The Forest as a Liminal Space: A Transformation of Culture and Norms during the Holocaust

Abstract

As the Holocaust unfolded, approximately 50,000 to 80,000 Jews, predominantly from Eastern Poland, sought refuge in nearby forests. Thus, the forest became another Holocaust ‘space and place’ – an important socio-spatial arena for agency and power relations between various agents including partisans (both non-Jewish and Jewish), peasants small Jewish groups-in-hiding, and Nazis. This article explores the forest as a liminal space where pre-war norms and cultural boundaries were challenged, reversed and reworked to increase chances for survival. The article is based largely on interviews with surviving ‘forest fugitives’ conducted by the author.