Hanna Kozińska-Witt
Independent Researcher, Freelance, Department Member
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History of Eastern Europe, Urban History, History of Diasporic Jewries, History and Culture of Polish Jews, Regionalism, Urban Networks, and 15 moreCracow, Galicia (Habsburg Austria), Local Self-Government, Local Self Government, Galizien, Galicja, Urban culture in the Habsburg Empire, Habsburg Studies, Kraków, Krakow, History of Krakow, History of Jews in Kraków, Dobroczynność, Political Science, and Jews in economic and social life edit
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http://www.judaistyka.uj.edu.pl/hanna-kozinska-wittedit
The grand communications projects launched in the Habsburg Monarchy in the early twentieth century also encompassed Galicia. In 1911 in the small village of Brzeźnica, a ceremony took place to mark the inauguration of the construction of... more
The grand communications projects launched in the Habsburg Monarchy in the early twentieth century also encompassed Galicia. In 1911 in the small village of Brzeźnica, a ceremony took place to mark the inauguration of the construction of the Galician canal that was to form part of these projects. The author describes and analyses the components of this celebration, which the Polish Club or the Krakow economic local authority were responsible for planning. The individual parts of the celebrations variously emphasised the contribution of politicians and the project's civilisational importance. The focus of the article is the question to what extent these contents, as well as the ultimate abandonment of the project, led to the ceremony and the canal itself being forgotten.
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History and Memory, River Engineering, Transport Planning, Political Representation, Politics of State Celebrations, and 10 moreGalicia (Habsburg Austria), Festkultur, Donau-Oder-Weichsel Kanal, Industriearchitektur, , unifinnished project, channel transport, Polnischer Kreis, Kolo polskie, Izba Handlowo-przemyslowa, and Enterpreneurs
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The article is a commentary on and supplement to an autobiographical text written by a descendant of a family of Jewish industrialists active in Podgórze and Krakow in the nineteenth century. The Baruchs moved from supplies and trading to... more
The article is a commentary on and supplement to an autobiographical text written by a descendant
of a family of Jewish industrialists active in Podgórze and Krakow in the nineteenth century. The
Baruchs moved from supplies and trading to industrial operations. Although the factories producing
fl our, bread and building materials operated in the Krakow area, they mainly supplied the city and the
Austrian army stationed there. The family achieved a high social status, which was manifested during
public ceremonies. International and local competition led them to abandon their industrial activity.
of a family of Jewish industrialists active in Podgórze and Krakow in the nineteenth century. The
Baruchs moved from supplies and trading to industrial operations. Although the factories producing
fl our, bread and building materials operated in the Krakow area, they mainly supplied the city and the
Austrian army stationed there. The family achieved a high social status, which was manifested during
public ceremonies. International and local competition led them to abandon their industrial activity.
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“[...] when the old Wawel Castle is surrounded by the waters of the canal”. Uncompleted waterway connecting the Danube, Vistula and Dniester rivers Summary The construction of a canal linking the Danube and Vistula was decided by the... more
“[...] when the old Wawel Castle is surrounded by the waters of the canal”.
Uncompleted waterway connecting the Danube, Vistula and Dniester rivers
Summary
The construction of a canal linking the Danube and Vistula was decided by the 1901 Canal
Act. Initially, the canal was only planned and discussed in the press. It was not until 1911 that the
construction actually began, which was presented in the media as a political victory for the Polish
Circle. By the end of the Great War, only a fraction of the original plan had been realised. The city
of Kraków benefited most from the sewerage system and flood protection. The author presents the
successive phases of the project and presents the context of events from the perspective of Kraków’s elite, particularly the Jewish politicians active in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Keywords: Galicia, Kraków, water transport, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jewish politicians
Uncompleted waterway connecting the Danube, Vistula and Dniester rivers
Summary
The construction of a canal linking the Danube and Vistula was decided by the 1901 Canal
Act. Initially, the canal was only planned and discussed in the press. It was not until 1911 that the
construction actually began, which was presented in the media as a political victory for the Polish
Circle. By the end of the Great War, only a fraction of the original plan had been realised. The city
of Kraków benefited most from the sewerage system and flood protection. The author presents the
successive phases of the project and presents the context of events from the perspective of Kraków’s elite, particularly the Jewish politicians active in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Keywords: Galicia, Kraków, water transport, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jewish politicians
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Modern Jewish History, Kraków, Political participation of ethnic minorities, Cracow, Municipal Law, and 13 moreLocal/Municipal government, Liberal Politics, Local Self-Government, XIXth Century History, City Council, Krakau, Galicia (Habsburg Austria), History of Jews in Kraków, Jewish Elite, Galicia (part of Poland) and Habsburg Studies, city councilors, imperial periode, and kronland
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“Jewish Quarters” as Tourist Magnets? Warsaw and Krakow during the Second Polish Republic Writer and journalist Wanda Melzer used the term “black continent” to describe the Jewish streets of Warsaw. This inherently racist label... more
“Jewish Quarters” as Tourist Magnets? Warsaw and
Krakow during the Second Polish Republic
Writer and journalist Wanda Melzer used the term “black continent” to describe
the Jewish streets of Warsaw. This inherently racist label reflects the attitude
towards the traditional “Jewish quarter,” which was perceived as poor, neglected,
and untidy. How were these areas described in period tourist guides? The text
compares developments in Warsaw (the political capital) and Krakow (the
traditional capital and regional metropolis) and explains why their descriptions
differ so greatly. At the same time, the role that these cities played in the new
state was of great importance.
