Was wir über den rumänischen Antisemitismus der Zwischenweltkriegszeit wissen – und was nicht
What Do We Know about Romanian Interwar Antisemitism and What We Don't.

Summary/Abstract: What are the obstacles historical research on antisemitism in interwar romania has to face? Two different narratives shape the memories of contemporary witnesses: On the one hand, Romania was a land of an active, even violent antisemitism. On the other hand, Romanian antisemitism is described as a short-term upsurge in the context of peaceful coexistence. How can these different assessments be explained and brought together? Every research overview needs guiding standards. For the purposes of this essay, the assertions of theories of antisemitism will be asked. How is antisemitism defined? What were its causes? What were the different types of antisemitism? As a result, a thoroughly differentiated picture emerges. Research on Romanian history after 1989 has filled many gaps. This above all applies to the ideology of antisemitism, but also to broad areas of political antisemitism. Religious-institutional antisemitism has been well studied, with a focus on ecclesiastical publications. In addition, there are fields of research for which initial results are available (e.g. physical violence). Finally, there are whole areas for which studies are still pending, especially on the regional, social, and cultural history of antisemitism. We cannot yet conjoin the two mentioned narratives on Romanian antisemitism in the interwar period. But it should be clear which research steps are to be followed.

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