The Silent Holocaust: Romania and Its Jews (Contributions to the Study of World History) [Hardcover]

I. C. Butnaru (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0313279853 | ISBN-13: 978-0313279850 | Publication Date: January 30, 1992

We commonly associate the term "Holocaust" with Nuremberg and Kristallnacht, the Warsaw and Vilna ghettos, Auschwitz and Treblinka. Appearing as they do in countless books and films, these symbols of hatred penetrate our consciousness, memory, and history. But, unfortunately, our memory is selective, and, in the case of Romania, our knowledge is scant. In 1939 the Jewish population of Romania exceeded 750,000: the third largest concentration of Jews in Europe. By 1944, some 400,000 had disappeared. Another 150,000 Ukrainian Jews died at the hands of Romanian soldiers. In the quest for a "final solution" Romania proved to be Hitler's most enthusiastic ally. In The Silent Holocaust, Butnaru, himself a survivor of the Romanian labor camps, provides a full account and demonstrates that anti-Semitism was a central force in Romania's history. He begins by examining the precarious status of Romanian Jewry in the years prior to World War I. He then reviews the period to the establishment in September, 1940, of the National Legionary State, a period when anti-Semitism became the unifying force in politics. The remainder of the book covers the Holocaust years, and reveals that Romania's premeditated mass murder of Jews was well underway before the Reich's gas chambers became operational. The Silent Holocaust has been called a "work of epic and historical worth" and it is invaluable for students of World War II, the Holocaust, and Jewish and Eastern European studies.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The author, a survivor of the Holocaust, documents in detail the widespread but uncoordinated destruction of the Jews of Romania between 1940 and 1944 and argues that the process preceded the Nazi's systematic mass killings. By reviewing historical and cultural biases against Jews and legislation that embodied anti-Semitism, Butnaru shows that government action to eliminate the Jews reflected the broadly held popular belief that Jews could be blamed for all troubles. Romania's early history and development are outlined, but the fascist legionary movement between the wars, German coalition, and leadership of Ion Antonescu during World War II are focal points. With its high detail and narrow focus, this study is for scholars of the region and larger collections.
- Rena Fowler, Northern Michigan Univ. Lib., Marquette
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“The collapse of communism has opened up archives on the Holocaust that will affect the writing about it in Eastern Europe forever. The major impact of the new research will be in the details of documentation, but in the long run, the conceptualization of events that led to the Jewish tragedy may also change. Although he has collected a great deal of information about the Jews during the pre-Holocaust and Holocaust period in Romania, Butnaru, unfortunately, has not been able to take advantage of the altered conditions in the country of his birth. The purpose of the book is to present a viewpoint rather than an analysis of the events that it describes. The author states: "The book wishes only to be a cry to strip away the layers of indifference and guilty silence." On that level the author succeeds fully.”–Choice

“The author, a survivor of the Holocaust, documents in detail the widespread but uncoordinated destruction of the Jews of Romania between 1940 and 1944 and argues that the process preceded the Nazi's systematic mass killings. By reviewing historical and cultural biases against Jews and legislation that embodied anti-Semitism, Butnaru shows that government action to eliminate the Jews reflected the broadly held popular belief that Jews could be blamed for all troubles. Romania's early history and development are outlined, but the the fascist legionary movement between the wars, German coalition, and leadership of Ion Antonescu during World War II are focal points. With its high detail and narrow focus, this study is for scholars of the region and larger collections.”–Library Journal

“It is effective as a "cry" and it should contribute to further, much needed study of a major issue that continues to have profound and unsettling effects in the present.”–Harvard Educational Review

“Mr. I.C. Butnaru's books are certainly recommended for public, academic and special libraries, and could be equally useful on the shelves of Judaica or Holocaust in special, as well as of Eastern Europe history or Romanian history in particular.”–EMIE Bulletin

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (January 30, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313279853
• ISBN-13: 978-0313279850
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,821,816 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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