The stereotype of anti-Semitism in Polish society holds strong abroad. This view is particularly linked to the Nazi occupation of Poland and the Stalinist regime in the country.
Under communism, anti-Jewish sentiments and even open anti-Semitism were widespread in Poland, as Justyna Brońska reports in her 2014 radio feature...
A short, old man in his sixties hurries along Wrocław’s main thoroughfare. Jerzy Kichler proudly sports a distinct skull-cap, a conspicuous sign of his Jewish faith.
In the past, Kichler feared being recognised as a Jew. Anti-Semitic sentiments were widespread in Poland. This is no longer the case, Kichler says, clearly pleased.
“A decreasing percentage of Poles view Jews as a disruptive element of society,” Kichler says. “The new generation that grew up after 1989 is a completely different society. Therefore, the situation of Jews in Poland has also changed significantly.”
Under communist rule, particularly in times of crisis, propaganda was used against Jews, presenting them as the culprits behind the problems at hand.
Jewish revival after 1989
Following the fall of communism in Eastern Europe after 1989, the cultural, social and religious life of the Jewish minority saw a revival in Poland.
Jewish organisations became active again nationwide. One such example is the Jewish Community Centre in the southwestern city of Wrocław. Jerzy Kichler was the co-founder and chairman of the centre from 1997 to 2003.
“In communist times, there were no such institutions operating in the country,” Kichler says. “It was unthinkable. I could not go to a synagogue, nor, as a Jew, had I any opportunity to pursue a career.”
An older man is standing next to Jerzy Kichler. His name is Anatol Kaszen. The 70-year-old nods in agreement. “It was really difficult for Jews to find a job, I wanted to work for the police, but I was refused only because I was Jewish.”
In the early 20th century, Poland was home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the world. Then came the Nazi occupation of Poland and the Holocaust and the mass killings of Jews in death camps. The anti-Semitic sentiments in the country, however, persisted even after the end of World War II. This was the result of Stalin’s politics. The Soviet authorities saw Jews as the greatest threat to the socialist system, says Bożena Szaynok, a history lecturer at the University of Wrocław.
U-turn by Stalin
“At first, Stalin supported the establishment of the state of Israel, with the hope that he would have a strategic partner in the Middle East region. His stand towards the Jews changed abruptly when he realised Israel would not come under the influence of the Soviet Union. He realised that Israel was rather opening to the United States, seeking to maintain close ties with America.
“Stalin found new partners in the Middle East – the Arab states. During the Six Day War in 1967, the Soviet Union openly backed the Arab side.”
Stalin broke off diplomatic ties with Israel. Other communist countries followed suit. That way anti-Semitism spread across the Warsaw Pact states, including Hungary, East Germany and Czechoslovakia.
Communist propaganda
In Poland, too, the communist authorities launched an anti-Jewish propaganda campaign, Bożena Szaynok says.
“The Communist Party repeatedly said that the Jews are to be blamed for any failures and tensions in Poland,” she explains. “The then communist leader Władysław Gomułka said they were a threat to the state... He accused them of disloyalty.”
Anti-Semitism reached its climax when the authorities suppressed a wave of student protests which erupted in 1968. A group of Zionists were singled out as the alleged masterminds behind the revolt, allegedly financing and pursuing the goal of pitting the Polish youth against the Polish nation. A wave of dismissals of Jews followed nationwide under the false pretence that all Jews were part of the conspiracy. Over 13,000 Jews left Poland as a result.
“All this occurred with the tacit approval of the communist leadership, which was not at all concerned that Polish citizens of Jewish origin were departing from the country,” Szaynok says.
Friendlier approach
Poles’ attitudes towards Jews have been gradually improving since the collapse of communism in the country, Jerzy Kichler says.
“There are many programmes in the media devoted to the Jewish community. The topic has also been included in school curricula. There was no mention of Jews in Polish classrooms under communism. The topic was deliberately ignored.
“Particularly once Poland entered the European Union [in 2004] one could sense a more friendly approach to us, Jews. Poland wants to present itself as an open and tolerant nation.”
(aba/pk)