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Examines how Polish textbooks attempted to create or strengthen national consciousness among young people. Also examines the textbooks' treatment of national and religious minorities who made up over 30% of Poland's population.
How interwar Poland and its Jewish youth were instrumental in shaping the ideology of right-wing Zionism By the late 1930s, as many as fifty thousand Polish Jews belonged to Betar, a youth movement known for its support of Vladimir Jabotinsky, the founder of right-wing Zionism. Poland was not only home to Jabotinsky’s largest following. The country also served as an inspiration and incubator for the development of right-wing Zionist ideas. Jabotinsky’s Children draws on a wealth of rare archival material to uncover how the young people in Betar were instrumental in shaping right-wing Zionist attitudes about the roles that authoritarianism and military force could play in the quest to build and maintain a Jewish state. Recovering the voices of ordinary Betar members through their letters, diaries, and autobiographies, Jabotinsky’s Children paints a vivid portrait of young Polish Jews and their turbulent lives on the eve of the Holocaust. Rather than define Jabotinsky as a firebrand fascist or steadfast democrat, the book instead reveals how he deliberately delivered multiple and contradictory messages to his young followers, leaving it to them to interpret him as they saw fit. Tracing Betar’s surprising relationship with interwar Poland’s authoritarian government, Jabotinsky’s Children overturns popular misconceptions about Polish-Jewish relations between the two world wars and captures the fervent efforts of Poland’s Jewish youth to determine, on their own terms, who they were, where they belonged, and what their future held in store. Shedding critical light on a vital yet neglected chapter in the history of Zionism, Jabotinsky’s Children provides invaluable perspective on the origins of right-wing Zionist beliefs and their enduring allure in Israel today.
During two decades encompassing three epochal events - the collapse of European communism in 1989, NATO membership in 1999, and accession to the European Union in 2004 - the legal system of Poland has emerged with remarkable maturity and stability. In an exemplary blend of its democratic heritage from the era between the World Wars, proven effective legislation from the communist era, and the vibrant 1997 Constitution, Polish law dramatically reflects new social, economic and political realities. With eleven lucid chapters written by fifteen academic experts from the Warsaw University School of Law and Administration, each in his or her respective field of law, this deeply informed but succinct and practical volume is the ideal starting point for research whenever a question of Polish law arises. The authors clearly explain the legal concepts, customs and rules surrounding such essential elements as the following:principles and practices of constitutional law;administrative law and procedure;civil procedure;courts and special judicial bodies;judicial review;enforcement of foreign judgments;family, succession and inheritance matters;formation and conduct of corporations and partnerships;contract formation, interpretation and termination; environmental protection;harmonizing Polish economic law with EU standards; competition law and regulatory framework of market processes; special regulation of energy, telecommunications and financial markets; copyrights, patents, utility models and industrial designs; licence agreements;the labour relationship and types of employment contracts; andcriminal law and procedure. Each chapter includes its own detailed bibliography. English-speaking legal practitioners and academics have here an ideal introduction to the basic institutions, principles and rules of Polish law. Encompassing all the major fields of legal practice, Introduction to Polish Law provides an essential understanding of the Polish legal system, so that users can become familiar with law and legal processes in Poland and pursue further research on specific Polish legal matters. Practitioners will find it of great value for both counselling and courtroom use.
Jacek Kurczewski synthesizes empirical evidence and theoretical analysis of the transition to democracy and the rule of law to demonstrate the resurrection of rights in Poland. He raises the question of whether the Polish experience was unique, or if it was merely a manifestation of the common problems affecting most Eastern European societies in the last quarter of the twentieth century. From a detailed analysis of day-to-day rule-making to the study of internal democracy within Solidarity, the author makes a compelling case for the role of deep-rooted social values and the rise of a middle class in bringing about the transformation of Polish society.
