November 15, 2015 december 4, 2015 szfreiberger holocaust, world war ii. Book deals with the events of the holocaust in both radzilow july 7, 1941 and jedwabne july 10, 1941. Polish journalist anna bikonts investigation into exactly what. In september 2000, the institute of national remembrance i. Last year, jan tomasz gross, a polish historian working in new york, published a book based on accounts by witnesses of the massacre, including jews. Gross conceded to me at his colin miller memorial lecture. The 7 best new books about the holocaust, as recommended by scholars. History and memorial book, containing a description of the tragedy of their hometown. Jedwabne the polish village where up to 900 jews were burnt alive by fellow poles. The crime and the silence, by anna bikont the new york.
The controversy over the jedwabne massacre in poland edition 1 available in paperback. From what has appeared in the media, it seems that some in the official polish circles try to explain hatred for the jews by associating them with communists and russian occupation. Her text includes a journal she kept during her investigation, so we. Polish journalist anna bikont has authored a powerful firstperson exploration of the killings in jedwabne and the current residents response to the discovery of jewish skeletons in their closets. It tells the story of a pogrom in 1941 in jedwabne, poland and explores the implications of the past for present constructions and negotiations of personal, national and religious identity. The destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne, this film tells a shocking and brutal story that has been kept a secret in poland for over 60 years. A quest for the truth of a wartime massacre, by anna bikont. Anna bikont we from jedwabne excerpt about radzilow. Known to few people in postcommunist poland prior to the 2001 publication of a book about it, the jedwabne. This is an examination of collective memory which can be painful reading at times. The neighbors respond the controversy over the jedwabne.
He is neither an historian nor a specialist in criminal investigation. On july 10, 1941, the lewins approached the nearby town of jedwabne, where hundred of jews lived and had the means to shelter other jews. Anna bikont tells this story in her book, the crime and the silence. Polish author reopens minefield of who killed jedwabnes. Anna bikont we of jedwabne, gazeta wyborcza, 23 march 2001 267 bogdan musial. Gross, andrzej kaczy n ski, anna bikont and other jour nalists conducted. The polish journalist anna bikonts beautifully written, devastating and very important book, the crime and the silence published in poland in 2004, and now expertly translated by alissa. Confronting the massacre of jews in wartime jedwabne investigates an incident from polands world war ii past a mass murder of jewish men, women and children carried out not by nazis, but poles. Joanna beata michlic the american assocation for polish.
Anna bikont is a journalist for the gazeta wyborcza, polands main newspaper, which she helped found in 1989. The jedwabne discovery forced many to readjust this perception to include also some acts by local perpetrators. Anna bikont, a senior writer and cofounder of gazeta wyborcza, the largest daily in central europe and the first independent newspaper in democratic poland, is the awardwinning author of eight books, including wieslawa szymborskas dusty keepsakes, friends, and dreams. Jedwabne the polish village where up to 900 jews were. A discussion of anna bikonts book the crime and the silence, which tells the story of the july 1941 massacre of jews in the eastern polish town of jedwabne, where local poles rounded up their jewish neighbors and burned them in a barn. President aleksander kwasniewskis courage in giving the anniversary events of july 10, 2001 so much official importance and the apologetic gesture by the polish bishops still seem hard to believe. Excerpt about radzilow from the book we are jedwabne 400page book by anna bikont, dealing with the events of the holocaust in both radzilow july 7, 1941 and jedwabne july 10, 1941 tygodnik powszechny article november 10, 2002. Holocaust, jewish 19391945 registers of dead poland jedwabne.
It has also been, from the moment of its publication, the occasion of intense controversy and painful reckoning. The story of polish historiography of the holocaust lends itself to divisions when one analyses the number of publications, and the questions asked by the scholars in the field. I am looking forward to reading the upcoming book by jan tomasz gross neighbors. Grosss neighbors bogdan musial critical remarks indeed jan gross jedwabne without stereotypes. He claimed that the poles killed their neighbors the jews with little participation of the occupying germans. Confronting the massacre of jews in wartime jedwabne farrar, straus and giroux, 2015. In her work as a reporter for the gazeta wyborcza, the liberal polish newspaper, bikont has done obsessive, heroic work, interviewing witnesses, perpetrators, and survivors of the jedwabne massacre and similar mass killings of jews in the nearby towns of radzilow and wasosz. See for example anna bikonts my z jedwabnego we from jedwabne. This is a brilliantly and meticulously researched book about the forgotten massacre of jews in jedwabne, poland, on july 10, 1941.
Perhaps it was when the jews from jedwabne publishedyedwabne. The debate provoked by the publication of jan grosss book sasiedzi. Meet the longlost jews of jedwabne donald snyder march, 2015. Polish author reopens minefield of who killed jedwabnes jews in an english translation of her book the crime and the silence, journalist anna bikont sheds more light on the wwii massacre. A few years later a monument was erected near the barn where jews. It was published in english in 2015 as the crime and the silence. The museums collections document the fate of holocaust victims, survivors, rescuers, liberators, and others through artifacts, documents, photos, films, books, personal stories, and more. I first read about the jedwabne massacre in gross book and still remember being riveted by the cover image of a barn engulfed in flames. The historical record on jedwabne is highly controversial because many poles perceive their nation, where nazis murdered 3 million nonjewish poles in addition to 3 million jewish ones, as a victim of nazi genocide. Having read hundreds of holocaust books i still find this one very difficult as it. Anna bikont has published numerous articles on the jedwabne controversy, both in gazeta wyborcza, polands most widelyread daily newspaper, and elsewhere. A disturbing account of a polish towns complicity in killing jews, and the difficulties the author. Winner of the national jewish book award in the holocaust category a. Joshua zimmerman, professorial chair in holocaust studies and east european jewish history and professor of history at yeshiva university, writes.
