Language:
English
Year of publication:
1998
Titel der Quelle:
Nationalities Papers
Angaben zur Quelle:
26,2 (1998) 265-282
Keywords:
Antisemitism History 1945-
Abstract:
Jews disappeared as a visible group in Poland after World War II. The fact that the country was hermetically closed under the communist regime resulted in the conservation of Jewish stereotypes. Jews have become a symbol, a political code in contemporary Poland. Having no contacts with real Jews, many Poles use the word "Jew" (or the Star of David) as a code signifying every possible evil. Incidents involving the use of anti-Jewish code language by prominent persons are rare and are met with a negative reaction. A survey conducted among 14-year-old students in six public schools in Kraków shows that young Poles have stereotyped ideas concerning Jews and are often indifferent to anti-Jewish behavior or graffiti. However, Poland is not seen as more antisemitic or xenophobic than other Western countries. The negative stereotypes can be broken; one of the ways to do this is through personal contact with Jews.
DOI:
10.1080/00905999808408563
URL:
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