Topolcany pogrom
Encyclopedia
Topoľčany pogrom was an anti-Jewish riot (pogrom
) in Topoľčany
, Czechoslovakia
on 24 September 1945 during which 48 people were injured.
, of which 550 survived the Holocaust and returned to the town after the war ended. Anti-semitism was widespread at that time due to both Slovak state official policy and also the strong economic position of Jews, which contrasted with a lack of basic commodities among the majority population.
According to the protocol of county police boss Zidor, rumors began to spread in the town two days before the pogrom that Jews are about to overtake a local church school. The school was run by Catholic nuns at that time. Also, there were rumors that Jews had already created a separate classroom for Jewish children, in which they desecrated a crucifix. Further, according to rumors, the Jews were said to had overtaken a school in the nearby village of Bojná
, run by Catholic monks. Local women wanted to protest against the rumored actions, but local authorities refused them. A pack of people, mostly women, then entered the school. Coincidentally, a Jewish doctor was at the time vaccinating children against smallpox in one of the school's classrooms. Some of the vaccinated children cried, which gave base for a new rumor to spread among the angry crowd: a Jewish doctor poisons Slovak children! People then attacked and beat the doctor. As new rumors spread to the streets, many more Jews were beaten both in the streets and in their homes. Jewish property was plundered in the process.
Pogrom
A pogrom is a form of violent riot, a mob attack directed against a minority group, and characterized by killings and destruction of their homes and properties, businesses, and religious centres...
) in Topoľčany
Topolcany
Topoľčany .The name Topoľčany was assumed to be derived from topoľ, Slovak for poplar tree. Groves of these trees were once abundant on the banks of the Nitra River...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
on 24 September 1945 during which 48 people were injured.
Details
There were about 3,200 Jews living in Topoľčany before World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, of which 550 survived the Holocaust and returned to the town after the war ended. Anti-semitism was widespread at that time due to both Slovak state official policy and also the strong economic position of Jews, which contrasted with a lack of basic commodities among the majority population.
According to the protocol of county police boss Zidor, rumors began to spread in the town two days before the pogrom that Jews are about to overtake a local church school. The school was run by Catholic nuns at that time. Also, there were rumors that Jews had already created a separate classroom for Jewish children, in which they desecrated a crucifix. Further, according to rumors, the Jews were said to had overtaken a school in the nearby village of Bojná
Bojná
Bojná is a municipality in the Topoľčany District of the Nitra Region, Slovakia. The village has a population of about 2,000 people. The main landmark is Catholic Church of All Saints built in 1787...
, run by Catholic monks. Local women wanted to protest against the rumored actions, but local authorities refused them. A pack of people, mostly women, then entered the school. Coincidentally, a Jewish doctor was at the time vaccinating children against smallpox in one of the school's classrooms. Some of the vaccinated children cried, which gave base for a new rumor to spread among the angry crowd: a Jewish doctor poisons Slovak children! People then attacked and beat the doctor. As new rumors spread to the streets, many more Jews were beaten both in the streets and in their homes. Jewish property was plundered in the process.