Jews as Criminal Figures in Western Belarus in The Interwar Period (Based on the State Archives of the Grodno Region)

Abstract

The interwar period is characterized by changes in social and economic structure of the Jewish population of Poland. The policy of state regulation caused sharp decline in living standards and the social status of broad masses of the Jewish population here. It could not but cause violations of processes of socialization. In general the number of the penal acts made by Jews in the territory of the Western Belarus during the interwar period was lower, than the number of the crimes committed by other citizens of Poland: the number of criminals in the Jewish environment was half less, than among representatives of other nationalities. It is explained by a number of factors. But in the Jewish environment did not do without crimes. Poles more often than Jews, judged for theft, a robbery, for murders and also for the crimes committed for political motives. Jews in turn are more often mentioned in the affairs connected with economic crimes: buying up and sale stolen, fake of money, trade in foreign currency, falsification of documents. Article is written on the basis of the analysis of materials of the State archive of the Grodno region. Here as the most widespread in the Jewish environment the following crimes are recorded: theft, speculation, illegal crossing of border and also murder.