Exile through words
Letters from Viennese Jews in Opole and the construction of identity
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12904016 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Talia Olshansky-Farkash (American Jewish University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-22 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-30 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Holocaust Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1750-4902 • E-ISSN: 2048-4887 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/17504902.2026.2629678 |
| OpenAlex | W7143339295 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 11 |
This article offers a microhistorical close reading of letters written by Viennese Jews deported to Opole Lubelskie in 1941. Focusing on correspondence from 1941 to early 1942, it examines how letters functioned as sites of identity work under conditions of displacement and threat. Drawing on trauma theory, psychological models of identity protection, and approaches to fragmented autobiography, the analysis shows how writers mobilized cultural hierarchy, moral framing, and everyday routines to stabilize a sense of self. Family correspondence emerges as a key arena for preserving authority, emotional bonds, and continuity. The article argues that survival appears here as a narrative and relational practice, sustaining dignity and agency amid extreme rupture.
Identity (music · The Holocaust · Central European Literary Studies · Central European national history · Historical Geopolitical and Social Dynamics
| Highly cited | No |
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