[Psychosocial effects of the Holocaust on Jewish survivors living in Poland]

A group of 26 holocaust survivors was interviewed. The aim of the project was to find answers to the following questions: 1) What are the differences between Jewish survivors of the holocaust and Polish ex-prisoners of concentration camps imprisoned for political reasons; 2) What are the differences between survivors in Poland and survivors described in western literature. Generally the interviewed survivors had similar PTSD symptoms to concentration camp prisoners and survivors described in western literature. They did not differ in their suspiciousness and the long period of maintaining silence about the holocaust and experiences connected with it. They did not differ in setting up families quickly, in wanting home and children, in creating their own world to feel safe and supported by the family. They did not differ in an excessively fearful, often overprotective attitude to their own children. Higher educational level and keeping not only holocaust but their origin secret are differences we have found. Differences. The research was conducted within the "Judaica" programme of the Department of History and Jewish Culture in Poland, the Jagiellonian University, Kraków, under the direction of Prof. Józef Gierowski.