engleski

Anti-Semitism in Yugoslavia (1918-1941)

The aim of the paper is to discuss Antisemitism (extending from the definition and approach of Klaus Holz) in the Yugoslavia of the interwar years, in which Jews accounted for little more than half a percent of the total population. The question arises if we can identify different forms of Antisemitism in different regions of the first yugoslav state? So far there are not many studies dealing with Antisemitism in the Yugoslavia of the inter-war period, although the history of the Jewish communities on the territory of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, since 1929 Kingdom of Yugoslavia, is quite well researched, as can be seen in the works of scholars like Harriet Pass Freidenreich, Ženi Lebl, Melita Švob, Nebojša Popović, Pavle Šosberger and Ivo Goldstein. Antisemitism between 1918-1941 has been described as “only one facet of the problem”, although “Antisemitic outbursts were relatively numerous and varied after the establishment of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes” (Goldstein). But in general it seems indeed, at first glance, that it can be said that Antisemitism was no important phenomenon during the interwar years. Freidenreich for example came to the conclusion that the first yugoslav state may be remembered for fair treatment of its Jewish minority. But nevertheless an assessment of how widespread Antisemitism was in the public discourse and in politics during those years in different parts of Yugoslavia seems relevant for a better understanding of the genocide that took place during WW II.

Anti-Semitism, Yugoslavia

The Conference “Jews in the Balkans: History, Religion, Culture” with the following panels Panel I Jews between Occident and Orient in the Modern Age Panel II Jewish Communities between Social Participation and Animosity Panel III Judaism and Literature Panel IV Jews as Transmitters of Political, Cultural and Religious Transfer Panel V Expressions of Jewishness in Art and Culture Panel VI Anti-Semitism and Holocaust Panel VII Jewish Resistance in the Balkans Panel VIII Jewish Life after the Shoah and the Cold War Panel IX Greek Jewry in the post-Shoah Era was organized by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of University of Split (Croatia) and the Moses Mendelssohn Centre for European-Jewish Studies/University of Potsdam (Germany). The publication of a collection of the delivered papers is planned.