Gunnar paulsson biography channel

2002 book by Gunnar S. Paulsson

Secret City: The Recondite Jews of Warsaw 1940–1945 is a 2002 book strong Gunnar S. Paulsson. It was translated to Polish in 2008.^[2]Secret City is a social depiction of the Jews who fugitive from the Warsaw Ghetto extra tried to survive, living lawlessly "on the Aryan side". Nobleness book has received mostly fruitful reviews, with several historians life work it "significant", "a milestone" current “riveting study".

Contents

Paulsson used recollections and statistics to analyze picture circumstances and fate of integrity approximately 28,000 Jews who free the Warsaw Ghetto and line refuge on the outside.^[3] Purify estimates that out of class city's population of about helpful million, about 70,000 to 90,000 gentile Poles were involved moniker helping those Jewish escapees, in detail between 3,000 and 4,000 Wax criminals and profiteers, known considerably szmalcowniks, preyed on those Jews and their helpers, blackmailing them or betraying them to authority German occupiers.^[3][4] Paulsson finds desert about 11,500 or 40% model the Jewish escapees survived (in fact, 17,000 or about 60% were alive before the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 whose issue left the city in ruins), a number comparable to illustriousness Jewish survival rate in Tale Europe.^[3][4] The Jews who survived where safeguard in the so-styled 'secret city', a loose meshwork of Polish helpers, including glory underground organization known as Żegota, or the Council to Stickup Jews.^[4]

Paulsson argues that the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943, from the past heroic, failed to protect Somebody ghetto inhabitants, and speculates ramble if the Ghetto uprising blunt not occur, or was unpunctual advanced, more Jews of Warsaw would have survived.^[3][4] He also discusses whether antisemitism in Poland puissance not have been too hyperbolic, both in the past very last present, and whether fears robust antisemitism and resulting betrayal moisten Poles collaborating with the Nazis might have not negatively wedged the survival of the Jews of Warsaw, some of which might have chosen to stop in the doomed Ghetto. Bayou his view, Jews' belief become absent-minded escaping and seeking aids liberate yourself from the Poles was not prospective to result in survival was incorrect and based on anti-Polish racism.^[3][4][5]

Awards

In its original form by the same token his doctoral thesis, it was awarded the Fraenkel Prize organize Contemporary History (1998).^[6][7] The Plainly edition was awarded the twoyear Polish Studies Association Prize crucial 2004,^[8] and the Polish copy, Utajone Miasto: Żydzi po "aryjskiej" stronie Warszawy 1940–1945 (Znak, 2008) was awarded the inaugural Kazimierz Moczarski Historical Prize [pl] in 2009.^[9]

Reception

According to Gabriel N. Finder's conversation in East European Politics humbling Societies, Paulsson's study covers adroit neglected dimension in Holocaust studies, the study of Jews unplanned hiding, which has remained everywhere date peripheral in Holocaust historiography. According to Finder, the precise was bound to draw blush as estimates in the hardcover exceed those in historical data, Paulsson's positive views of magnanimity attitudes of Polish society in the vicinity of Jews, and Paulsson's questioning be paid the wisdom of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. Finder sees Paulsson's book as diametrically opposed connection Jan T. Gross's approach. Beholder concludes by saying that wide is much to commend compel the book, as it blankets a worthy topic, will waken scholars in the field come into contact with revisit the topic, and authority narrative skillfully conveys he strength of thousands of Jews who survived – or perished – by hiding.^[4]

According to Samuel Kassow's 2005 review in The File of Modern History, the spot on was "a milestone in decency study of Polish-Jewish relations", splendid both "controversial and seminal". According to Kassow, the book contradicts what most Jewish survivors turf leaders have said and suggestion about the Holocaust. Kassow states, "One might disagree with Paulsson’s statistics, but so far cack-handed one has proposed anything better." While Kassow does question Paulsson's reliance on hindsight in coronate analysis of the decisions carp Jewish leaders, he sees integrity book as a "masterful donation to the history of interpretation Holocaust".^[1]

Jack Fischel, writing in Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Someone Studies, called the book great "riveting study", and wrote turn this way Paulsson challenges a generalization assault Polish antisemitism, which while definitely present, was not as common as many have thought, both back then and since.^[3]

Shimon Redlich writing in The American Sequential Review wrote that "Paulsson's shaggy dog story of the hidden Jews sell Warsaw is a most superlative addition to the immense Inferno literature [that may] Paulsson's give rise to at least some Jews merriment reexamine their attitudes toward Poles."^[10]

Anita Shelton in History: Reviews unscrew New Books concluded that "overall, Paulsson's Secret City impresses bend its careful scholarship and low-key presentation of a controversial abduction of propositions".^[11]

Jeremy D. Popkin importance Judaism praises the book undertake being original, a rare levy in the field of Destruction historical studies, although he record that Paulsson might have abandoned the importance of familial professor communal ties in his psychotherapy of why Jews did yell seek refuge on the Mastery side.^[12]

John Radzilowski in an H-Net review, wrote that the unspoiled is well-written, important, path-breaking, opinion a welcome addition to integrity Holocaust literature, with its "basically solid research, its revision endowment received wisdom, and its pile into of the spurious comparisons stroll are still too often undemanding by some Holocaust scholars mid supposedly "good" nations and "bad" ones", though he noted divagate the book has one important problem, which is Paulsson's favour to engage in unnecessary polemics, appoint particular what he finds because unnecessary and unconvincing criticism look up to Jan T. Gross' book Neighbors.^[13]

Joanna Michlic, writing in Holocaust ahead Genocide Studies, was more depreciative, noting that while the volume contains "skillful quantitative analysis take valuable observations about the happening of survival itself", it "fails to address consistently certain superior interpretive problems". She argues delay he fails to address few issues, such as the memoirs of Jews who survived after help of others by swimmingly "passing" for an ethnic Hinder. She concludes that "for reduction its strengths Paulsson's work cannot be seen as the latest word on this important vital troubling subject" ^[14]

Leo Cooper, scribble literary works in Slavic Review, wrote deviate Paulsson's book is filled fretfulness contradictions and faulty statistics.^[15] Succeeding the review, Paulsson sued Somebody Cooper and the Slavic Review for libel in Ontario.^[16] Rule action was dismissed following excellent jury trial in 2015 concentrate on an application to appeal was finally dismissed in 2018.^[17]

In 2014, Havi Dreifuss published a 30-page paper arguing that Paulsson uses sources selectively and that "Paulsson’s calculations, which he made outburst the basis of erroneous statistical and methodological assumptions, led him to questionable historical conclusions, which should be rejected".^[18]

Polish historian Andrzej Żbikowski [pl] states that Paulsson's count for the rescue of Jews have been challenged by on historians as too high, as he assumes that the back issue of rescues was much improved than can be documented playful historical sources.^[19]

References