Towards the end of the 19th century, Yiddish, the mother tongue of the majority of Jews in Eastern Europe, ceased to be a mere "jargon" and became a full-fledged language of high culture and source of identity politics. Education played a vital role in this process, yet little is known about its development. Taking textbooks written between 1886 and 1964 for courses taught in Yiddish as guideposts, Evita Wiecki portrays the history of Yiddish education and culture in Poland. It is a history that, despite marked changes and the holocaust, displays significant continuities.

Dr. phil. Evita Wiecki ist Lektorin für Jiddisch an der LMU München, Abteilung für Jüdische Geschichte und Kultur.