Original scientific paper
A Tribute to the Demography of the Jewish Community in Opatija
Sanja Simper
; Gimnazija Eugena Kumičića, Opatija, Hrvatska
Abstract
Based on the relevant historical literature and archival sources, particular demographic features of the Liburnian Jewish community, with the seat of the religious community in Opatija (Comunità ebraica di Abbazia), are identified here. The target period is between the forming of the community at the end of the 19th century and the preparations for the implementation of the fascistic race-based list of foreign and Italian Jews in the early August days of 1938; thereby, in the Kingdom of Italy, the foundations for the anti-Semitic “Rules for the Protection of the Italian Race” to be implemented were set. In the 1930s, among the Italian religious communities, the community in Opatija belonged – in the absolute sense – to the smallest ones, whilst its population density in Opatija considerably exceeded not only the national average, but also the average of the towns and cities with the oldest and most numerous Jewish communities. The data presented may serve as the starting point for the valuation of the demographic and the social-economic structure, as well as the effects of the fascistic and Nazi anti-Semitic persecution (1938-1945), due to which the local Jewish religious community had seized to operate, not to be renewed during the post-war period. The research may furthermore contribute to the identification of various internal dynamics aspects relating to the development of the modern Jewish community and its influence on the social community as a whole.
Keywords
demography of the Jews; anti-Semitism; fascism; 19th century; 20th century; Abbazia / Opatija; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
55527
URI
Publication date:
10.6.2010.
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