Between Assimilation and Emigration: Jews in Wroclaw from the Second World War to 1968

Abstract

This article presents the results of research conducted in Wroclaw in 2006 under the sponsorship of the Fritz - Stern Scholarship. These results formed the basis for a Master of Arts thesis defended in 2007 in the department of Cultural Studies at the Europa - Universität Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany. The aim of the research was to analyze the factors that influenced Jews to either emigrate from Poland or to assimilate into Polish culture between 1945 and 1968. Izabela Kazejak’s Master’s thesis entitled: ‘Zwischen Assimilation und Emigration: Die Breslauer jüdische Minderheit in den Jahren 1945 bis 1968’ which is summarized in this article, was submitted as an entry of the 2007-2008 Prize of the Auschwitz Foundation. It was particularly appreciated by the members of the jury, who decided the author should benefit from the Article 4 of the prize rules, allowing the Board of Management of the Auschwitz Foundation to grant her a subsidy to continue her research. This article is the result of that research.