Krakow during the Second Polish Republic
Writer and journalist Wanda Melzer used the term “black continent” to describe
the Jewish streets of Warsaw. This inherently racist label reflects the attitude
towards the traditional “Jewish quarter,” which was perceived as poor, neglected,
and untidy. How were these areas described in period tourist guides? The text
compares developments in Warsaw (the political capital) and Krakow (the
traditional capital and regional metropolis) and explains why their descriptions
differ so greatly. At the same time, the role that these cities played in the new
state was of great importance.
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Te article examines the growth and decline of the one most important industrial enterprise in Podgórze, in the direct vicinity of Kraków, where during the second half of 19th century. Maurycy Baruch founded a fourmill, automatic bakery,... more
Te article examines the growth and decline of the one most important industrial enterprise in Podgórze, in the direct vicinity of Kraków, where during the second half of 19th century. Maurycy Baruch founded a fourmill, automatic bakery, as well as briquette and tile factories. Baruch managed his business complex until his death, when it was taken over by his offspring. Te history of the Baruch enterprises, in particular their modernization and marketing/promoting strategy, is presented in the context of contemporary Galician and Habsburg business competition. Te main sources include is the local press, mostly from Kraków.
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Moses and Gitla Ritter were accused of murdering the charwoman Franciszka Mnichówna. The accusation and trials which followed revoked the blood libel. In three circumstantial trials (1882–1886), despite the lack of evidence, the... more
Moses and Gitla Ritter were accused of murdering the charwoman Franciszka Mnichówna. The accusation and trials which followed revoked the blood libel. In three circumstantial trials (1882–1886), despite the lack of evidence, the Ritters were found guilty and sentenced to death. Owing to the “ritual” nature attributed to the presumed murder, the trials became media events, followed by an international audience. The author discusses the course of the trials, considering whether and how the municipalities in which they took place exploited their unexpected popularity for promotional purposes. What importance did the urban elites attach to the trials? How can we interpret the three guilty verdicts, and what symbolic significance can be assigned to them?
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Traditions in the perception of the Jewish quarter in Kraków: guides of urban heritage sites from the second half of the nineteenth century (Summary) In the nineteenth century, Kraków was a popular tourist destination. This is why fi... more
Traditions in the perception of the Jewish quarter in Kraków:
guides of urban heritage sites from the second half
of the nineteenth century
(Summary)
In the nineteenth century, Kraków was a popular tourist destination. This
is why fi rst publications assisting visitors in exploring the town’s most attractive sites started to be published very early into the century. Initially, the
“Jewish town” was not considered worthy of being recommended to tourists.
It was not until the completion of conservation works which unveiled the connections between Jewish religious buildings and the architecture of the royal
town that the attitudes of guide publishers changed and a new trend started
to emerge. This transformation was also infl uenced by the visit of Archduke
Rudolf, who was unabashedly fascinated by the material heritage in the
neglected Jewish quarter. In the late nineteenth century, the Kazimierz district – especially the Renaissance Old Synagogue – started to be routinely
included in guides of Kraków a site of particular interest.
guides of urban heritage sites from the second half
of the nineteenth century
(Summary)
In the nineteenth century, Kraków was a popular tourist destination. This
is why fi rst publications assisting visitors in exploring the town’s most attractive sites started to be published very early into the century. Initially, the
“Jewish town” was not considered worthy of being recommended to tourists.
It was not until the completion of conservation works which unveiled the connections between Jewish religious buildings and the architecture of the royal
town that the attitudes of guide publishers changed and a new trend started
to emerge. This transformation was also infl uenced by the visit of Archduke
Rudolf, who was unabashedly fascinated by the material heritage in the
neglected Jewish quarter. In the late nineteenth century, the Kazimierz district – especially the Renaissance Old Synagogue – started to be routinely
included in guides of Kraków a site of particular interest.
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Recourse to municipal authorities as a source of information about the Jewish community. The case of Kraków from 1877 In the imperial times recourse to a higher authority was a common administrative practice. Thus it seems... more
Recourse to municipal authorities as a source of information about the Jewish
community. The case of Kraków from 1877
In the imperial times recourse to a higher authority was a common administrative practice.
Thus it seems justified to consider whether recourse cases can be useful as a source of
information about the situation in specific Jewish communities. All the more so given the fact
that they featured detailed descriptions of the situations/procedures requiring interventions
of the authorities and that every application was in somebody’s name. The author analyses
the usefulness of the source, using as her example recourse cases from 1877
community. The case of Kraków from 1877
In the imperial times recourse to a higher authority was a common administrative practice.
Thus it seems justified to consider whether recourse cases can be useful as a source of
information about the situation in specific Jewish communities. All the more so given the fact
that they featured detailed descriptions of the situations/procedures requiring interventions
of the authorities and that every application was in somebody’s name. The author analyses
the usefulness of the source, using as her example recourse cases from 1877
The article discusses the process of the introduction in Galicia of a new law regulating the relations between Jewish communities and the authorities of the territorial administration. Unlike in the Galician provinces, where the Josephine... more
The article discusses the process of the introduction in Galicia of a new law regulating the relations between Jewish communities and the authorities of the territorial administration. Unlike in the Galician provinces, where the Josephine patent of 1789 continued to be applied, certain Jewish communities in the cities here had developed new statutes previously, leading to partial changes in the elections for community councils. The first was the Krakow community (1870), whose Orthodox rabbi Szymon Schreiber (Sofer) attempted to withdraw the implemented changes, designing his own version of the new statutes (1882). The struggle over the form of the new law ultimately culminated with the Viennese government’s issue of relevant regulations in 1890.
