Description
Book SynopsisMore than seventy-five years have passed since the Holocaust and the terrors visited by German Nazis on occupied Europe. Yet this history continues to be the subject of research, debate, and controversy. One particularly delicate issue is the question of whether non-Jews did all they could to help Jews during the war. In this book, Jaroslaw Piekalkiewicz examines this issue in detail as it relates to Polandthe country that experienced the harshest German occupation and was slated for permanent incorporation into the German Reich. He examines all the different factors influencing the capacity and willingness of Poles to save Jews and documents the efforts made to save them despite these impediments. Unlike other books on the subject, Piekalkiewicz chooses to start with a chapter on the thousand-year-long history of Jews in Poland. This allows readers to understand why one-third of the world's Jews lived in Poland before WWII and to learn about their rich and diverse culture. Equally cle
Trade ReviewThis book is an important and unique historical document. Over 75 years have passed since the Holocaust and the terrors visited by Nazi Germany on many European countries. And yet this history continues to be the subject of research, debate and controversy. One particularly delicate issue is whether non-Jews did all they could to help Jews during WWII. In his book, Prof. Jarek Piekałkiewicz analyzes this issue in detail as it relates to Poland—the country which experienced the harshest German occupation and was slated for eventual incorporation into the German Reich. He brings together—in a way never done before—all the different factors that influenced the capacity of Poles to save Jews and then documents the efforts made to save them despite many impediments. -- Frederic J. Fleron Jr., University at Buffalo
Table of ContentsList of Tables Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations and Terms Editor’s Introduction Introduction Chapter 1: Christians and Jews in Poland: Cohabitation and Conflict Chapter 2: The Invasion and Occupation of Poland Chapter 3: The Extermination of Polish Jews Chapter 4: The Polish Underground Chapter 5: Help from Individuals and Legal and Resistance Organizations Chapter 6: Żegota: The Council to Aid Jews Chapter 7: Aid from Abroad Chapter 8: Criminals, Collaborators, and Antisemites Conclusions Bibliography About the Author
