Pogrom
By Helena Wendelboe
What does Pogrom mean?
Pogrom is a Russian word meaning "to wreak havoc" or "to demolish violently". It is a term referring to the violent acts of anti-semitism particularly in Russia and Eastern Europe, usually during economic or otherwise societal low points. These events happen without police interference portraying the hidden or open support of the government.
The first event considered a Pogrom was the anti-Jewish riots in Odessa in 1821, although the term was not commonly used before 1881-1884 where anti-Jewish riots were prominent in Ukraine and southern Russia. The antisemitism in Germany during the rise of the Nazi party was very much related to this concept.
Media representing pogroms
Burning Synagogue, Kristallnacht 1938 nov. 10th
This picture symbolizes the pogrom in Germany, called The Night of Broken Glass, where riots left thousands of Jewish owned houses and businesses destroyed, synagogues burnt, and 91 dead.
Victims of pogrom in Russia 1905
This picture shows the atrocities that follow a pogrom. These victims are Jewish children who died during the pogroms of Russia in 1903-1906. This shows that antisemitism is not concealed to just Germany in World War 2, but was very prominent in all of Europe even long before.
The 1941 Pogrom in Lviv, Ukraine and Modern Antisemitism
This video explains how prominent the antisemitism was in not just Germany, but in much of Europe. This is a classic example of a pogrom and has relevance because it relates to how the people in Lviv feel today. Antisemitism is still a very real issue, despite the common misconception that it was something that just happened in Germany in World War 2.
Furthermore, this media is excellent because it is much easier to relate to modern scenarios, so it becomes very real when the interviewed people from Lviv talk about antisemitism.
Works cited:
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005183
Jewish Virtual Library: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/pogroms.html
The 1941 Pogrom in Lviv, Ukraine and Modern Antisemitism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-W5juYTW60