Dear Walter,
Jan Mokrzycki (xuegxaw@CSV.WARWICK.AC.UK)
Thu, 6 Feb 1997 13:51:30 GMT
Thank you for your kind, thoughtfull and well informed
letter. Everything you say about Poland and Germany is
absolutly true, which makes it so much more meaningfull
that at long last BUTH our countries are behaving in a
civilised and friendly manner. May long it continue as
I think the Polish/German situation has always in the
past been the one likely to lead to yet another
conflict in Europe. At long last both countries
politicians seem to have come to their senses.
On the Jewish question in Poland again you are right,
what I wrote was a partial oversimplification.Yes, Jews
were wecomed in Poland more than anywhere in Europe and
yes again there has never been any real persecution.
But, yes again, a limit on university places for Jews
was place in Poland at one time. It was an attempt to
create a Polish middleclass in a country which up till
then was largely agrarian. It was done in the wrong way
and at least partly backfired. On the name changes I am
not so sure, there is always a sort of pressure on an
emigree community to change their names, largely coming
from within themselves. My son was asked by the dean at
his university if he would change his name. When he
replied, under no circumstances, the dean stood up,
shook his hand and congratulated him! Many of the name
changes within the Jewish community were forced upon
them by the Russians when they occupied the eastern
part of Poland before the 1st W.W. Unfortunately there
was antisemitism in Poland, just as there is in the UK
and USA etc., it is ugly, unnecessary, and I think
often caused by jelousy.
Best regards,
Jan Mokrzycki.