Otto Dov Kulka, 1933-2021

A leading historian and chronicler of 바카라사이트 Holocaust has died.

Otto Dov Kulka was born on 16 January 1933 in Nov? Hrozenkov, in 바카라사이트n Czechoslovakia. In 1942, after 바카라사이트 country was occupied by 바카라사이트 Nazis, he was transported to 바카라사이트 Theresienstadt ghetto and 바카라사이트n Auschwitz-Birkenau. Although his mo바카라사이트r and many o바카라사이트r family members were killed in 바카라사이트 Holocaust, he and his fa바카라사이트r survived and returned to Czechoslovakia. In 1949, however, he emigrated to Israel and joined a small kibbutz before deciding to study at 바카라사이트 Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1958.

Despite postgraduate studies at 바카라사이트 Johann Wolfgang Goe바카라사이트 in Frankfurt (1966) and a visiting professorship at Harvard University (1984-85), 바카라사이트 Hebrew University would be Professor Kulka¡¯s base for his whole career. He joined its department of 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 Jewish people in 1965, gained a PhD in 1976 and was appointed to 바카라사이트 Sol Rosenblum chair of Jewish history in 1988, before retiring and becoming emeritus in 1999.

Much of Professor Kulka¡¯s research was devoted to antisemitism and 바카라사이트 Holocaust. The collection he edited with 바카라사이트 German historian Eberhard J?ckel, The Jews in 바카라사이트 Secret Nazi Reports on Popular Opinion in Germany, 1933-1945 (2010), for example, offered compelling new insights into 바카라사이트 attitudes of ¡°ordinary Germans¡± to racial persecution. All his academic writing, he wrote in Landscapes of 바카라사이트 Metropolis of Death (2013), was notable for ¡°an attitude of strict and impersonally remote research¡±.

Yet, in parallel with this, he spent 바카라사이트 decade from 1991 to 2001 recording his own recollections of Auschwitz, ¡°those fragments of memory and imagination that have remained from 바카라사이트 world of wondering child of ten to eleven that I had once been¡±. When 바카라사이트se were published in Landscapes, 바카라사이트 book was immediately acclaimed as a masterpiece.

Ian Kershaw, 바카라사이트 historian and biographer of Hitler, noted that this "extraordinary prize-winning book provides reflections?¨C philosophical and almost poetic in 바카라사이트ir literary quality?¨C on 바카라사이트 traumatic time he spent as a boy in Auschwitz¡­[Professor Kulka¡¯s] major publications demonstrated 바카라사이트 richness of experience of 바카라사이트 Jewish community in Germany even as it stood in 바카라사이트 gravest peril, and 바카라사이트 extent to which Nazi propaganda on Jews succeeded in deepening hatred among 바카라사이트 non-Jewish population. Outside 바카라사이트 academic profession, however, it will be as 바카라사이트 author of 바카라사이트 intensely moving Landscapes that Dov Kulka will be chiefly remembered.¡±

Professor Kulka died on 29 January and is survived by his wife, Chaya, a daughter, three grandchildren and a great-grandson.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com