Introduction

Although often overlooked, anti-Polish sentiment was central to Nazi ideology. At the outset of World War II, Hitler initiated a process of depolonization (Entpolonisierung) which resulted in the death or displacement of a significant number of Polish people living in Nazi-occupied territories.

Study Focus

By examining policies of indirect extermination through a detailed study of Szmalcowka, a displacement camp located in Toruń in Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia, Tomasz Ceran explores the terrible consequences of Nazi ideology. He provides both an in-depth historical account of a little-known camp and an important analysis of Nazi practices and policy-making in the Polish territories which were annexed.

Significance

A strong addition to World War II literature, Ceran's book is essential reading for scholars and students interested in World War II, Polish history, Nazi ideology, and the nature of violence and resilience.