Jewish "Reds": Radicals in Poland, 1918–1968 — A Collective Biography

If the cliché that "Jewish communists were no longer Jews" is false, then who were they? This lecture explores the lives and identities of Polish communists of Jewish origin who were born around 1918. This was a small but historically significant group that co-shaped post-war Poland. Though not dominant in the party hierarchy, members of this group played influential roles in political, intellectual, and social life. They contributed prominent academic figures such as Zygmunt Bauman, Bronisław Baczko, and Włodzimierz Brus, as well as individuals involved in the Stalinist security and judicial systems, including Józef Światło, Maria Gurowska, and Helena Wolińska.

Drawing on a wide range of archival and biographical sources, the lecture traces the group's trajectory from the interwar period and through World War II, when most of them spent time in the Soviet Union or in the communist underground in occupied Poland. It then moves on to post-war Stalinism and the 'Modest Stabilization' period of 1956–1966, before concluding with the events of March 1968. These historical moments shaped ethnic, cultural, and political identities, influencing social and political choices and affecting how the non-Jewish majority perceived the group. By examining this collective biography, the lecture challenges common stereotypes. It sheds light on the intricate relationship between personal identity and historical forces, offering new perspectives on twentieth-century Eastern European history.

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Dr. Katarzyna Kwiatkowska-Moskalewicz is a historian specializing in Eastern European history. She focuses particularly on the experiences of Jewish communists. She is affiliated with both the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Gabriel Narutowicz Institute of Political Thought. She is the author of Zabić smoka. Ukraińskie rewolucje [To Kill the Dragon: Ukrainian Revolutions; 2016] and Stygmat. Helena Wolińska i Włodzimierz Brus. Biografia [The Stigma, Helena Wolińska and Włodziierz Brus. Biography; 2026]. Her work has appeared in journals such as East European Politics and Societies, Rethinking History, and the Jewish History Quarterly. Dr. Kwiatkowska-Moskalewicz has received research grants and fellowships from the National Science Center in Poland, the Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews' Global Education Outreach Program, and other institutions. From 2023 to 2024, she was an NAWA Bekker Fellow in the Department of East European History at Heidelberg University.