Holocaust survivors - a demographic overview

Abstract

Jews were an integral part of society in the Second Polish Republic. They had lived in the Polish lands for centuries, while remaining religiously, linguistically and culturally distinct. Some members of this community showed a tendency towards assimilation and acculturation. The co-existence of Poles and Jews was disrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War and the German occupation. The Germans strove to annihilate all Jews regardless of age or sex. Their policies resulted in the death of over 2.7 million Jews, pre-war citizens of the Second Polish Republic. Although 70 years have passed since the end of the Second World War, discussions still continue among historians as to the number of Jewish victims and survivors. Attempts are made to arrive at precise figures, insofar as this is possible. The aim of the article is to discuss findings to date and to highlight the problems encountered by scholars trying to estimate the percentage of Polish Jews who survived the German occupation. To illustrate the methodological difficulties, I use the example of the Jewish community of Kraków and the demographic changes that it underwent.