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The article presents the development of Planty Dietlowskie (named after the professor of Jagiellonian University, Józef Dietl) on the part of the old Vistula River that was reclaimed. Th e Vistula cut-off formed a natural frontier... more
The article presents the development of Planty Dietlowskie (named after the professor of Jagiellonian University, Józef Dietl) on the part of the old Vistula River that was reclaimed. Th e Vistula cut-off formed a natural frontier between the city centre and the Kazimierz district, inhabited by Jews, which had earlier been an independent suburban Jewish town. In the eyes of hygienists and modernizers, the old Vistula presented a signifi cant problem: it was becoming less and less passable, and people on its two banks used it to dispose of waste and sewage. Th e fi lling up of this part of the old Vistula was at the top of the list of objectives postulated by the municipal government. Th e project was implemented with fi nancial support from the National Department, and squares were arranged. As a result, the Christian and Jewish quarters found themselves next to each other. Th e author questions whether this physical closeness had any impact on the social integration of Kraków’s inhabitants.
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The author looks at the municipal social policies of Warsaw’s local government vis-a-vis the Jewish inhabitants of the city in the interwar period. For comparison, it presents the standards of action of the city authorities during... more
The author looks at the municipal social policies of Warsaw’s local government vis-a-vis the Jewish inhabitants of the city in the interwar period. For comparison, it presents the standards of action of the city authorities during the partitioning of Poland, when, until 1907, the Jews in need had to rely solely on aid from the Jewish religious community, while after that year the authorities began to provide partial funding to some commune institutions. This practice was continued by the Warsaw local government formed in 1919. finansować niektóre instytucje gminy. In its actions for the benefit of the Jews in need, the local government got some relief from foreign charitable organizations. The crisis of 1929 led to a total bankruptcy of local government bodies and facilitated the control over it by the authoritarian state authorities. Since then the Warsaw local government delegated its welfare responsibilities toward the Jews to the religious community, while at the same time taking over the religious institutions by “neutralizing” their religious character. In the authoritarian 1930s most of the efforts of local government bodies focused on modernizing the peripheral districts, which were predominantly inhabited by non-Jews. There were also plans to modernize the city centre, which was to consist in the demolition of neglected areas of it, where the Jews lived. As regards the effects of interventions by Jewish town council members, they were sometimes successful in the 1920s but in the 1930s their effectiveness was negligible, which could have contributed to radical shifts in the composition of the self-government bodies after the last election held in 1938.
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The article discusses the tendencies of the few works addressing the subject of the activity of Jews in the municipal self-government bodies in the Galicia period. The author explains unpopularity of this subject-matter pointing to the... more
The article discusses the tendencies of the few works addressing the subject of the activity of Jews in the municipal self-government bodies in the Galicia period. The author explains unpopularity of this subject-matter pointing to the secondary role of self-government as well as the popularity of the culturalistic approach. Quoting the example of the work by Andrzej Zbikowski on the Cracow Jewish community the author indicates potential points of interface between both self-government bodies: the municipal and the confessional one - and suggests the necessity of re-examining certain issues, e.g. the activities of the orthodox self-government officials, the modernization preferences of the self-government, or the impact the politization of Catholicism had on the communal politics in the late 19th century.
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This article presents and analyses legal acts that influenced the situation of Jews in Galicia and shaped the local co-existence of Jewish communities and municipalities. It concentrates on subsidies provided to Jewish charities and... more
This article presents and analyses legal acts that influenced the situation of Jews in
Galicia and shaped the local co-existence of Jewish communities and municipalities. It
concentrates on subsidies provided to Jewish charities and welfare institutions by municipal
funds. The subsidizing policy of Krakow is compared with that of Lwów.
Galicia and shaped the local co-existence of Jewish communities and municipalities. It
concentrates on subsidies provided to Jewish charities and welfare institutions by municipal
funds. The subsidizing policy of Krakow is compared with that of Lwów.
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The article deals with the history of Krakow’s government at the time of the Second Polish Republic, with particular attention paid to the representatives of the Jewish community in the city parliament. The author furthermore examines... more
The article deals with the history of Krakow’s government at the time of the Second Polish Republic, with particular attention paid to the representatives of the Jewish community in the city parliament. The author furthermore examines municipal social policy as well as subsidies paid by the city treasury in favour of Jewish charitable facilities. Decisive factors that influenced changes of Krakow’s city policy towards its Jewish community are cited as: first, the global economic crisis, second, the newly established authoritarian regime of Marshal Piásudski and finally, a growing chauvinism.
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Represention of Jewish Inhabitants of the City on Warsaw Local Government: Local Context and an Attempt at a General Picture Based on Newspaper Reports. The source materials for the text are Warsaw newspapers of various political hues... more
Represention of Jewish Inhabitants of the City on Warsaw Local Government: Local Context and an Attempt at a General Picture Based on Newspaper Reports.
