The Jews in Polish Culture

Aleksander Hertz

1961

In every caste system the lower caste occupies a marginal position vis-à-vis the upper caste. The Jews were a marginal element to the Polish nobility. The margin was not isolated, for the Jews could have access to various areas in the nobility’s life, just as they did to various areas in peasant life. But as a whole, as a caste the Jews were at the…

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Creator Bio

Aleksander Hertz

1895–1983

Born in Warsaw into a Jewish family of fierce Polish patriots, his father having fought in the Polish Uprising of 1863, Aleksander Hertz received a doctorate in sociology from Warsaw University and was known for his work on the sociology of theater. In the 1930s, he helped organize the Stronnictwo Demokratyczne, which advocated a Polish identity that was civic rather than ethnic or religious. Hertz immigrated to the United States in 1940 and was active in Polish émigré publications such as the Paris-based Kultura. His landmark book The Jews in Polish Culture reflects his ongoing efforts after the war to highlight the key role played by Jews in Polish culture and to remind Polish intellectuals that Jews had been an integral part of their national heritage.

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