In the summer and fall of 1998; ultranationalist Polish Catholics erected hundreds of crosses outside Auschwitz; setting off a fierce debate that pitted Catholics and Jews against one another. While this controversy had ramifications that extended well beyond Poland’s borders; Geneviève Zubrzycki sees it as a particularly crucial moment in the development of post-Communist Poland’s statehood and its changing relationship to Catholicism.In The Crosses of Auschwitz; Zubrzycki skillfully demonstrates how this episode crystallized latent social conflicts regarding the significance of Catholicism in defining “Polishness†and the role of anti-Semitism in the construction of a new Polish identity. Since the fall of Communism; the binding that has held Polish identity and Catholicism together has begun to erode; creating unease among ultranationalists. Within their construction of Polish identity also exists pride in the Polish people’s long history of suffering. For the ultranationalists; then; the crosses at Auschwitz were not only symbols of their ethno-Catholic vision; but also an attempt to lay claim to what they perceived was a Jewish monopoly over martyrdom.This gripping account of the emotional and aesthetic aspects of the scene of the crosses at Auschwitz offers profound insights into what Polishness is today and what it may become.
#556144 in Books C Sarah Soh 2009-02-15 2009-02-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.00 x 6.00l; 1.12 #File Name: 0226767779384 pagesThe Comfort Women Sexual Violence and Postcolonial Memory in Korea and Japan
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A must-read above all others on the subjectBy FreeTradeToolAfter rereading the book recently; I have renewed respect for Professor Soh – she has taken a very courageous step to reject the ‘master narrative’ of the comfort women issue by providing so much on the historical background of Korea as well as revealing information on many of the comfort women survivors; facts that are conveniently left out by activists of the redress movement. It is no wonder that Chong Dae Hyup; the main organization that promotes the movement in South Korea; no longer wants to do anything with Professor Soh; but her name not being on the list of academics supporting the 2015 Open Letter in Support of Historians in Japan; an attempt to pressure Japan to further acknowledge and once again account for the ‘past wrongs;’ really speaks volumes.More than anyone in American academia; she fully understands the complexity of the issue as demonstrated in her extensive research; and she is undoubtedly the most qualified to discuss the matter objectively; having received education in Japanese; Korean; and English. Moreover; she is currently a resident and scholar in the United States; making her independent of any activist groups from overseas; which allows her to speak freely without compromising academic integrity. While I personally do not support transnational feminism which is what the professor identifies herself with; this book must be thoroughly studied in order to partake in any reasonable discussion on the issue of Imperial Japan’s Comfort Women system. A solid 4.5 stars for the depth of the research and the overall objectivity that is maintained throughout the book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Necessary; complementary read for this subjectBy muensterThis book provides a much-needed alternate angle of the comfort women experiences. Because the era and the situation was so tragic; most accounts are written in a narrative that everything was terrible; all of these women hated every aspect of their miserable lives; and that is the only way to interpret this time in history. C. Sarah Soh comes in and offers to tell the largely ignored accounts of the women that had neutral or even positive things to say about things that happened to them. She is not glorifying anything that happened at this time; just offering the testimonies that do not fit into the popular narrative. The events of this period are still tragic; and I support the survivors' seeking closure by way of an official apology; but I appreciate being able to see more sides of the situation to get a fuller picture.Only fours stars because sometimes the writing got awkward; like when she would unnecessarily provide the Korean pronunciation for a random word. Some made sense because they were thematic and appeared often throughout the book; but others seemed to just be there as a reminder that you are reading about people in another country who spoke another language.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Critical Reading on the issueBy T. LeeFantastic work viewing the comfort women issue in light of gender issues. Well-researched and footnoted; and yet written in a very accessible way that's an easy read.
