Jewish Composers of Polish Music after 1939

Abstract

This chapter looks into the devastating impact of the Holocaust in Jewish musical creativity in Poland. It discusses the inclusion of Jewish composers in the world of Polish music by its post-1945 historians. It also examines the presence of Jewish composers in Poland's musical world before 1939 and the disappearance of these composers as shown by official publications, dictionaries, and music histories up until 1989. The chapter reviews all the composers of Jewish origin who were alive in September 1939, regardless of their attitude and relationship with Judaism. It mentions the most important composers of Jewish descent but not of Jewish faith, such as Józef Koffler, who gave up his official Jewish religious allegiance in May 1939, and Roman Palester, who was baptized Catholic as a baby.