Rescue of the Bulgarian Jews

The Rescue of Bulgarian Jews was a historical event that consisted of the planned rescue of about 50,000 Jews living on Bulgarian soil in the period 1943-1945. The most notable people behind the rescue were Dimitar Peshev and Metropolitan Stefan of Bulgaria, who both managed to overcome Bulgaria's pro-Nazi bureaucracy and convince the then-tsar Boris III to stand behind Bulgarian jewry.[1] The deportations, set to take place after the arrival of the Holocaust trains on March 10, 1943, were never carried out.

Historical Background

The Bulgarian government under tsar Boris III acted, to a large extent, as a puppet to Nazi Germany. The rise of Hitler saw an increasingly radicalised Bulgaria, as it eventually adopted German antisemite and zionist policies. Bulgaria's alliance with Germany at the onset of World War II placed the former into a position of obedience and conformity. In addition, the Bulgarian government was overridden with politicians that held pro- fascist and anti- democratic sentiments Such was the case of Prime Minister Bogdan Filov, who, on October 8, 1940, marginalised the country's Jewry by passing the Law for the Protection of the Nation( Zakon za Zashtita na Naciyata), which restricted the rights and activities of Jews.[2] Another crucial figure in the antisemite movement in Bulgaria was Alexander Belev, who was responsible for the expulsion of over 20,000 Jews from Thrace and Macedonia to Treblinka extermination camp. He signed a secret agreement with Germany that aimed to achieve an efficient and unpublicised deportation of Jews from the said regions. This occurred on 26 and 28 March 1943 when all but about a dozen of the Jews were executed in Treblinka.[3] The government was divided on the Jewish issue as pro- Nazi officials and those who valued collective security more, but compromised integrity, were in favour of antisemite restrictions and laws, while the Orthodox Church, backed by progressive politicians and intellectuals, were opposed to the ongoing dehumanisation of Jews. Nevertheless, the prevalent public opinion conflicted the stance carried forward by the government. This led to internal political and social tensions that further segregated people.[4][5] In January 1942, the Final Solution was announced at the Wannsee Conference. This was immediately followed by the establishment of a number of extermination camps designed to assist the orchestration of Operation Reinhard. Shortly thereafter, in June 1942, a Commissariat for the Jewish problem was found and headed by Prime Minister Alexander Belev. The Commissariat took swift action in their purpose of satisfying the aims of the Nazis and ordered the expulsion of over 20,000 Jews from the Bulgarian- controlled territories of Thrace and Macedonia to extermination camps across Nazi- occupied Europe. The order was given in February and the deportations were carried out the following month. This event was the result of continuous build up of anti- Jewish sentiment among the elite and the lack of in- depth comprehension among citizens regarding the complexity of the issue. The beginning of anti- Jewish policies in Bulgaria could be traced back to 1939, but the escalation of those into a nation- wide phenomenon was greatly contributed to by Alexander Belev and his Law for Protection of the Nation in 1940. The passing of the law into Parliament in January 1941 paved the way for the first deportations to take place in November of the same year. Building dissent was eminent as Bulgarians grew increasingly emphatic and the Bulgarian government was being challenged by various politicians, artists and religious leaders. Tsar Boris III was to be dissuaded, albeit not without fierce and prolonged debate, to withdraw his decision to send Bulgarian Jews across the border. The anti- Nazi effort was headed by Dimitar Peshev, Metropolitans Neophyte and Stefan.[6]

The Rescue

When referring to the rescue of Bulgarian Jews, it is important to be considered that the prospect of imminent death was altered by those who were responsible for its occurrence in the first place. Bulgarian politicians, including Dimitar Peshev, were originally in favour of anti- Jewish legislation and only opposed the requests for deportations when those requests were aimed at Bulgarian Jews. The Jews of Macedonia and Thrace were not given any protection whatsoever from the Bulgarian government. Alexander Belev, who was responsible for the Jewish problem in the said region at the time, met little resistance when he sent Jews that lived in Bulgarian- administered Thrace and Macedonia to Treblinka. His actions were never scrutinised or morally questioned until he turned to Bulgarian Jewry, for he could not meet the 20,000- person quota without including Bulgarian Jews. This, along with Tsar Boris III' s inaction and apparent lack of empathy toward Bulgarian Jewry, sparked an intense national outcry. Protests were held throughout the country, with both citizens and religious leaders threatening to block the path of Holocaust trains by laying on rails.Under immense pressure, Boris III was dissuaded from continuing with the deportations and instead assigned Jews to forced labor groups throughout the country, assuring Adolf Eichmann and Hitler himself that Bulgaria needed Jews for railroad construction and other industrial work that would otherwise be hindered.[7]

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ "The Rescue of Bulgarian Jewry". aishcom. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  2. ↑ ""The Rescue of Bulgaria's Jews in World War II, by Rossen Vassilev."". Newpol.org. 2010. Web. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  3. ↑ ""The Fate of the Bulgarian Jews" p. 18 by Webb, Chris, and Boris Skopijet.". Holocaustresearchproject.org. "The German Occupation of Europe" HEART, 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  4. ↑ ""The Rescue of Bulgaria's Jews in World War II, by Rossen Vassilev."". Newpol.org. 2010. Web. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  5. ↑ "Berenbaum, Michael. "How Are We to Understand the Role of Bulgaria."9 Apr. 2012" (PDF). Past.bghelsinki.org. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  6. ↑ "Himka, John, and Joanna Michlic. "Debating the Fate of Bulgarian Jews During World War II." Bringing the Dark past to Light: The Reception of the Holocaust in Postcommunist Europe." (PDF). nebraskapress.unl.edu Board of Regents of the U of Nebraska, 2013. Print, p. 118. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  7. ↑ Himka, John, and Joanna Michlic. "Debating the Fate of Bulgarian Jews During World War II." Bringing the Dark past to Light: The Reception of the Holocaust in Postcommunist Europe. Board of Regents of the U of Nebraska, 2013. Print, p. 120- 125
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