Papers by Konrad Zieliński
Facta Simonidis, Dec 30, 2011
Although there are historical accounts of the Polish Agitation and Propaganda Department of the R... more Although there are historical accounts of the Polish Agitation and Propaganda Department of the RCP Central Committee [Bolsheviks] as well as the Provisional Polish Revolutionary Committee, some aspects of the activity of the Moscow Bureau and the Committee in Bialystok are still unknown. The aim of this article is to broaden our knowledge on the subject relying on archival collections from the Russian State Archive of Social and Political History (RGASPI) in Moscow.
Wschód Europy. Studia humanistyczno-społeczne
Studia Żydowskie. Almanach
The last year of the Great War brought the enhancement of the activities of the political parties... more The last year of the Great War brought the enhancement of the activities of the political parties, both the Polish and the Jewish ones, as well as deterioration of Polish-Jewish rela-tions. The attitudes reluctant to cooperate with the Poles took hold among the Jews or rather a belief that there were no actual chances for the agreeable fixing of its principles. Another reason for the mutual grievances became forcing the national and cultural autonomy by some of the Jewish parties and the attempts to search for the adherents of such demands in the West. The events in Lvov (Lviv, Lemberg) and the growing Polish-Ukrainian conflict in the Eastern Galicia became yet another inflammatory point in the Polish-Jewish relations. The rumours, which reached the Kingdom of Poland saying that the Jews sympathised with the Ukrainians in Galicia and ‘shoot the Polish soldiers at the back’ added to the traditional accusations addressed at Jews (cooperation with the Germans and Austrians, sympathisin...
Studia Żydowskie. Almanach
It is estimated that during the first year of the war about 1,200,000 people were evacuated from ... more It is estimated that during the first year of the war about 1,200,000 people were evacuated from the Kingdom of Poland (including tsarist officers, Russian teachers, officials, Orthodox clergy, workers from military factories and railroaders). The attempt to estimate the number of the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Poland who were forced to move to Russia due to the war events is not easy. It is estimated that up to the moment when the Central States started to occupy the whole country, 800,000 to 1,000,000 people – besides ethnic Russians – were either forced to move or voluntarily left Poland, but those figures include also the part of Galicia occupied by the Russians. The data considers mostly Poles, and it’s difficult to establish the number of refugees of other nationalities, especially the Jews, who were often sent from place to place and did not leave the territory of the country. Accepting the most often quoted total number of 1,000,000 people displaced from the ‘Russian Pola...
Res Historica
Before 1914, more than 2 million Jews arrived in the United States of America, accounting for nea... more Before 1914, more than 2 million Jews arrived in the United States of America, accounting for nearly 6% of all European emigration to that country. It is estimated that up to 70% of Jewish immigrants in the United States were subjects of the Tsar, and up to a third of them came from the Polish lands of the Russian empire. Jews from the Kingdom of Poland were the first among the inhabitants of the Russian Empire to establish legal and illegal migration channels. This was due to the proximity of the German-Russian border and thus easier access to German ports, as well as the ties connecting the Jews in the PUBLICATION INFO e-issN: 2449-8467 issN: 2082-6060 the aUthor's aDDress: Konrad Zieliński, the Department of Political Movements and ethnic studies of the Faculty of Political science and Journalism of science of the Maria curie-
Polin: Studies in Polish Jewry Volume 16
This chapter examines Konrad Zieliński's Żydzi Lubelszczyzny 1914-1918 (Jews of the Lublin Re... more This chapter examines Konrad Zieliński's Żydzi Lubelszczyzny 1914-1918 (Jews of the Lublin Region 1914-1918). Zieliński focuses on the period of the First World War and its influence on the Jews living in the region of Lublin at the time, more specifically in the area under Austro-Hungarian occupation. In writing about various developments, such as the shaping of Jewish political and cultural life, he draws on earlier materials dating to the end of the nineteenth century, when, in large towns such as Lublin, Chełm, and Zamość, the seeds of the Jewish political parties were sown. The revolution of 1905 proved to be of great importance for the region of Lublin because, to the surprise of both Poles and Jews, it demonstrated that the latter were capable of engaging in mass socio-political movements and often displayed great national awareness. But the decisive period for the shaping of Jewish identity in the provincial towns of the region of Lublin was the First World War, when new...
