ANTISEMITISM IN SERBIA IN THE TIME OF ARRIVAL OF JEWISH REFUGEES IN THE KINGDOM OF YUGOSLAVIA

Abstract

From the moment of Nazis arrival to the power in Germany in 1933, on the territory of Europe, the manifestation of anti-Semitism began increasingly stronger than during the twenties. As Nazi Germany become more politically influential on the international political scene, the manifestation of anti-Semitism in the neighboring countries start to growing and the number of restrictive measures against local Jews become more visible in Europe. In this respect, for the persecuted Jews from Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, almost, there was no choice, where they would be able to escape, because, the neighboring countries reduced the number of acceptable Jewish refugees. In a similar way the Jews were feted and in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The Kingdom has not cared much about the acceptance of refugees and they were left to the care of various Jewish organizations. Also, the state policy toward the Jewish refugees was guided by political reasons which were the part of idea that Yugoslavia has to be in friendly relations with its neighbors (Germany, Italy, Hungary). So, Kingdom followed restrictive policy against Jewish refugees and it was tailed with repressive measures against the local Jews. The difficult situation of refugees and the local Jews were further worsened by politicians and the local press who spread anti-Semitism and thus inflamed hatred toward Jews, which culminated in Yugoslavia during World War II.