The source materials for the text are Warsaw newspapers of various political hues and local government periodicals. Due to the status of the capital city, the elections to the local government , while overshadowed by the parliamentary elections, were of exceptional importance for the young state. Their results aroused broad interests and elicited commentaries in the press. The author presents chronologically the results of the successive elections and the composition of the special administration, analysing the composition of the council of the city of Warsaw and naming representatives of local Jewish communities elected to that council based on democratic electoral regulations. She also mentions the voting pacts being formed in the local government forum. Special attention was paid to the last election, held in 1938, whose results were favourable to Bund, with quotes from writers interpreting that outcome. Appended to the article is a list of councillors presenting Jewish milieus and parties, elected for each term.
The source materials for the text are Warsaw newspapers of various political hues and local government periodicals. Due to the status of the capital city, the elections to the local government , while overshadowed by the parliamentary elections, were of exceptional importance for the young state. Their results aroused broad interests and elicited commentaries in the press. The author presents chronologically the results of the successive elections and the composition of the special administration, analysing the composition of the council of the city of Warsaw and naming representatives of local Jewish communities elected to that council based on democratic electoral regulations. She also mentions the voting pacts being formed in the local government forum. Special attention was paid to the last election, held in 1938, whose results were favourable to Bund, with quotes from writers interpreting that outcome. Appended to the article is a list of councillors presenting Jewish milieus and parties, elected for each term.
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Political Participation, Jewish History, History of Public Administration, Modern Jewish History, Elections and Voting Behavior, and 14 moreJews in Poland, Warsaw, Polish Interwar History, Warszawa, Polish-Jewish Relations, Jewish politics, Polish Jewish history, Local government elections, Historia Administracji, Warsaw, Poland, Local Self-Government, modern Jewish politics, Geschichte Warschau, and Warschau
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Article describes participation of Jewish councilors in Kraków city council and identifies political milieus where they came from. The interwar is divided in three sub-periods that were characterized by different conditions for municipal... more
Article describes participation of Jewish councilors in Kraków city council and identifies political milieus where they came from. The interwar is divided in three sub-periods that were characterized by different conditions for municipal political participation. These changes influenced the composition of Jewish councilors: their political belonging and even their cooperative strategies.
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Tematem artykułu są korelacje między planowaniem rozwoju miasta i jego oko-lic a rolą Krakowa jako " stolicy duchowej " 2. Ograniczam się przy tym do koncepcji rozwoju popieranych przez Radę Miejską, co wcale nie znaczy, że to radni byli... more
Tematem artykułu są korelacje między planowaniem rozwoju miasta i jego oko-lic a rolą Krakowa jako " stolicy duchowej " 2. Ograniczam się przy tym do koncepcji rozwoju popieranych przez Radę Miejską, co wcale nie znaczy, że to radni byli auto-rami konkretnych projektów. Wskazywali raczej kierunek, w którym miasto powin-no się rozwijać i decydowali, które rozwiązania otrzymają poparcie finansowe. Brak środków finansowych wielokrotnie uniemożliwiał realizację lansowanych projek-tów. Zdaję sobie sprawę, że wątpliwości wzbudzać może przyjęta periodyzacja, stąd też pozwalam sobie na krótkie uzasadnienie, dlaczego za cezurę uważam nie 1914, a właśnie 1933 rok. Cechą charakterystyczną nowo powstałego państwa polskiego był brak jednolitej podstawy prawnej dotyczącej związków komunalnych3, co zmu-szało gminy miejskie-nie tylko zaboru austriackiego-do kierowania się nadal przepisami z czasów zaborów. Przewidując bliskie ujednolicenie prawodawstwa, nie zezwalano gminom na wprowadzenie zmian w ordynacjach wyborczych, jak i za-broniono przeprowadzania nowych wyborów. W Krakowie ostatnie wybory do Rady, według ordynacji kurialnej, zostały przeprowadzone w 1911 i 1914 roku, a ubytki uzupełniano po wojnie drogą kooptacji, dobierając kandydatów z list za-stępców. Trudno się więc dziwić, że wielu powojennych radnych było ludźmi sta
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pp. 545-546.
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First published: Jahrbücher für Geschichte Osteuropas / jgo.e-reviews, JGO 62 (2014), 3 Dieser Beitrag kann vom Nutzer zu eigenen nicht-kommerziellen Zwecken heruntergeladen und/oder ausgedruckt werden. Darüber hinaus gehende Nutzungen... more
First published: Jahrbücher für Geschichte Osteuropas / jgo.e-reviews, JGO 62 (2014), 3 Dieser Beitrag kann vom Nutzer zu eigenen nicht-kommerziellen Zwecken heruntergeladen und/oder ausgedruckt werden. Darüber hinaus gehende Nutzungen sind ohne weitere Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber nur im Rahmen der gesetzlichen Schrankenbestimmungen (§ § 44a-63a UrhG) zulässig.
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First published: Zeitschrift für Ostmitteleuropa-Forschung (ZfO), 61 (2012), 1 Dieser Beitrag kann vom Nutzer zu eigenen nicht-kommerziellen Zwecken heruntergeladen und/oder ausgedruckt werden. Darüber hinaus gehende Nutzungen sind ohne... more
First published: Zeitschrift für Ostmitteleuropa-Forschung (ZfO), 61 (2012), 1 Dieser Beitrag kann vom Nutzer zu eigenen nicht-kommerziellen Zwecken heruntergeladen und/oder ausgedruckt werden. Darüber hinaus gehende Nutzungen sind ohne weitere Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber nur im Rahmen der gesetzlichen Schrankenbestimmungen (§ § 44a-63a UrhG) zulässig.
