Predecessors to ŻIH include the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research established in Vilna in 1925. In 1929 YIVO established the Jewish Historical Commission in Warsaw. Emanuel Ringelblum was very active in its creation. The history of the famous Underground Archives of the Warsaw ghetto, which he organized with a group of trusted people, cannot be separated from our building. Late in 1944, some of the surviving members of the pre-war Historical Commission set up the Central Jewish Historical Commission, the direct predecessor of ŻIH.
In these traditions we find encouragement and inspiration for our work here.
Institute of Judaic Studies is founded (without permanent location)
Main Judaic Library and Institute of Judaic Studies are established in a new building designed by Edward Zacharias Eber (at present housing ZIH)
Germans close the Library and carry away its holdings
the Warsaw ghetto is ultimately sealed off (the Library Hall is within the ghetto)
the Library Hall houses both legal and illegal activities of ghetto inhabitants (including the Jewish Self-Help and Oneg Shabbat group under Emanuel Ringelblum)
German Jews are temporarily located at the Library Hall (now beyond the ghetto limits) on their way to death camps
Germans blow up the Great Synagogue at Tlomackie and set fire to the Library Hall
Central Jewish Historical Commission begins recording survivors' testimonies in Lublin
unearthing of the first part of Ringelblum Archives in the ruins of the Warsaw ghetto
Jewish Historical Institute takes over the renovated building of the Main Judaic Library, holdings, and duties of Central Jewish Historical Commission
Bleter far Geshichte, scholarly journal in Yiddish, is first published
unearthing of the 2nd part of the Ringelblum Archives
inaugural issue of Biuletyn Zydowskiego Instytutu Historycznego (Bulletin of JHI) is published
numerous prominent scholars leave Poland and their research at JHI
Yad Vashem Documentation Agency is established at JHI
Historical Monuments Documentation Dept. is set up at JHI
inaugural educational projects, revival of publishing activity
international academic seminar on the 50th anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising: Holocaust Fifty Years After
conference on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Jewish Historical Institute
ceremonial reopening of thoroughly renovated building of JHI
JHI owes its remodeling and refurbishment, rescue and conservation of its collections to the generosity of sponsors: state agencies, foundations and individuals. Special thanks are due to:
Conference for Jewish Material Claims against Germany (New York)
Stiftung für deutsch-polnische Zusammenarbeit
Holocaust Memorial Museum (Washington, D.C.)
Herman-Niermann-Stiftung (Dusseldorf)
Foundation for Polish Science
Ronald S. Lauder Foundation
Prof. Susanne Eichler-Miller (Bonn)
Jack Burton Weissman (New York)
American Society for Jewish Heritage in Poland
Over 250 Jewish organizations are officially active in Warsaw alone; there are hundreds of Jewish schools, libraries, trade unions; about 130 journals are published and 15 theatres perform all over Poland
Poland has c3.5 million Jewish citizens (10% of the entire population), with 350.000 living in Warsaw
Germany attacks Poland: outbreak of WW2
German attack upon USSR; Einsatzgruppen begin murdering Jews on a mass scale
the first death camp is set up by the Germans at Chelmno on Ner
plan for the "Endlösung of the Jewish Question" is finally formulated and agreed upon by Nazi Germany; it is to be accomplished in killing centers set up in succession
liquidation of the Warsaw ghetto: 300.000 inhabitants are deported to Treblinka killing center
Warsaw ghetto uprising and its ultimate end
Central Committee of Polish Jews is called into being by the Polish Committee of National Liberation
Jewish cultural and political life in Poland achieves some degree of diversity
German occupation of Warsaw is terminated by the Soviet army
Kielce pogrom followed in a few years by mass exodus of some 120.000 Jewish survivors from Poland
Establishment of the State of Israel, which was recognized by Poland and other socialist countries
Jewish organizations (including religious communities) are gradually suppressed by the communist regime; political parties are terminated; another wave of emigration follows
end of Stalinist era in Poland; anti-Jewish resentments resurface in Polish society, prompting some 20,000 Jews to emigrate
Six-Day War and its denouncement by communist states; diplomatic relations with Israel are broken off
student demonstrations against the regime are used by the Communist Party as an excuse for antisemitic press campaign and repressions; in its wake the last major group of several thousand Jews leaves Poland
emergence of illegal democratic opposition in Poland whose publicists set about filling in the blanks in Polish history, including Jewish-related topics; next decades would be marked by publishing boom of books on Jewish history and culture
mass "Solidarity" movement marks the beginning of the system's transformation to be successfully completed with the establishment of fully democratic rule in 1989
scholarly contacts with Israeli researchers and universities are restored
Faculty of Judaic Studies (formerly Center for the Study of Jewish History and Culture) is set up at the Yagellonian University in Krakow
chief rabbi is appointed in Poland (after 28 years vacancy on the post)
Mordechaj Anielewicz Center for the Study of Jewish History and Culture is set up at Warsaw University
diplomatic relations with Israel are restored
Polish-Jewish Relations Council is established by the President of Poland
Union of Jewish Religious Communities (with local agencies) is officially registered
Center for the Study of Jewish Culture and Languages is set up at Wroclaw University
by an Act of Parliament, the Union of Jewish Communities is granted legal autonomy and entitled to claims on the public property of prewar Jewish communities
Faculty of Jewish History and Culture is set up at Lublin Maria Sklodowska-Curie University
Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland is set up to direct funds from the restituiton of real estates of former Jewish comunities to preserve and maintain historical Jewish sites, icnluding cemeteries
Polish Centre for Holocaust Research is set up at the Philosophy and Sociology Dept. of Polish Academy of Sciences
Mojzesz Schorr (1874-1941)
Majer Samuel Balaban (1877-1943)
Icchak (Ignacy) Schiper (1884-1943)
Menachem (Edmund) Stein (1893-1942)
Abraham Weiss (1895-1970)
Emanuel Ringelblum (1900-1944)
Bernard Mark (1908-1966)
Artur Eisenbach (1906-1992)
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