Polin: Studies in Polish Jewry Volume 17
Social History, 2020
Schmidt does a remarkable job showing the myriad ways Bebel shaped social democracy. By the 1870s... more Schmidt does a remarkable job showing the myriad ways Bebel shaped social democracy. By the 1870s, Bebel viewed himself as a Marxist and a revolutionary, but he never advocated radical actions that might lead to sweeping reprisals by the state. Instead he believed that, as capitalism moved inexorably towards its collapse, the movement's task was to organize workers to defend their interests in the current system while preparing them for the socialist future. For 40 years he pursued these aims as an author, as the SPD's chief spokesman in the Reichstag and as a participant in the factional battlesnational and internationalthat repeatedly rent the movement as contradictions between its revolutionary ideology and its reformist strategy became manifest. A tough but flexible infighter, Bebel excelled at defending the SPD against its critics and holding the party's rival factions together. Schmidt also devotes ample space to Bebel's private life. Torn between his stressful public obligations and the duties and pleasures of family, Bebel was dependent on his wife, Julie, whose help was often key to his success in business and politics as well as his emotional well-being. It is ironic that as Bebel grew older and ever more popular among the people, he grew increasingly isolated as his wife and many old comrades died. At the end all that remained was politics, which he pursued to the last. One can always find issues that need further development in such a compact work. For example, it would have been interesting to learn more about Bebel's relationship with his long-time party co-chair, Paul Singer, who is hardly mentioned. However, such quibbles are minor. Overall, Schmidt succeeds admirably in locating Bebel's life in the context of the emerging labour movement. Equipped with a timeline, glossary and bibliography, the book will be useful to readers at all levels.
Wschód Europy, May 5, 2024
polityce historycznej propagowanej przez Obóz Zjednoczonej Prawicy ważne miejsce zajmuje martyrol... more polityce historycznej propagowanej przez Obóz Zjednoczonej Prawicy ważne miejsce zajmuje martyrologia narodu i próby zrównania losów Żydów i Polaków w czasie wojny, co nie jest specjalnym novum w odniesieniu do czasów PRL. Zarówno wtedy, jak i dziś wstydliwe karty dziejów Polski starano się ukrywać bądź relatywizować, zwłaszcza wydawanie Żydów i pośredni bądź bezpośredni udział w zbrodniach niemieckich. Po 2015 r. i ponownym dojściu do władzy Prawa i Sprawiedliwości oraz sojuszników tej partii narracja promowana przez Obóz Zjednoczonej Prawicy na temat postaw Polaków wobec Zagłady poszła jednak dalej. Nie tylko przemilcza się sprawy trudne, ale na wszelkie sposoby promuje postawy świadczące o bohaterstwie i ofiarności Polaków w ratowaniu Żydów, przy jednoczesnych próbach przekonania opinii publicznej w kraju i zagranicą, że były to postawy powszechne. Tytuł artykułu jest oczywiście nieco sarkastyczny i nawiązuje do słynnego eseju Jana Błońskiego z 1987 r. Biedni Polacy patrzą na getto. Obserwowane w ostatnich latach "wzmożenie historyczne" ma na celu m.in. przypomnieć Polakom i światu o cierpieniach narodu i dowieść jego szlachetnej postawy wobec współobywateli żydowskiego pochodzenia, mordowanych w czasie niemieckiej okupacji, zmieniając mało pochlebny obraz Polaków jako w przeważającej mierze obojętnych na los ofiar nazizmu, a czasami bogacących się na mieniu pozostawionym przez ofiary, a nawet współ-1 Artykuł powstał w ramach grantu NAWA "Laboratory for International Memory Studies" realizowanego na Wydziale Politologii i Dziennikarstwa UMCS w Lublinie w projekcie badawczym "Quest for the Past: Politics of History in the United Europe and Around (Actors, Actions, Outcomes, end of 1980s -2020s", kierowanego przez Georgiy Kassianova. Jego skróconą wersję pt. Kilka uwag o stosunkach polsko-żydowskich w narracji Obozu Zjednoczonej Prawicy (od 2015 r.) wygłoszono 21 października 2022 r. na Wydziale Politologii i Dziennikarstwa UMCS podczas seminarium "Memory Studies and Politics of History: Do They Meet Each Other?" w Lublinie.
