Martyna Grądzka-Rejak's article examines the conversion of Jews during the Second World War, demonstrating that conversion became not only a religious act but also a strategy for survival in Nazi-occupied Poland.
The author analyzes the motivations of those seeking baptism, showing that some conversions resulted from marriages to Catholics, while others were attempts to escape the racial classification imposed by the German authorities. For many, conversion also provided an opportunity to obtain "Aryan" identity documents and survive outside the walls of the Kraków Ghetto and the Płaszów concentration camp.
The study is based on archival records from the Metropolitan Curia in Kraków, including applications for conversion submitted by Jews from the outbreak of the war until October 1942, when the German authorities prohibited the baptism of Jews under the threat of severe punishment. Despite this ban, conversions continued in secret, outside the official supervision of the Catholic Church.
The publication sheds new light on the complex experiences of Jews during the German occupation and on the role of the Catholic Church in these dramatic events.
Martyna Grądzka-Rejak's article is available for download as a PDF at the link below:
"For a Long Time I Have Lost All Contact with Jews and Jewishness"