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Dieser Beitrag kann vom Nutzer zu eigenen nicht-kommerziellen Zwecken heruntergeladen und/oder ausgedruckt werden. Darüber hinaus gehende Nutzungen sind ohne weitere Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber nur im Rahmen der gesetzlichen... more
Dieser Beitrag kann vom Nutzer zu eigenen nicht-kommerziellen Zwecken heruntergeladen und/oder ausgedruckt werden. Darüber hinaus gehende Nutzungen sind ohne weitere Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber nur im Rahmen der gesetzlichen Schrankenbestimmungen (§ § 44a-63a UrhG) zulässig.
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First published: Jahrbücher für Geschichte Osteuropas / jgo.e-reviews, JGO 62 (2014), 3 Dieser Beitrag kann vom Nutzer zu eigenen nicht-kommerziellen Zwecken heruntergeladen und/oder ausgedruckt werden. Darüber hinaus gehende Nutzungen... more
First published: Jahrbücher für Geschichte Osteuropas / jgo.e-reviews, JGO 62 (2014), 3 Dieser Beitrag kann vom Nutzer zu eigenen nicht-kommerziellen Zwecken heruntergeladen und/oder ausgedruckt werden. Darüber hinaus gehende Nutzungen sind ohne weitere Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber nur im Rahmen der gesetzlichen Schrankenbestimmungen (§ § 44a-63a UrhG) zulässig.
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Antisemitism and Galicia
Dieser Beitrag kann vom Nutzer zu eigenen nicht-kommerziellen Zwecken heruntergeladen und/oder ausgedruckt werden. Darüber hinaus gehende Nutzungen sind ohne weitere Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber nur im Rahmen der gesetzlichen... more
Dieser Beitrag kann vom Nutzer zu eigenen nicht-kommerziellen Zwecken heruntergeladen und/oder ausgedruckt werden. Darüber hinaus gehende Nutzungen sind ohne weitere Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber nur im Rahmen der gesetzlichen Schrankenbestimmungen (§ § 44a-63a UrhG) zulässig.
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Dieser Beitrag kann vom Nutzer zu eigenen nicht-kommerziellen Zwecken heruntergeladen und/oder ausgedruckt werden. Darüber hinaus gehende Nutzungen sind ohne weitere Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber nur im Rahmen der gesetzlichen... more
Dieser Beitrag kann vom Nutzer zu eigenen nicht-kommerziellen Zwecken heruntergeladen und/oder ausgedruckt werden. Darüber hinaus gehende Nutzungen sind ohne weitere Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber nur im Rahmen der gesetzlichen Schrankenbestimmungen (§ § 44a-63a UrhG) zulässig.
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Poster to book
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Until now the history of Cracow was written mostly as a history of the cultural capital city of Poland (stolica duchowa). Researchers were usually focusing on the non-economic resources of this city perceived as a "realm of memory" and... more
Until now the history of Cracow was written mostly as a history of the cultural capital city of Poland (stolica duchowa). Researchers were usually focusing on the non-economic resources of this city perceived as a "realm of memory" and were pointing on the role played by the intellectual elites and inteligencja. The development of the city was almost exclusively connected to the non-economic impulses. "Jewish district" was described as a place of trade and the crafts and its Jewish inhabitants as merchants or artisans. In this narrative Cracow and Kazimierz, created two separated worlds. This conventional difference and gap between Christian and Jews and the districts they inhabited let to our project. We would like to ask again what role Jews played in the economic development of the city. Were the non-economic factors indeed predominant in the development of the city? Why are scholars not paying attention to the involvement of Jews in development of Cracovian municipality, to the taxes they paid, to their engagement in the city economics and to other initiatives which were started by them? As an object for our analyses we chose the group of important Jewish industrialists, who founded big enterprises and businesses. Although the names of some of those Jewish industrialists appear in the books on the local history, they don´t really belong to it. Not a lot is known about their biographies and their undertakings. By devoting our research to them to their professional achievements and to their businesses we hope to shed light on their role for development of the industrial districts (i.e. Podgórze, Płaszów and Borek Fałęcki) and the whole city. Because of the favorable model of taxation enterprises and factories were situated in the vicinity of Krakow. The city and its vicinities were formally separate but in fact they economically depended on one another and therefore created one economic unit. We would like to gain a profound knowledge on these businesses, their owners and the workers they employed: we are interested in beginnings, developments, crisis and personal inter-connection. Did existence of industries and productions influence the economic situation in old Kraków and in which way? The Jewish industrialists worked outside of Cracow but they engaged mostly in the professional and social life in the old city. We would like to find out more about their engagement and their favors for the municipality.
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Economic History, Jewish Studies, Jewish History, Habsburg Studies, 19th Century (History), and 15 moreBourgeoisie, Kraków, Centre-Periphery Relations, Enterpreneurship, Industrialisation, Cracow, Modernisation, Polish-Jewish Relations, Economic Elites, Economic and Bussiness, Jewish Social and Economic Life, Galicia (Habsburg Austria), History of Jews in Kraków, Podgórze, and Jewish Elite
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Jews in Krakow´s municipal self-government in the Galician period (1866-1914): their participation and the real effects of their activities. The project is planned as co-operation with dr. Alicja Maslak-Maciejewska and dr. Anna Jakimyszyn... more
Jews in Krakow´s municipal self-government in the Galician period (1866-1914): their participation and the real effects of their activities.
