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The Jewish Experience in Interwar Poland: Nationalism, Assimilation, and Struggles for Autonomy

This examination of interwar Poland (1918-1939) delves into the complexities of Jewish life amidst rising Polish nationalism and anti-Semitism. Jews constituted a significant urban population yet faced limited civil rights and systemic discrimination, especially after 1926 under authoritarian governance. Despite diverse movements like Zionism and the Bund striving for representation and autonomy, Jews encountered pogroms, economic hardships, and violent anti-Semitism, culminating in a tumultuous era marked by disunity and the debate over national identity.

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The Jewish Experience in Interwar Poland: Nationalism, Assimilation, and Struggles for Autonomy

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  1. Jews in the Interwar Poland

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. Demography • Jews: 1/3 of urban population • Lower middle class, proletariat

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. Culture • Yiddish : schools, press, theatre, litterature • Tarbut – Hebrew schools • 60% of Jews – free Polish state schools

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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)

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