LibGuides: World War II: Pre-war Jewish life

European Jewish population distribution, c.1933

Jews have lived in Europe for more than two thousand years. The American Jewish Yearbook placed the total Jewish population of Europe at about 9.5 million in 1933. This number represented more than 60 percent of the world's Jewish population, which was estimated at 15.3 million. Most European Jews resided in eastern Europe, with about 5 1/2 million Jews living in Poland and the Soviet Union. Before the Nazi takeover of power in 1933, Europe had a dynamic and highly developed Jewish culture.

Analysing propaganda posters

Interpreting propaganda posters
"Propaganda is an attempt to inﬂuence peoples’ opinions or behaviour through the use of specific images and words. It usually gives limited information which is heavily biased in its presentation. Propaganda typically achieves its aims by generating an emotional reaction in the viewer.
Interpreting a visual source, like a propaganda poster, is very different to interpreting words on a page, which is the case with written sources. Therefore, you need to develop a different set of skills."

Images on pre-war Jewish life

YIVO archive on Jewish life in Poland
"Highlights from YIVO’s archival collections on Polish Jewry before the Holocaust. It includes thousands of documents, posters, and photographs from the most significant Polish Jewish collections along with detailed finding aids, online exhibitions and media galleries."
Yad Vashem archive on Jewish life in the pre-war period
"Visual testimony of Jewish life before, during and after the Holocaust. It is the largest photo collection of its kind in the world."

Videos on pre-war Jewish life

Home movies on pre-war Jewish life
From the collections of the US Memorial Holocaust Museum, documenting the lives of Jewish families in Europe.

Analysing images

Making sense of documentary photography
"A picture may be worth a thousand words, but you need to know how to analyze the picture to gain any understanding of it at all. 'Making Sense of Documentary Photography' provides a place for students and teachers to grapple with the documentary images."

Analysing political cartoons

Interpreting political cartoons
"Political cartoons are ink drawings created to provide a humorous or critical opinion about political events at the time of its creation. They were particularly popular in newspapers and magazines during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, they are still used by many newspapers, magazines and websites today. Interpreting a visual source, like a political cartoon, is very different to interpreting words on a page, which is the case with written sources. Therefore, you need to develop a different set of skills."