Conference

European Jews Facing the Imminence of the Holocaust

In the summer of 1941, Nazi Germany began systematically murdering Europe’s Jews. At first, there were mass executions of civilians in the East, followed by deportations to extermination camps established in occupied Poland. At times, rumors and reports about the mass murders made it clear to the Jews that they were facing a nearly inescapable death sentence. The aim of the conference is to identify and describe Jewish experience of life amidst the imminent threat of destruction. How did information about mass killings spread? How did Jews adapt to extreme conditions? What was their day-to-day life like under these conditions? What were their experiences and emotions and awareness of their further fate?

23 to 25 April 2023
POLIN Museum, Warsaw

Organizers: POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews; Polish Center for Holocaust Research, Polish Academy of Sciences; Leibniz Institute for Jewish History and Culture – Simon Dubnow; United States Holocaust Memorial Museum