Language contact in the territory of the former Soviet Union

Abstract

Holocaust that have been on the periphery in Holocaust historiography take centre stage. For example, this volume engages the study of occupation in east-central European nations; women’s varied roles as resisters, rescuers, and leaders; and queer Holocaust history, sexual violence, and other topics previously stigmatized in the field. Additionally, the volume addresses marginalized aspects within the profession of Holocaust studies by highlighting the latest research on gender and the Holocaust in east-central Europe by scholars from the region itself – scholars at different career stages and from a variety of professional backgrounds. Authors make use of non-English-language sources from archives in Poland, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine, and they draw upon underutilized ego sources such as the testimonies of child survivors of Sereď Camp and women survivors of Sobibor. If This Is a Woman is meticulously researched, thoughtful, and effective. It provides a multifaceted contribution that strengthens the growing body of literature on gender and gendered experiences during World War II and the Holocaust, and it will undoubtedly prompt future research on the topic. This volume is recommended for scholars and students interested in the study of the Holocaust through the lens of gender and its intersectionalities, and it will be of particular interest to those following historiographic trends. This thought-provoking book also has pragmatic relevance. With the contemporary rise of anti-gender narratives and the curtailing of women’s rights, this volume brings attention to the immediate significance of research on gender to both Holocaust studies and current issues. Whether in Holocaust research or present-day dialogue, gender must be understood as a “fundamental component of human experience” (xiii). If This Is a Woman continues the decades-long campaign to underscore women’s experiences in the Holocaust by moving the concept of “gender” out of the margins to the front and centre of the conversation.