The Destruction of Jewish Libraries and Archives in Cracow during World War II

The liquidation of Jewish libraries and archives in Cracow was carried out through the organized looting and confiscation of selected collections as well as the plunder and destruction of school, private, and synagogue libraries. It was also done through the appropriation of some Jewish collections by the Staatsbibliothek Krakau and the removal and destruction of books in Polish by banned Jewish authors from any operating bookstores and libraries in Cracow and in the General Government. The essay examines the loss of various collections, especially school libraries and the Ezra Library, and efforts to save selected collections during the war.