Bigras-Burrogano, Raphaelle (0025) Apocalyptic Identities and the Other in Nazi-Occupied Poland. Masters thesis, Concordia University.
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Abstract
The Apocalyptic identity binary was used by the Nazis to transform the identities of Germans and Jews into those of the Elect and the Apocalyptic Other. This was achieved through propaganda which was shaped by the Nazi apocalyptic worldview. The intent behind the construction of these identities being to elevate that of the Elect as the chosen ones and to otherize and dehumanize the Other with the eventual goal of destroying them.
This propaganda proved successful in a German context. In occupied Poland, their apocalyptic worldview and identity binary remained intact. However, it was complicated by the introduction of a third variant: Polish identity. The Nazis could not reconcile this identity with those of the Elect and the Apocalyptic Other. Consequently, the case study of Poland demonstrated the flaws inherent within Nazi rhetoric and its worldview.
Despite a lengthy and brutal occupation, the Poles were perceived as anti-Semitic and closer to perpetrators than to victims. This is partly due to Nazi propaganda. This view of Poles conflicted with their self-perceptions. Poles occupied multiple roles during and after the occupations: victims, collaborators, perpetrators. Due to their own suffering at the hand of the Nazis, Poles were unable to reconcile their victimhood with their perpetratorship. Consequently, Poles occupy a conflicting embodiment of identities. It is as a result of this that the Polish-Jewish relationships have suffered. In order to improve these relations, Polish suffering, as well as their allyship of Jews during the occupation, must be acknowledged. Concurrently to this, Poles must take accountability in their victimization of Jews.
| Divisions: | Concordia University > Faculty of Arts and Science > Religions and Cultures |
|---|---|
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
| Authors: | Bigras-Burrogano, Raphaelle |
| Institution: | Concordia University |
| Degree Name: | M.A. |
| Program: | Religion |
| Date: | 1 September 0025 |
| Thesis Supervisor(s): | DiTommaso, Lorenzo |
| Keywords: | genocide, identity, apocalypse, apocalypticism, Poland, Holocaust, |
| ID Code: | 995993 |
| Deposited By: | RAPHAELLE BIGRAS-BURROGANO |
| Deposited On: | 04 Nov 2025 17:43 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Nov 2025 17:43 |
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