Artur Eisenbach
Encyclopedia
Artur Eisenbach was a Polish-Jewish historian, an expert on the history of Jews in Poland and the head of the Jewish Historical Institute
between 1966 and 1968.
He studied history at the Jagiellonian University
in Kraków
and then at the Warsaw University under Marceli Handelsman
.
He was married to the sister of fellow historian, and later chronicler, Emanuel Ringelblum
.
After the Nazi invasion of Poland on September 1, Artur along with his family escaped to Buczacz (now Buchach, Ukraine
), which was the home city of his wife. As a consequence of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Nazi-Soviet pact, on September 17 the Soviet Union
invaded Poland and Buczacz came under Soviet occupation. Along with 1,200,000 other Poles, Artur Eisenbach was deported by the Soviets to deep within the Soviet Union. His wife and daughter however stayed behind. After the Nazi attack on Soviet Union
, in July 1941, Buczacz was taken over by the Germans. Artur's wife and daughter subsequently were murdered by the Nazis.
Eisenbach returned to Poland from the Soviet Union in 1946 and settled in Warsaw. In the same year he became the chief archivist of the Jewish Historical Institute (JHI) in Warsaw.
He became the director of the JHI in 1966. In 1968, he was repressed by communist authorities of the People's Republic of Poland
during the 1968 Polish political crisis ("March days") and persecuted as part of the government's anti-semitic campaign. He was fired from his post as the director of JHI, however, by standing up for the institution, he managed to save its archives and collection from the destruction that was being considered by the authorities. Unlike many other Poles of Jewish background who left Poland after these events, Artur chose to remain in the country and continued his studies.
Artur Eisenbach worked as consultant on film Austeria
by Kawalerowicz in 1982.
He emigrated to Israel
towards the end of his life, in 1987, where he worked at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
and Yad Vashem
. He died in 1992.
Jewish Historical Institute
The Jewish Historical Institute is a research institute in Warsaw, Poland, primarily dealing with the history of Jews in Poland.The Jewish Historical Institute was created in 1947 as a continuation of the Central Jewish Historical Commission, founded in 1944. The Jewish Historical Institute...
between 1966 and 1968.
He studied history at the Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
and then at the Warsaw University under Marceli Handelsman
Marceli Handelsman
Marceli Handelsman was a Polish historian, a Warsaw University professor, medievalist, modern historian, and historical methodologist.-Life:Marceli Handelsman was born on 8 July 1882, in Warsaw, to a family of distant Jewish ancestry...
.
He was married to the sister of fellow historian, and later chronicler, Emanuel Ringelblum
Emanuel Ringelblum
Emanuel Ringelblum was a Polish-Jewish historian, politician and social worker, known for his Notes from the Warsaw Ghetto, Notes on the Refugees in Zbąszyn chronicling the deportation of Jews from the town of Zbąszyń, and the so-called Ringelblum's Archives of the Warsaw Ghetto.-Before the war:He...
.
After the Nazi invasion of Poland on September 1, Artur along with his family escaped to Buczacz (now Buchach, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
), which was the home city of his wife. As a consequence of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Nazi-Soviet pact, on September 17 the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
invaded Poland and Buczacz came under Soviet occupation. Along with 1,200,000 other Poles, Artur Eisenbach was deported by the Soviets to deep within the Soviet Union. His wife and daughter however stayed behind. After the Nazi attack on Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, in July 1941, Buczacz was taken over by the Germans. Artur's wife and daughter subsequently were murdered by the Nazis.
Eisenbach returned to Poland from the Soviet Union in 1946 and settled in Warsaw. In the same year he became the chief archivist of the Jewish Historical Institute (JHI) in Warsaw.
He became the director of the JHI in 1966. In 1968, he was repressed by communist authorities of the People's Republic of Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
during the 1968 Polish political crisis ("March days") and persecuted as part of the government's anti-semitic campaign. He was fired from his post as the director of JHI, however, by standing up for the institution, he managed to save its archives and collection from the destruction that was being considered by the authorities. Unlike many other Poles of Jewish background who left Poland after these events, Artur chose to remain in the country and continued his studies.
Artur Eisenbach worked as consultant on film Austeria
Austeria
Austeria is a Polish film directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz, released in 1983.Austeria takes place during the opening days of World War I, in the Austro-Hungarian province of Galicia. Tag is a Jewish innkeeper whose inn is located near the border with Russia...
by Kawalerowicz in 1982.
He emigrated to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
towards the end of his life, in 1987, where he worked at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
and Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament....
. He died in 1992.