the Center for Civic Engagement and the Programs in Historical Studies, Russian and Eurasian Studies, and Jewish Studies Presents

The Concept of Pogrom: A Problematic History

The concept of pogroms permanently changed the fate of Europe, not only when acts of violence took place, but also afterwards when they were contemplated, processed, and painfully relived in survivors’ memories. Today “pogrom” has become a part of a vocabulary describing violence, but also an emblem of bitter, devastating defeat. The political and ideological disputes that the word has caused from the beginning of the 20th century until today, especially in the context of Jewish history, are an important part of building social sensitivity in different parts of the world. Where did the term come from? How has its meaning changed? What accounts for its popularity? And why is it problematic when used in academic discourse? These are questions that should be asked not only by academic historians but by all who struggle to find the language to rationally describe the world around us.

Artur Markowski is a historian at the University of Warsaw and he is currently affiliated with Georgetown University. His scholarship addresses the social history of the Russian Empire, Jewish history, and the history of violence. An author of several monographs in Polish, he will be presenting from his book Anti-Jewish Violence and Social Imagery: The Bialystok Pogrom of 1906, which will be released in English in 2025.

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For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].

Time: 5:30 pm EST/GMT-5

Location: Olin Humanities, Room 202

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