Selected text
I remember very well the period of the Law for the Protection of the Nation and the effect it had in Ruse. Here, especially, the Jewish community has always had good relationships with the Bulgarians. But I should underline that before the Law for the Protection of the Nation and at the beginning of World War II several particularly aggressive fascist organizations were set up in our town. They were called Brannik [11], Ratnik [12], Legionnaires [Bulgarian Legions] [13] and Otets Paisii [14]. They were youth organizations after the model of the German ‘Hitlerjugend’ [Hitler Youth] [15], that is – the first youth organizations with anti-Semitic character here.
I remember that the members of Brannik, Ratnik, Legionnaires and Otets Paisii often used to march in the streets of Ruse as if in a threatening demonstration. They promised death to Jews, their slogans were: ‘Death to Jews’ or ‘Jews out of Bulgaria.’ They would also beat young Jewish people and write anti-Semitic slogans on the houses’ walls, such as ‘Long Live Hitler,’ ‘Death to All Jews’, and they would circulate provocative leaflets and so on and so on. Their goal was to raise anti-Semitic feelings in Bulgarian society. That proved eventually that anti-Semitism in Bulgaria was imported, it had no true origins in this society, since it was imitative.
Reactions of the Bulgarian society then were quite normal. Bulgarians did not pay attention to these fascistic young people. The official authorities behaved differently, though. I think that is why a total of 460 Jews was unfairly convicted and imprisoned between 1940 and 1941. Responsibility for these unfair sentences lies on King Boris III [16], who was known to be an ally of Hitler during this period. Of course the Bulgarian government then is also to be held responsible.
I remember that the members of Brannik, Ratnik, Legionnaires and Otets Paisii often used to march in the streets of Ruse as if in a threatening demonstration. They promised death to Jews, their slogans were: ‘Death to Jews’ or ‘Jews out of Bulgaria.’ They would also beat young Jewish people and write anti-Semitic slogans on the houses’ walls, such as ‘Long Live Hitler,’ ‘Death to All Jews’, and they would circulate provocative leaflets and so on and so on. Their goal was to raise anti-Semitic feelings in Bulgarian society. That proved eventually that anti-Semitism in Bulgaria was imported, it had no true origins in this society, since it was imitative.
Reactions of the Bulgarian society then were quite normal. Bulgarians did not pay attention to these fascistic young people. The official authorities behaved differently, though. I think that is why a total of 460 Jews was unfairly convicted and imprisoned between 1940 and 1941. Responsibility for these unfair sentences lies on King Boris III [16], who was known to be an ally of Hitler during this period. Of course the Bulgarian government then is also to be held responsible.
Period
Location
Ruse
Bulgaria
Interview
Bela Ishakh