The project is planned as co-operation with dr. Alicja Maslak-Maciejewska and dr. Anna Jakimyszyn for 2 years and will be hosted by Institute for History and Culture of Polish Jews in Cracow.
The project is planned as co-operation with dr. Alicja Maslak-Maciejewska and dr. Anna Jakimyszyn for 2 years and will be hosted by Institute for History and Culture of Polish Jews in Cracow.
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already suggest, the authors approach Galician Jewry from two different angles based on their respective fields of expertise. Interested in the socio-political development of Polish Jewry in the modern era, Hanna Kozińska-Witt, on the one... more
already suggest, the authors approach Galician Jewry from two different angles based on their respective fields of expertise. Interested in the socio-political development of Polish Jewry in the modern era, Hanna Kozińska-Witt, on the one side, examines intersections between the local Jewish community and the city council in Cracow. Consequently, she uses archival files from the Cracow kehillah and municipality, the press, as well as reports and documents concerning local political affairs. Marek Tuszewicki, on the other side, uses a cultural and anthropological lens to examine Jewish folk medicine in Congress Poland and Galicia from the late 19th century until the First World War. He employs two sets of sources in a variety of languages to illuminate the practices, mythical character, and magical elements of folk medicine; firstly, handbooks and pamphlets with therapeutic advises, recipes, magical incantations, and charms, and secondly, ethnographic records from the late 19th century until the 1930s. Both books follow a thematic structure, even though chronology unsurprisingly plays an important role in Kozińska-Witt's narrative of political developments. She divides her study into four chapters that deal with (1) the regulation of the legal situation of Jews in Cracow, (2) Jewish involvement in the city council, (3) charitable activities of Jews in and outside of the local 172 Book Reviews self-government, and (4) the modernization of the Jewish quarter Kazimierz and its integration into the Christian-dominated center of the city. The book unfortunately lacks a summary that makes her findings less accessible to the reader. Instead, it concludes with an account on the trials of Mojżesz and Gitla Ritter who were accused of ritual murder between 1882 and 1885. Marek Tuszewicki's monograph consists of 14 chapters. Divided into four parts, it first sketches the conceptions of health and sickness in (Jewish) folk culture as opposed to the sciences. The second and third part examine folk medicine's understanding of the human body as a reflection of the world incorporating both visible and invisible elements. The fourth part focuses on notions of demons and their assumed impact on health, as exemplified in the popular idea of the evil eye (ayin-hore). In her study, Hanna Kozińska-Witt points out to several interesting instances where the municipality's influence on local Jewish affairs in Cracow and the participation of local Jews in them resulted in a reorganization of Jewish community life along the principles of Enlightenment ("modernization"). Because of its competences, the composition of the city council was especially significant to local Jews. All important decisions of the Jewish community in Cracow had to be accepted by a special section of the municipality which controlled finances, taxation, education, and charities of the kehillah. Usually, Jewish councilors were members of this section, so it was in the kehillah's interest to influence that body. Some proposals even suggested to move all the competencies of the kehillah to the city council, which would practically result in the dissolution of the Jewish community as a traditional autonomous body (p. 60). In general, the overlapping authority in areas of policymaking and communal activity made the city council not less important than the kehillah in regard to internal Jewish affairs. Concerning the narrative of the study, Kozińska-Witt aims at presenting the politics of both Orthodox and Reform Jews, she is, however, clearly influenced by the latter. For instance, the question of organizing the Jewish community is mainly presented from the liberal point of view (pp. 23 ff.) and communities without reform statutes are labeled as "disordered," (p. 17) as if no takanot of any kind ever existed. In contrast to Kozińska-Witt's political protagonists in an urban, reform environment, Marek Tuszewicki focuses on the part of East European Jewish society "which remained faithful to its traditional Ashkenazi Jewishness Book Reviews 173 (yidishkayt) and retained its attachment to aspects of that tradition," (p. 5) living mostly in rural areas and small towns. However, the author makes clear throughout his book that many of the folk notions and medical practices circulated among dwellers in
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Published in 2022, Matthieu Chochoy's De Tamerlan à Gengis Khan offers an in-depth study of an often ignored segment of Orientalism. The book traces the history of French knowledge of Central Asia by exploring the inception, evolution,... more
Published in 2022, Matthieu Chochoy's De Tamerlan à Gengis Khan offers an in-depth study of an often ignored segment of Orientalism. The book traces the history of French knowledge of Central Asia by exploring the inception, evolution, and deconstruction of the peculiarly European, erroneous concept of a 'Tartar Empire', which dominated the modern understanding of the region among the intellectual elites. From the fi fteenth until well into the nineteenth century, European scholars have understood the Mongol Empire, its successor states, the Timurid Empire, as well as any of the so-called 'Steppe empires' of Central Asia as a single imperial unit, called the Tartar Empire. This name originated in the medieval confusion between the proper name of the people from which Chinggis Khan and his dynasty came, the Tatars, and the cultural legacy of Antiquity. 1 Following the example of Gaston Bachelard, 2 Chochoy studies the idea of a Tartar Empire as a historical fact, tracing its origins, dissemination, and critique, as well as the material, social, and political conditions of its existence and, fi nally, its legacy in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. As a study of intellectual history, De Tamerlan à Gengis Khan unravels and analyses the epistemological, institutional, and practical aspects of the idea of a Tartar Empire, tracing the evolution of interpretative frameworks, courtly and scholarly interests in the concept, and the circulation of manuscripts and books about it. The author pays close attention to the process of accumulation and transmission of knowledge, considering every transmission as a transformation, a testimony to the changing of the scholarly status quo. These different aspects are presented chronologically since the book is structured around Thomas Kuhn's model of scientifi c revolutions. 3 The author presents a clear framework for his inquiry, focusing on the idea of the Tartar Empire in France during the 'very long eighteenth century',
