Language:
Polish
Year of publication:
2009
Titel der Quelle:
Kwartalnik Historii Żydów
Angaben zur Quelle:
232 (2009) 397-410
Keywords:
Beilis, Mendel,
;
Antisemitism History 1800-2000
;
Antisemitism History 1800-2000
;
Blood accusation
;
Jews
Abstract:
The accusation brought against Mendel Beilis in the autumn of 1913 in Kiev, regarding his alleged ritual murder of Andrzej Juszczyński, triggered a debate in Poland on the question of whether ritual murder exists or not. Many newspapers concluded their accounts of the trial with the conviction that the question remained unresolved, even though Beilis was acquitted. One interpretation, that the ritual murder did occur but it was not perpetrated by Beilis, has been used up to the present day in antisemitic discourse about ritual murders. No defenders arose in Poland to show the absurdity of ritual murder allegations. The recalling of this legend produced some tens of allegations in Poland; none of them led to a trial, but there were some outbreaks of group aggression against Jews. A new derogatory term for Jews, "bejlises", appeared in colloquial Polish; all Jews were viewed as potential murderers of innocent Christian children.
Note:
With an English summary.
URL:
Click here for fulltext (may be restricted to subscribers)
URL:
Locate this publication in Israeli libraries
Permalink
