Witnessing against a divide? An analysis of early Holocaust testimonies constructed in interviews between Jewish and non-Jewish Poles

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article makes visible and analyzes survivor testimonies gathered in interviews between Jewish and non-Jewish Polish survivors of Nazi persecution in Sweden in 1945–1946. By examining the content of the testimonies in relation to the distinct context, it contributes to research about early documentation efforts and their role in shaping Polish memory of the Holocaust as well as post-conflict relations between Jewish and non-Jewish Poles. The analysis explores whether or to what extent the acts of witnessing took place across an insurmountable divide of identity and experience or on a more common ground where such differences were respected and appreciated.