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of the solutions. The final triumph of Ukrainian came only after the incorporation of the region into Soviet Ukraine after World War II. Another telling example of how a seemingly apolitical issue could be read through the lenses of... more
of the solutions. The final triumph of Ukrainian came only after the incorporation of the region into Soviet Ukraine after World War II. Another telling example of how a seemingly apolitical issue could be read through the lenses of security is the controversy between the Greek Catholic and the Orthodox churches. As R.-P. explains, during the initial years of the first Czechoslovakia, it was cheaper to belong to an Orthodox church because Greek Catholic parishes levied higher church taxes. What for the flock was a question of church tax, seemed a primary security issue for the authorities due to the Russian and Yugoslav connotations of the Orthodox church and the Hungarian affiliation of the erstwhile high clergy of the Greek Catholic church. In reading about the case studies that accidentally became charged with security concerns, one is tempted to refer to the interwar Hungarian propaganda that accused Czechoslovakia of the same charges: that Czechoslovakia misgoverned Subcarpathian Ruthenia and harassed its non-Slavonic, in particular Magyar, population by questioning their loyalty at every possible opportunity. Fremde Peripherie ironically demonstrates that the Hungarian (and also the German) propaganda indeed had some truth. What Fremde Peripherie conveys, however, is more than simply the several flaws of interwar Czechoslovak democracy. This book is more about the longevity of how states operate, irrespective of whether the state is liberal but not democratic, as was the case of prewar Hungary, or national democratic, as was the first Czechoslovakia, or even a dictatorship, as were all regimes in Subcarpathian Rus' during and after World War II. The operations of state bureaucracies are necessarily interwoven with security concerns, so it shall come as no surprise that interwar Czechoslovakia is no exception to this rule. Having analyzed sources in all relevant languages, R.-P. does transnational history at its best, paired with solid evidence and thorough methods. It should be a suggested reading for students of interwar Czechoslovakia and anyone interested in how state administrations learn about their populace, how the states "see" and through which mechanisms they identify their allies and enemies. Graz Bálint Varga
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Niniejszy artykuł zawiera refl eksje na temat książki Hanny Kozińskiej-Witt pt. Politycy czy klakierzy? Żydzi w krakowskiej radzie miejskiej w XIX wieku (Kraków 2019). Autorka za cel postawiła sobie weryfi kację tezy, że aktywność... more
Niniejszy artykuł zawiera refl eksje na temat książki Hanny Kozińskiej-Witt pt. Politycy czy klakierzy? Żydzi w krakowskiej radzie miejskiej w XIX wieku (Kraków 2019). Autorka za cel postawiła sobie weryfi kację tezy, że aktywność żydowskich radnych była nieadekwatna do ich liczby. Posłużyła się teorią aren Dietlind Hüchtker. Książka składa się z wprowadzenia, czterech rozdziałów i ekskursu. W warstwie informacyjnej należy ją uznać za wartościową. W zestawieniu z wcześniejszymi publikacjami na temat udziału Żydów w krakowskiej radzie miejskiej porusza szerszą gamę problemów i przynosi wiele nowych ustaleń. Gorzej wypada warstwa konstrukcyjna i ogólnie warsztatowa. The content outline: The article present refl ections on the book Politycy czy klakierzy? Żydzi w krakowskiej radzie miejskiej w XIX wieku (Kraków, 2019) by Hanna Kozińska-Witt. The author of the publication sought to verify the thesis according to which the activity of Jewish councillors in Kraków was not proportionate to their number. For this purpose, she used the theory of arenas developed by Dietlind Hüchtker. The book consist of introduction, four chapters, and an excursus. Hanna Kozińska-Witt's book is a valuable source of information. In comparison to earlier publications on the participation of Jews in Kraków's municipal council, it tackles a broader set of issues and offers fresh research outcomes. However, the construction and overall methodological aspect of the book is lacking.
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Summary It is a well-known fact that Jews were active in Galician local municipal government. The stark imbalance between the large number of Jewish local government officials and the insignificant role attributed to their activities was... more
Summary
It is a well-known fact that Jews were active in Galician local municipal government. The stark imbalance between the large number of Jewish local government officials and the insignificant role attributed to their activities was the reason for the research that paved the way for this book.
In chronological terms, I concentrate on the nineteenth century and discuss the period from the publication of the Temporary Commune Statute for the City of Krakow (1866) to the publication of the Community Statute for the Royal Capital City of Krakow (1901). The sources upon which the book was based comprised publications and periodicals issued by the Krakow local government and an extensive press analysis: especially useful were the liberal Reforma (1882) and Nowa Reforma (1883-1928, in the book until 1901), edited by circles interested in developing civic attitudes, open to homines novi and interested in the work of local government, as manifested in numerous suggestions and criticism of shortcomings.
The book comprises four chapters and a concluding excursus. Chapter 1 discusses the legal situation of Jews in Galicia, emphasising the specific nature of the position of the Krakow religious community in this regard. I attempted to explain the status of the Krakow community, depicting it in a broader context and analysing the controversies between the Orthodox Jewry and Jewish liberals, which reached as far as distant Vienna. The polemical background of the Krakow discussions was made up by the desire to maintain the autonomy of Jewish communities and the contrasting direction of tendencies to subordinate the administration of religious communities to political organs.
