A Mythical Jew and a Real Pole: Polish-jewish Relations Between 1944 and 1948 in the Light of Prejudices, Stereotypes and Myths

In her book, Dr. Bochenska explains the sources of Polish and Jewish stereotypes in Poland. In the first chapter, she begins with a short explanation of the basic notions, whilst chapter two comprises a short discussion on Polish-Jewish relations between the World Wars. Chapters three and four include an analysis of mutual relations under German and Soviet totalitarian rule, and the last three chapters detail the situation after the end of German occupation, i. e. from July 1944 till the end of 1948. The book outlines a tangled web of circumstances after 1944, and depicts the main protagonists: Jews, the new government of Poland, their adversaries active in the underground, the Catholic Church, and average Poles who tried to find their place in a changed postwar world, being under a heavy burden of traditional prejudices and myths and the tragic experience of foreign occupation. Dr. Bochenska was able to indicate the reasons for their attitudes and depict a tragedy, similar to an ancient Greek play. The book should be especially useful to historians, sociologists, students, pupils and everybody who is interested in modern history. Prof. Jerzy Tomaszewski, Warsaw University