Stosunki polsko-żydowskie na Uniwersytecie Poznańskim w latach 1919–1939 w świetle materiałów archiwalnych
Polish-Jewish Relations at Poznan University, 1919-1939, in Light of Archival Materials

Summary/Abstract: This article covers Polish-Jewish relations at Poznań University between 1919 and the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, in light of unpublished documents from the archives of the University (since renamed Adam Mickiewicz University). It begins by describing the demographics of Poznań and the relationship between the Jewish and Polish populations of the city in 1919, the year which marked both Greater Poland (Wielkopolska) regaining its independence and the founding of Poznań University. Based on the evidence provided by the unpublished archival documents, the article then assesses how and why the situation of Jewish students at the University changed over time. Particular attention is paid to the role of youth organisations, especially All Polish Youth (Młodzież Wszechpolska), the aim of which was to entirely ban Jews from attending the institution. The article also examines the attitudes of University professors towards Jews, both in terms of their personal views and the research they conducted. Analysing the unpublished documents from the University’s archives serves as the first step towards filling in the many blank pages in the history of this institution of higher education. Having said this, further inter-disciplinary studies are needed by historians and specialists in fields such as psychology, sociology, ethnology and cultural studies, before a complete explanation can be provided as to why a conflict between Polish and Jewish students broke out at Poznań University.

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