Chapter 2 examines the position of Jews in the Krakow local government and presents the results of elections, underlining the procedural nature of communal politics. I analyse the activity of Jewish councillors and attempt to answer the question of whether they were indeed as dependent on non-Jewish politicians as has previously been suggested. I discuss the ceremonial and everyday presence of municipal authorities in the Jewish commune, as well as the anti-Semitic overtones of Municipal Council assemblies.
In Chapter 3, I investigate the effectiveness of Jewish local government officials’ interventions on the basis of the local government subsidies they obtained for institutions serving needy Jews. I consider the role of Jewish councillors in negotiating subsidies and their amount, and reflect on whether they were effective in this regard.
My focus in Chapter 4 is the process of integration between the quarter inhabited by Jews and the Christian-dominated City Centre district, as well as the local government modernisation programme for Kazimierz. I seek to ascertain whether and to what degree urban integration led to the integration of the various population groups into one city community.
The book concludes with an excursus presenting the trials of Gitla and Moses Ritter from Lutcza, accused of ritual murder: two of these trials took place in Krakow, and perhaps help to illustrate the position of the local urban (not intellectual) elite towards Jews.
Trans. from by Ben Koschalka
It is a well-known fact that Jews were active in Galician local municipal government. The stark imbalance between the large number of Jewish local government officials and the insignificant role attributed to their activities was the reason for the research that paved the way for this book.
In chronological terms, I concentrate on the nineteenth century and discuss the period from the publication of the Temporary Commune Statute for the City of Krakow (1866) to the publication of the Community Statute for the Royal Capital City of Krakow (1901). The sources upon which the book was based comprised publications and periodicals issued by the Krakow local government and an extensive press analysis: especially useful were the liberal Reforma (1882) and Nowa Reforma (1883-1928, in the book until 1901), edited by circles interested in developing civic attitudes, open to homines novi and interested in the work of local government, as manifested in numerous suggestions and criticism of shortcomings.
The book comprises four chapters and a concluding excursus. Chapter 1 discusses the legal situation of Jews in Galicia, emphasising the specific nature of the position of the Krakow religious community in this regard. I attempted to explain the status of the Krakow community, depicting it in a broader context and analysing the controversies between the Orthodox Jewry and Jewish liberals, which reached as far as distant Vienna. The polemical background of the Krakow discussions was made up by the desire to maintain the autonomy of Jewish communities and the contrasting direction of tendencies to subordinate the administration of religious communities to political organs.
Chapter 2 examines the position of Jews in the Krakow local government and presents the results of elections, underlining the procedural nature of communal politics. I analyse the activity of Jewish councillors and attempt to answer the question of whether they were indeed as dependent on non-Jewish politicians as has previously been suggested. I discuss the ceremonial and everyday presence of municipal authorities in the Jewish commune, as well as the anti-Semitic overtones of Municipal Council assemblies.
In Chapter 3, I investigate the effectiveness of Jewish local government officials’ interventions on the basis of the local government subsidies they obtained for institutions serving needy Jews. I consider the role of Jewish councillors in negotiating subsidies and their amount, and reflect on whether they were effective in this regard.
My focus in Chapter 4 is the process of integration between the quarter inhabited by Jews and the Christian-dominated City Centre district, as well as the local government modernisation programme for Kazimierz. I seek to ascertain whether and to what degree urban integration led to the integration of the various population groups into one city community.
The book concludes with an excursus presenting the trials of Gitla and Moses Ritter from Lutcza, accused of ritual murder: two of these trials took place in Krakow, and perhaps help to illustrate the position of the local urban (not intellectual) elite towards Jews.
Trans. from by Ben Koschalka
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CONTENTS: Čapský, Martin: Representations of Space and “Restoring Order” in Peter Eschenloer’s Wrocław Chronicle Starý, Marek: Aristocratic Enclaves as a Foreign Legal Element in Urban Space Kozińska-Witt, Hanna: Pioneers of... more
CONTENTS:
Čapský, Martin: Representations of Space and “Restoring Order” in Peter Eschenloer’s Wrocław Chronicle
Starý, Marek: Aristocratic Enclaves as a Foreign Legal Element in Urban Space
Kozińska-Witt, Hanna: Pioneers of Industrialization in Western Galicia: The Baruch Family in the Nineteenth Century
Pokludová, Andrea: The Moravian Compromise of 1905: The Implementation of Lex Perek in Towns Affected by the Ethnic Conflict
Piškurić, Jelka: Housing Construction and the Role of the Neighbourhood Unit in Ljubljana under Socialism
Čapský, Martin: Representations of Space and “Restoring Order” in Peter Eschenloer’s Wrocław Chronicle
Starý, Marek: Aristocratic Enclaves as a Foreign Legal Element in Urban Space
Kozińska-Witt, Hanna: Pioneers of Industrialization in Western Galicia: The Baruch Family in the Nineteenth Century
Pokludová, Andrea: The Moravian Compromise of 1905: The Implementation of Lex Perek in Towns Affected by the Ethnic Conflict
Piškurić, Jelka: Housing Construction and the Role of the Neighbourhood Unit in Ljubljana under Socialism
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Projektpresentation
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Warsztaty, 17.11.23.