Study Guides
BULGARIAN HISTORY IN 20TH CENTURY
An article provided by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on the history of Bulgaria during the Second World War.
An article from Britannica Online Encyclopedia on Bulgaria´s early communist era.
A history of the Yellow Badge, which Jews were forced to wear starting in 1938.
Historical footage of the deportation of Jews from Macedonia, which was occupied by Bulgaria during World War Two.
Leontina praises the Bulgarian multicultural society. After the Second World War, however, Bulgaria's Communist leaders often tried to deny the existence of minority groups by manipulating or suppressing census data or by forcibly assimilating "undesirable" groups. After the fall of the Communist regime in 1989, minoritiy communities could enjoy greater freedom of expression. To learn more, go to this website by the US Library of Congress and select "Ethnographic characteristics".
PREWAR
Until 1878, Bulgaria was part of the Ottoman Empire. Through its long history, the Empire controlled Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Egypt, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, as well as parts of Arabia and large amounts of the North African coast. Find a brief summary of Ottoman history here, or explore this site from the University of Michigan's Turkish Studies Department for more information.
As part of the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria fought with Germany and Italy in the First World War. Learn more about Bulgaria's involvement in the war here.
Between the wars, Bulgaria's political scene was turbulent, marked by coups, strikes, and takeovers. On the eve of the Second World War, Bulgaria was operating under a royal-military dictatorship led by Tsar Boris III.
JEWISH LIFE IN BULGARIA
Leontina grew up in Sofia. There have been Jewish communities in Sofia since Roman times, augmented over the centuries by Jews from Hungary, Bavaria, Spain, Germany, Russia, Romania, and Galicia. Find here a history of Jewish life in Sofia, or read this account from the Foundation for the Advancement of Sephardic Studies and Culture.
Much of Bulgaria's Jewish population are Sepharic, and before the 1940s Ladino was spoken widely.
Leontina participated in Hashomer Hatzair, one of the oldest Zionist youth goups in Europe. You can visit their website to learn more about their history, aims, and activities.
Leontina praises the Bulgaria's multicultural society. However after the Second World War, Bulgaria's communist leaders often tried to deny the existence of minority groups by manipulating or suppressing census data or by forcibly assimilating groups they labelled "undesirable". After the fall of the communist regime in 1989, minoritiy communities could enjoy greater freedom of expression. Flip through the PDF of this book to learn abour the suppression of minorities under Bulgarian communism (available in chapter titled "Ethnographic Characteristics").
The Joint Distribution Committee operated in Bulgaria today, assisting Jews living in poverty. Read more about their work in Bulgaria here.
WWII
Bulgaria was part of the Axis Alliance during the Second World War, during which time it occupied areas of Greek Thrace, Macedonia, and Serbia. Learn more about Bulgaria's involvement in the war here. This page contains a summary of the Axis Alliance powers, detailing their participation in the war and overviews of their surrenders.
After 1940, Jews in Bulgaria were made to wear yellow-star badges, part of the descriminatory measures imposed in countries with anti-Semitic legislation during the war.
Unlike other Axis countries, Bulgaria's Jewish population was persecuted, but not deported to killing centres. This has a lot to do with Dimitar Peshev, who was able to prevent deportations from Bulgaria, but not Bulgarian-occupied territories. Learn about his efforts here.
Leontina's father was sent to a forced labour camp. Explore Centropa's collection of photographs of Bulgarian forced labour.
Anti-Semitic activity in Bulgarian-occupied territories was brutal. Most of Macedonia's Jewish population was deported and killed. View footage of Macedonian Jews boarding trains that would take them to Treblinka concentration camp in Poland here.