The Jewish Question in Poland: Views Expressed in the Catholic Press between the Two World Wars

Abstract

This chapter analyses the views expressed in the Catholic press between the two world wars regarding the Jewish question in Poland. Catholic periodicals of the inter-war period expressed a range of attitudes towards the Jewish minority, ranging from strong hostility to moderate approval. All Catholic journalists agreed, however, that there was indeed a ‘Jewish question’ and that the Jewish minority in Poland posed a threat to the identity of the Polish nation and the independence of the Polish state. The general tenor of the articles published in the Catholic press was that all attempts to ease the conflict between Poles and Jews were unrealistic; without a fundamental reform of Polish policy towards minorities, there was little hope for peaceful coexistence between the two communities. There were even proposals to abandon the existing policy that acknowledged Jews as having the same rights as Poles and recognized them as equal citizens. The Catholic press warned against treating the situation lightly: there could not be two masters (gospodarze) on Polish soil, especially since the Jewish community contributed to the demoralization of the Poles, took jobs and income away from Poles, and was destroying the national culture.