Occupiers, Humanitarian Workers, and Polish Displaced Persons in British-Occupied Germany

— —

Samantha K. Knapton (University of Nottingham, UK)

Occupiers, Humanitarian Workers, and Polish Displaced Persons in British-Occupied Germany

Samantha K. Knapton (University of Nottingham, UK)

$59.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
22 August 2024

European history; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; Refugees & political asylum

Concepts of migration and displacement are all too often separated from ideas of international humanitarianism and occupations; and yet, between 1945 and 1951, victims of war became the joint responsibility of humanitarian workers and military officials in occupied Germany. In this innovative study, Samantha K. Knapton focuses on the lives of Polish displaced persons (DPs) – one of the largest groups in occupied Germany – to shine a spotlight on this interaction for the first time.

From the everyday experience of clothing, feeding and sheltering to governmental policies and military actions, Occupiers, Humanitarian Workers and the Polish Displaced Persons in British-Occupied Germany investigates the impact of occupation on post-war refugees and explores how the birth of state-driven international humanitarianism played a vital role in both the identity of the Polish people and the reconstruction of Germany. To do so, Knapton fuses together archival material and personal collections such as memoirs, letters and diaries to present an account which considers both the macro and micro issues of displacement, occupation and humanitarianism. The result is a sophisticated analysis of Anglo-Polish-German relations in post-war Europe which will be of immense value to all scholars of modern Europe, Polish history, and displacement studies more generally.

By: Samantha K. Knapton (University of Nottingham UK)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781526629289
ISBN 10: 1526629283
Pages: 264
Publication Date: 22 August 2024
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

List of Illustrations List of Tables Introduction 1. 'They say the British has the Ruins': The Post-War Situation in the British Zone of Occupied Germany 2. 'A Paradoxical People': Understanding Polish Displaced Persons 3. 'Little Poland' in Germany: Life in Polish Displaced Persons Camps 4. 'There are always two sides to everything': Encounters between the British Military, Humanitarian Workers and Displaced Persons 5. 'No special obligation... We did not take them to Germany': Repatriation and Resettlement of Polish Displaced persons 6. Idleness Bred Apathy: Displaced Persons Left in the Camps 7. From Displaced Persons to Homeless Foreigners: The 'Hard Core of DPs Left in Germany Conclusion Bibliography Index

Samantha K. Knapton is Assistant Professor in History at the University of Nottingham, UK. She is the co-editor, along with Katherine Rossy, of Relief and Rehabilitation for a Postwar World?: Humanitarian Intervention and the UNRRA (Bloomsbury Academic, 2023).

Reviews for Occupiers, Humanitarian Workers, and Polish Displaced Persons in British-Occupied Germany

This book provides an interesting insight into the interactions between Polish DPs in the British zone in Germany and the British occupying authorities and aid workers from UNRRA in the post-war period. Timely and important, there are parallels between that situation and what is happening now. * Myra Cross, Associate Lecturer at The Open University, UK * Knapton has produced a convincing and well-researched analysis of the difficulties faced by international organizations and the British Military Government in attempting to ameliorate the living conditions of DPs and the reasons behind their inability to resolve the situation. In doing so, she has exposed the sheer inefficacy as well as the extent of discriminatory attitudes that were prevalent within UNRRA and the Military Government, while bringing to the fore the significant contribution of some individual humanitarian workers in providing care and relief. -- Camilo Erlichman * German History *