The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. Poland … See more

After the childless death of Sigismund II Augustus, the last king of the Jagiellon dynasty, nobles (szlachta) gathered at Warsaw in 1573 and signed a document in which … See more

In 1742 most of Silesia was lost to Prussia. Further disorder and anarchy reigned supreme in Poland during the second half of the 18th century, from the accession to the throne of its last … See more

Polish Jews and the struggle for Poland's independence
While most Polish Jews were neutral to the idea of a Polish … See more

Early history: 966–1385
The first Jews to visit Polish territory were traders, while permanent settlement began during the See more

The culture and intellectual output of the Jewish community in Poland had a profound impact on Judaism as a whole. Some Jewish historians have recounted that the word … See more

Official Russian policy would eventually prove to be substantially harsher to the Jews than that under independent Polish rule. The lands that … See more