German Jews in the Era of the “Final Solution” : Essays on Jewish and Universal History

These essays, written in the course of half a century of research and thought on German and Jewish history, deal with the uniqueness of a phenomenon in its historical and philosophical context. Applying the "classical" empirical tools to this unprecedented historical chapter, Kulka strives to incorporate it into the continuum of Jewish and universal history. At the same time he endeavors to fathom the meaning of the ideologically motivated mass murder and incalculable suffering. The author presents a multifaceted, integrative history, encompassing the German society, its attitudes toward the Jews and toward the anti-Jewish policy of the Nazi regime; as well as the Jewish society, its self-perception and its leadership.

“Otto Dov Kulka’s work stands unique in Holocaust historiography: it combines the objective analytical precision of the historian with reflection of his own experiences as a survivor of Theresienstadt and Auschwitz. His studies are indispensable for an understanding of the Holocaust in the context of German, Jewish and European history and doubtless rank among the most impressive research works in this field.”
Ulrich Herbert, Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, author of “A History of 20th Century Germany”

“It is a highly impressive volume, and I’m delighted that it is published. The different sections are excellently thought-out, and the whole volume is brilliantly conceived and structured.”
Sir Ian Kershaw, Professor Emeritus, University of Sheffield, author of “To Hell and Back. Europe 1914-1949” and “The Global Age. Europe. 1950-2017”