Socio-political gains and losses of the Jewish national organization in the Freistadt camp, Austria-Hungary (1916 – early 1918)

Abstract

The article reveals the specifics of the Jewish national organization in the Freistadt camp (Austria-Hungary) functioning. The organization’s establishment was made possible with the assistance of the Presidium of the Union for the Liberation of Ukraine in Vienna and the Ukrainian camp community. It was very important that the leaders of the Jewish and Ukrainian organizations realized the urgent need for political awareness of peoples enslaved by the Russian tsar (in particular, the Jewish and Ukrainian), and the importance of Ukrainian-Jewish understanding. One of the first joint political actions of Jews and Ukrainians in the camp was their articulation of their critical attitude to the imperial order in Russia during a visit to the camp by the representative of the Russian Red Cross A.V. Romanova. Already in the spring and summer of 1916, the Jewish educational group managed to expand its activities in the camp, organizing national cultural and artistic events for the campers and conducting educational courses. The key to success in its work was the provision of regular financial assistance from the profits of the camp cooperative union «Tea». At the same time, the Ukrainian organization of the camp provided significant intangible assistance to the Jewish group – by temporarily providing free of charge camp premises for theatrical performances, concerts and various national educational events. Unfortunately, despite the mutual recognition of the national and political aspirations of both peoples (Jewish and Ukrainian), the pace and nature of state and political transformations in Ukraine prompted the Jewish organization to distance itself first and then declare its rejection of Ukrainian «independence». In turn, such a hostile attitude of the captured Jews to the independent aspirations of Ukrainians led to the cessation, and then a complete break between the two communities, which in turn called into question their experience in the joint struggle against Russian despotism.