Wrocław Jewish studies after the World War II

Abstract

The article traces the development of academic Jewish studies in Wrocław from their modest beginnings after the Holocaust, through a renaissance of academic interests in the 1980s, and culminating in the creation of the Department of Jewish Studies at the University of Wrocław. As we demonstrate, the main areas of scholarly interest among the faculty members of the Department are the history of Hasidism, modern Yiddish culture, and the socio-political history of Polish Jews in the 20th century, which, as we argue, closely correspond with major methodological and cultural developments in global humanities.