The Emergence of Jewish Ghettos during the Holocaust

by Dan Michman, Lenn J. Schramm (Translator)

This book is a linguistic-cultural study of the emergence of the Jewish ghettos during the Holocaust. It traces the origins and uses of the term “ghetto” in European discourse from the sixteenth century to the Nazi regime. It examines with a magnifying glass both the actual establishment of and the discourse of the Nazis and their allies on ghettos from 1939 to 1944. With conclusions that oppose all existing explanations and cursory examinations of the ghetto, the book impacts overall understanding of the anti-Jewish policies of Nazi Germany.

Genres: Holocaust

191 pages, Hardcover

First published January 31, 2011

Reviews

[Harrison Helms · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great example of revisionist work. Holocaust historians have typically understood the Jewish ghettos as one mechanism of the Final Solution, characterizing them as holding pens for European Jews en route to the concentration camps. Michman pushes back on this narrative. While the Final Solution was a directive given by top-level Nazi officials (including Hitler himself), the ghettos were the product of "on-the-ground" developments in Eastern Europe by mid-level bureaucrats. Thus, while unquestionably a part of the broader Nazi antisemitic agenda, they operated on a different plane from the Final Solution.

A bit tedious to read as Michman's analysis is occurring at a very granular level, but highly persuasive.