GERMANS OR JEWS? GERMAN-SPEAKING JEWS IN POLAND AND CZECHOSLOVAKIA AFTER WORLD WAR II

The German-speaking Jewish citizens of post-war Poland as well as post-war Czechoslovakia did not fit neatly into the black-and-white categories of "national enemies" on the one hand or "patriots" (the "nationally reliable") on the other. We have evidence from records of the local administrations in both countries, which indicate that there was general uncertainty about how to deal with these people. Politicians and bureaucrats in both countries employed various kinds of argument. The article analyzes the differences and similarities within the legal framework for German-speaking Jews of both countries, revealing inconsistencies regarding their treatment. Drawing on testimonies and personal documents discovered in Polish, Czech, German, Israeli, and American archives, the article discusses the consequences and impact of this discriminatory policy on the daily lives of these victims of Nazi persecution, whose personal stories and linguistic preferences did not fit neatly, if at all, into the nationalist narratives of post-war Czech and Polish societies. Research for this article was made possible thanks to a Humboldt Research Fellowship.