Wschód Europy • Восток Европы • East of Europe vol 9, 2 / 2023, 2023
Brave Poles save the ghetto? Some comments on Polish-Jewish relations and the Holocaust in the
na... more Brave Poles save the ghetto? Some comments on Polish-Jewish relations and the Holocaust in the
narrative of the United Right
Abstract: The martyrdom of the nation, including the crimes committed against the Polish population
by Germans, Soviets or Ukrainians, occupies an important place in the historical policy promoted by
the United Right camp. The actions of the authorities give the impression that they are trying to equate
the fate of Jews and Poles during the war and, moreover, to erase from the collective memory the
crimes committed against Jews by their Polish neighbours during the war. This is not a new procedure,
also during the communist era shameful pages of Polish history were tried to be hidden. However, after
2015, the narrative promoted by the United Right on the attitudes of Poles towards the Holocaust goes
further: not only are difficult matters kept silent, but attitudes testifying to the heroism and generosity
of Poles in saving Jews are promoted in every way, in an attempt to convince public opinion at home
and abroad that these attitudes were universal. To paraphrase a well-known poem by Czesław Miłosz
and an essay by Jan Błoński, not - “Poor Poles look at the ghetto”, but - “Brave Poles save the ghetto”.
The article is an attempt to comment on post-2015 historical politics in the context of Polish-Jewish
relations during the German occupation on the basis of literature on the subject and media statements
and reports.
Studia Żydowskie. Almanach
Współczesny antysemityzm, obecny, choć ledwo widoczny w Galicji przed 1914 r., zatriumfował w cza... more Współczesny antysemityzm, obecny, choć ledwo widoczny w Galicji przed 1914 r., zatriumfował w czasie Wielkiej Wojny. Złoty wiek Habsburgów popadł w zapomnienie i, rozsądnie, współistnienie Żydów i chrześcijan. Etniczny nacjonalizm, zjawisko znane każdemu z nowo powstałych państw Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej, szczególnie odbił się na Polsce. Wojna zniszczyła bazę życiową tysięcy Żydów. To, co zostało ocalone i uchronione przed wojną, pod koniec wojny i w pierwszych miesiącach niepodległości Polski zostało splądrowane i zniszczone przez chrześcijańskich sąsiadów. Dotyczyło to setek miast, wsi i osad wiejskich. Jednocześnie czas wojny był okresem rozwoju życia społeczno-politycznego i kulturalnego Żydów, będąc dowodem na uwolnienie części żydowskich mieszkańców kraju od długotrwałych i przemożnych wpływów ortodoksji.
Annales UMCS, Sectio K (Politologia), 2013
Studia Żydowskie. Almanach
Stosunki polsko-żydowskie w Lublinie w XX wieku nie różniły się zbytnio od tych odnotowanych w in... more Stosunki polsko-żydowskie w Lublinie w XX wieku nie różniły się zbytnio od tych odnotowanych w innych podobnych wielkością ośrodkach miejskich Królestwa Polskiego i niepodległej Polski w okresie międzywojennym. Jednak pewna specyfika miasta, rola, jaką odegrało w czasie Wielkiej Wojny, to, że znajdował się tam Katolicki Uniwersytet i Lubelska Szkoła Mędrców zdeterminowały wzajemne relacje. Artykuł nakreśla najważniejsze problemy, konflikty i płaszczyzny współpracy Polaków i Żydów w Lublinie w latach 1900-1939.
