(Image source, Katharina, History and Memory of Deportation, Exile, and Survival. Jews of Poland)
Kathrina Friedla and Markus Nesselrodt present the argument of what were the fates of Poles and Jews post World War II as they tell the recollections of Jews who fled or were deported to the Soviet Union. Any kind of Soviet solution to the refugee crisis was always a tad worse for Jewish refugees in the Soviet Union, as post-WW2 saw increased prejudice toward Jews ‘Which was marked by anti-Jewish violence in the immediate postwar period’[1]. The book uses supporting evidence such as first-hand recollections from Jews and Polish refugees and of other statuses compiled into essays conducted by scholars, historians, and others who did research into the issue. The main solution to solve the refugee crisis by the Soviets was DP camps to rectify the housing crisis, however, many Jews wished to emigrate to the US due to the anti-sematic behavior in the Soviet zone ‘Those in the Displaced Persons camps who wished to move to the United States also often remained silent about their wartime experiences for fear of being seen as communists’[2]. This paper contributes answers to whether or not Allied solutions for the DP crisis were good or bad by showing the consequences of Soviet solutions to the DP problem in Europe. The consequences of the Soviet refugee solutions seemed to be ineffective with the high prejudice and disdain towards being labeled a Communist, it caused further refugees as Jews chose to flee the Soviet zone in fear of Jewish prejudice and being labeled a Communist. I agree with the argument that the fates of most Polish Jews and Jews were grim, only Polish citizens could leave Russia.
[1] Friedla, Katharina, and Markus Nesselrodt, eds. 2021. Polish Jews in the Soviet Union (1939-1959) : History and Memory of Deportation, Exile, and Survival. Jews of Poland. Brookline, MA: Academic Studies Press. https://unb.on.worldcat.org/search/detail/1264172929?queryString=Polish%20jews%20in%20the%20soviet%20union&clusterResults=true&groupVariantRecords=false
[2] Friedla, Katharina, History and Memory of Deportation, Exile, and Survival. Jews of Poland, 2021