at the hands of the Poles. Instead, Gross incorporated various testimonies, primary documents and secondary scholars to exemplify the present of anti-semitism in Poland after the collapse of Nazi Germany. Fear: Anti-Semitism in Poland After Auschwitz gained critical acclaimed from North American scholars while it received mixed reviews from the Polish nation. The historian even noted the outrage and sense of betrayal expressed in Poland once the Kielce pogrom became international news (185). By incorporating primary documents and secondary materials of the Kielce pogrom with Poland’s postwar history, Gross confronted the continuous ill-treatment of Jews and factually proved its
existence. Tensions between Jews and Poles had always been a source of controversy. Following the conclusion of World War II, the shared calamity between the Jews and Poles did not unite them. An estimated 4.5 million to 5 million Polish citizens died during World War II (4). Gross sheds light on the mentality of Polish citizens and their tumultuous relationship with Jews prior to the outbreak of war. Similarly, the Jewish-Polish community, Gross wrote, “Over 90 percent of the 3 1/2 million Jews who lived in Poland before the war were killed during the Holocaust,” (28). A large section of the Jewish-Polish population perished as a result of Nazi pogroms. However, Jews were not only victimized by Nazis, but also by their Polish neighbours. Nevertheless, anti-semitic tensions between the Poles and Jews remained once the communist party consolidated power in Poland. Throughout Fear, Gross cites the poor reception to the returning Jewish community as an indicator of anti-semitism in Poland. They also threatened the economic standings of Poles because they gained property, money and other goods. The returning Jewish community in Poland was an unwelcome reminder of the Poles callous actions during World War II, such as the Jedwabne massacre. This also allowed Gross to reconstruct a detailed history of the deadly pogrom in Kielce. On July 4th, 1946 in Kielce, Polish anti-semitism led to a violent outburst against the Jewish community. Under the occupation of the communist USSR, anti-semitism was manipulated to consolidate their power but also re-ignited hostilities towards the Polish-Jews. When a child was reported missing to the Kielce police, chaos ensued. Gross provides the reader with a detailed reconstruction of the events that led to another round up of Jews. Chaos swiftly escalated to violence and Jews endured brutality by stones and guns. Gross actualized this event with a detailed and chronological sequence to shock the reader. With testimonies from Mr. Suszko, a passing witness, recalled the passionless killing, and a secondhand account of the murder of Regina Fisz, Gross reveals that Jewish persecution continued after the Holocaust, on a smaller scale. The historian also acknowledged that the Polish Communist army and church were aware of the pogrom but did not intervene. The Soviet Union manipulated anti-semitism to rally support in Poland and stipulate a new regime. Not only does Fear: Anti-Semitism in Poland After Auschwitz call attention to the Kielce pogrom, it also forced the Polish community to acknowledge their participation in Nazi crimes and their instigated pogroms. Overall, Jan T. Gross exposes his audience to startling reality: persecution against the Jews was not exclusively a Nazi phenomenon.
integral aspect of society, with or without Nazi influence. The Jews were not just victimized by Nazis, but also Poles. Furthermore, the book strives to answer a perplexing question: How could violence against the Jews continue in Poland following the Holocaust? Overall, Fear is a substantial study of Polish anti-semitism, the reception of surviving Poland’s Jewish community, and the manipulation of the communist party to consolidate authority. Due to the widespread acclaim and controversy surrounding Gross’s first novel, Neighbours: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland (2001), his second novel confronted another aspect of Polish history.
Published in 2006 by Princeton University Press, the same university where Gross teaches as a history professor, and Random House, Fear: Anti-Semitism in Poland After Auschwitz was engulfed by controversy. The historian’s scholarly work did not censor nor glorify the brutality endured by the Jews at the hands of the Poles. Instead, Gross incorporated various testimonies, primary documents and secondary scholars to exemplify the present of anti-semitism in Poland after the collapse of Nazi Germany. Fear: Anti-Semitism in Poland After Auschwitz gained critical acclaimed from North American scholars while it received mixed reviews from the Polish nation. The historian even noted the outrage and sense of betrayal expressed in Poland once the Kielce pogrom became international news (185). By incorporating primary documents and secondary materials of the Kielce pogrom with Poland’s postwar history, Gross confronted the continuous ill-treatment of Jews and factually proved its
existence. Tensions between Jews and Poles had always been a source of controversy. Following the conclusion of World War II, the shared calamity between the Jews and Poles did not unite them. An estimated 4.5 million to 5 million Polish citizens died during World War II (4). Gross sheds light on the mentality of Polish citizens and their tumultuous relationship with Jews prior to the outbreak of war. Similarly, the Jewish-Polish community, Gross wrote, “Over 90 percent of the 3 1/2 million Jews who lived in Poland before the war were killed during the Holocaust,” (28). A large section of the Jewish-Polish population perished as a result of Nazi pogroms. However, Jews were not only victimized by Nazis, but also by their Polish neighbours. Nevertheless, anti-semitic tensions between the Poles and Jews remained once the communist party consolidated power in Poland. Throughout Fear, Gross cites the poor reception to the returning Jewish community as an indicator of anti-semitism in Poland. They also threatened the economic standings of Poles because they gained property, money and other goods. The returning Jewish community in Poland was an unwelcome reminder of the Poles callous actions during World War II, such as the Jedwabne massacre. This also allowed Gross to reconstruct a detailed history of the deadly pogrom in Kielce. On July 4th, 1946 in Kielce, Polish anti-semitism led to a violent outburst against the Jewish community. Under the occupation of the communist USSR, anti-semitism was manipulated to consolidate their power but also re-ignited hostilities towards the Polish-Jews. When a child was reported missing to the Kielce police, chaos ensued. Gross provides the reader with a detailed reconstruction of the events that led to another round up of Jews. Chaos swiftly escalated to violence and Jews endured brutality by stones and guns. Gross actualized this event with a detailed and chronological sequence to shock the reader. With testimonies from Mr. Suszko, a passing witness, recalled the passionless killing, and a secondhand account of the murder of Regina Fisz, Gross reveals that Jewish persecution continued after the Holocaust, on a smaller scale. The historian also acknowledged that the Polish Communist army and church were aware of the pogrom but did not intervene. The Soviet Union manipulated anti-semitism to rally support in Poland and stipulate a new regime. Not only does Fear: Anti-Semitism in Poland After Auschwitz call attention to the Kielce pogrom, it also forced the Polish community to acknowledge their participation in Nazi crimes and their instigated pogroms. Overall, Jan T. Gross exposes his audience to startling reality: persecution against the Jews was not exclusively a Nazi phenomenon.