Studia Żydowskie. Almanach
Latem 2005 r. Państwowa Galeria Sztuki w Sopocie zorganizowała pierwszą od wielu lat indywidualną... more Latem 2005 r. Państwowa Galeria Sztuki w Sopocie zorganizowała pierwszą od wielu lat indywidualną ekspozycję prac Jonasza Sterna, jednego z najlepszych polskich artystów żydowskiego pochodzenia, współtwórcę I Grupy Krakowskiej, wykładowcę i rektora ASP w Krakowie. Wystawie towarzyszył katalog pt. Stulecie Sterna. Prace Jonasza Sterna (1904-1988) z lat 30.-80., który został opatrzony wstępem autorstwa Włodzimierza Nowaczyka. Ze względu na duże zainteresowanie ekspozycją środowiska artystycznego w Polsce oraz na Ukrainie organizator wystawy postanowił kontynuować projekt, przenosząc wystawę do Muzeum Narodowego im. Andrzeja Szeptyckiego we Lwowie, którą można było tam oglądać na przełomie lipca i sierpnia 2008 r. Prezentacja prac stanowiła swego rodzaju „powrót do korzeni” artysty, bowiem właśnie w tym mieście Stern stawiał swe pierwsze kroki malarskie w pracowni u prof. Gajewskiego. Wystawie towarzyszył katalog pt. Jonasz Stern (1904-1988). Krajobraz milczenia. Powrót do Lwowa. W art...
Uploads
Papers by Konrad Zieliński
narrative of the United Right
Abstract: The martyrdom of the nation, including the crimes committed against the Polish population
by Germans, Soviets or Ukrainians, occupies an important place in the historical policy promoted by
the United Right camp. The actions of the authorities give the impression that they are trying to equate
the fate of Jews and Poles during the war and, moreover, to erase from the collective memory the
crimes committed against Jews by their Polish neighbours during the war. This is not a new procedure,
also during the communist era shameful pages of Polish history were tried to be hidden. However, after
2015, the narrative promoted by the United Right on the attitudes of Poles towards the Holocaust goes
further: not only are difficult matters kept silent, but attitudes testifying to the heroism and generosity
of Poles in saving Jews are promoted in every way, in an attempt to convince public opinion at home
and abroad that these attitudes were universal. To paraphrase a well-known poem by Czesław Miłosz
and an essay by Jan Błoński, not - “Poor Poles look at the ghetto”, but - “Brave Poles save the ghetto”.
The article is an attempt to comment on post-2015 historical politics in the context of Polish-Jewish
relations during the German occupation on the basis of literature on the subject and media statements
and reports.
narrative of the United Right
Abstract: The martyrdom of the nation, including the crimes committed against the Polish population
by Germans, Soviets or Ukrainians, occupies an important place in the historical policy promoted by
the United Right camp. The actions of the authorities give the impression that they are trying to equate
the fate of Jews and Poles during the war and, moreover, to erase from the collective memory the
crimes committed against Jews by their Polish neighbours during the war. This is not a new procedure,
also during the communist era shameful pages of Polish history were tried to be hidden. However, after
2015, the narrative promoted by the United Right on the attitudes of Poles towards the Holocaust goes
further: not only are difficult matters kept silent, but attitudes testifying to the heroism and generosity
of Poles in saving Jews are promoted in every way, in an attempt to convince public opinion at home
and abroad that these attitudes were universal. To paraphrase a well-known poem by Czesław Miłosz
and an essay by Jan Błoński, not - “Poor Poles look at the ghetto”, but - “Brave Poles save the ghetto”.
The article is an attempt to comment on post-2015 historical politics in the context of Polish-Jewish
relations during the German occupation on the basis of literature on the subject and media statements
and reports.