Papers of BAS

Papers of BAS. Humanities and Social Sciences

Vol. 9, 2022, No. 2

Bulgaria’s policy on the “Jewish Question” during World War II

In the statement, 33 leading Bulgarian scholars examine the historical facts and draw the following main conclusions in regard to Bulgaria’s policy on the “Jewish Question” in the years of World War II:

• Anti-Semitic legislation was introduced and implemented in Bulgaria. This policy line was a consequence of the influence of the external factor, in this case Hitler’s Germany, which at that time dominated almost all of Europe and universally imposed racist and anti-Semitic ideology. Anti-Semitic measures were introduced in all countries under the direct or indirect control of the Reich, and Bulgaria was no exception in this regard. However, the Law for Protection of the Nation had one significant difference from the Nuremberg legislation - Bulgarian Jews were not deprived of their citizenship and were not to be expelled.
• The deportation of the Jews from Vardar Macedonia and Western Thrace was solely and entirely a German initiative. The Bulgarian authorities were involved in the preliminary stage of this action as a result of the conditions laid down as early as April 1941, under which Bulgaria assumed the administration of these territories belonging to the Reich. This assertion is confirmed by the judgments in the Eichmann, Beckerle, and Fritz von Hahn trials, which did not impute guilt to the Bulgarian Kingdom.
• The rescue of the Bulgarian Jews was a courageous act of opposition to the German policy of implementing the “Final Solution”. It came as a result of the interaction of representatives of state institutions, public organizations, individual groups, and persons. This synchronicity of action determined the lasting nature of Bulgaria’s refusal to send its Jews to the death camps.
• The almost unhindered transit that the Bulgarian state provided to Jews fleeing the Holocaust zone, including in the worst years - 1942-1944 - is eloquent proof that the government did not share the extreme anti-Semitic policy of the Third Reich.

Scholars supporting the statement:

Daniel Vatchkov - Institute for Historical Studies at Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS)

Peter Stoyanovich - Institute for Historical Studies at BAS

Rumyana Chukova - Institute for Historical Studies at BAS

Spas Tashev - Institute for Population and Human Studies at BAS

Veselin Yanchev - Faculty of History, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”

Svetoslav Zhivkov - Faculty of History, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”

Milko Palangurski - Faculty of History, St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo

Rumen Borisov - Archives State Agency

Silvia Avdala - Independent Historical Society

Georgi Bozduganov - Independent Historical Society

Naoum Kaytchev - Faculty of History, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”

Kiril Topalov - Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”

Dimitar Nedyalkov - G. S. Rakovski National Defence College

Vassil Nikolov - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

Boris Stoyanov - Faculty of History, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”

Slavi Slavov - Institute for Historical Studies at BAS

Plamen Pavlov - Faculty of History, St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo

Angel Dimitrov - Institute for Historical Studies at BAS

Snezhana Dimitrova - South-West University “Neofit Rilski” - Blagoevgrad

Konstantin Golev - Institute for Historical Studies at BAS

Rositsa Lelyova - Institute for Historical Studies at BAS

Aleka Strezova - Institute for Historical Studies at BAS

Atanas Zhdrebev - Institute for Historical Studies at BAS

Nikola Avreyski - Institute for Historical Studies at BAS

Boryana Goleva - Institute for Historical Studies at BAS

Christo Milkov - Institute for Historical Studies at BAS

Aleksandar Grebenarov - Institute for Historical Studies at BAS

Angel Zlatkov - Institute of Balkan Studies and Center of Thracology at BAS

Aleksandar Zlatanov - Institute for Historical Studies at BAS

Dimitar Tyulekov - South-West University “Neofit Rilski” - Blagoevgrad

Georgi Mandev - Bulgarian-Jewish Scientific Institute

Nikolay Tsekov - Institute for Population and Human Studies at BAS

Vili Lilkov, Sofia, Bulgaria