The atrocity itself and the ongoing effort to assimilate it into polish collective memory is the subject of anna bikonts astonishing and vital book. The polish journalist anna bikonts beautifully written, devastating and very important book, the. Fellows and their topics for the year 20082009 the new. Chodakiewiczs theory is also not supported by the journalistic investigation into memory of the crime among current residents of jedwabne, meticulously carried out by anna bikont my z jedwabnego we of jedwabne, warsaw, 2004. Hundreds of jews locked in a barn and burned to death. Bikont investigates the long silence in the years following these events, and the fierce debate initiated in poland and internationally by historian jan.
Anna bikont is a jewish journalist based in warsaw and has written about her attempts to look at one of. The destruction of the jewish community in jedwabne. For someone like me jewish by origin and a realist by nature the discussion that has been taking place in my country about jewishpolish grudges and prejudices seems unthinkable. We were on the cart when we smelled a fire and another bad smell, said lewin, recalling the day 75 years ago that has changed how millions in poland and beyond think of the holocaust years in that country. I saw the jews go into the barn of their own accord, as if they were under hypnosis. United states holocaust memorial museum united states holocaust memorial museum. Bikont expanded her work into the nonfiction book my z jedwabnego 2004, jedwabne.
In her book, translated by alissa valles, historical chapters alternate with. I have recently become aware of a anna bikonts book. Confronting the massacre of jews in wartime jedwabne. But with your help we can continue to put it center stage. The crime and the silence, by anna bikont the new york times. As i read i continued to look for deeds of kindness and courage which are sprinkled. Her book le crime et le silence, first published in polish in 2004, won the european book prize in 2011. Anna bikont is a polish psychologist and writer associated with the gazeta wyborcza newspaper, based in warsaw since its founding in 1989.
The 7 best new books about the holocaust, as recommended. Neighborsjan grosss stunning account of the brutal mass murder of the jews of jedwabne by their polish neighborswas met with international critical acclaim and was a finalist for the national book award in the united states. We of jedwabne, gazeta wyborcza, 23 march 2001 anna bikont the pogrom in jedwabne. Poland faces up to the horror of its own role in the. Anna bikont, a journalist who has just finished a book on jedwabne, predicts there will be other grim revelations that will even taint our great national hero, the symbol of all that is good. She is photographed in a taxi going to a commemorative luncheon. Chodakiewicz claims that the germans were responsible for the planning, organization, and execution of the crime. Memory can be slippery, especially when theres incentive to forget, or misremember. A polish journalist revisits the massacre of jews in jedwabne and. I first read about the jedwabne massacre in gross book and still remember being riveted by the cover. I, i i ii gj i the streets of yediwabne i a 1, al 1v 14 yedwabne history and memorial book edited by rabbis julius l.
Last year, the jedwabne debate was rekindled following the publication of an english translation of a book written in 2004 in polish by historian anna bikont that. Anna bikonts book the crime and the silence appeared in 2004 in polish and has finally been translated into english. The author anna bikont is a prominent polish journalist who helped to found. She will spend her year at the cullman center conducting research for a. Polish author anna bikonts book the crime and the silence. Confronting the massacre of jews in wartime jedwabne anna bikont reporter. Confronting the massacre of jews in wartime jedwabne by anna bikont.
In the polish village of jedwabne, residents long said nazis were responsible for. The following excerpt from anna bikonts early journal entries and. The polish town that refuses to face its antisemitic past. Last year, the jedwabne debate was rekindled following the publication of an english translation of a book written in 2004 in polish by historian anna bikont that puts the jedwabne death toll at.
For her articles on the crimes in jedwabne and nearby radzilow, she was honored with several awards, including the press prize for reportage in 2001 and the polityka prize for historical writing. Bikont is currently completing a book related to this subject. The weisslivnat international ma program in holocaust. Confronting the massacre of jews in wartime jedwabne farrar, straus and giroux, 2015 by anna bikont this book, a winner of the 2015 national jewish book award, was written by a polish journalist who discovered she was jewish in her 30s and became deeply engaged in the topic of polishjewish relations. Bikont went to jedwabne to gauge local reactions to the gross book. But the ones who are persecuted, the ones who are harassed in jedwabne are the elderly who recall what really happened. Search below to view digital records and find material that you can access at our library and at the shapell center. Agnieszka sabor and marek zajac talk with professor tomasz szarota, tygodnik powszechny, 28 april 2002. The author, anna bikont, is a polish jew who decides to assiduously research the burning of hundreds of jedwabne jews in a barn at the outskirts of town. Jedwabne, poland jta as german army troops invaded eastern poland, ichak lewins family fled their town of wizna. Historia zaglady zydowskiego miasteczka sejny, 2000 and its english translation neighbors. When i go to jedwabne, all these people scream you hate poles. Her book le crime et le silence won the european book prize in 2011. The towns mayor, krzysztof godlewski, is forced to resign after he pushes for a new memorial for the victims.
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