Lemberg, Lwów, L'viv, 1914-1947

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Known as Lemberg in German and Lwów in Polish, the city of L'viv in modern Ukraine was a focal point of imperial and national ambitions throughout the twentieth century. This narrative explores how its diverse inhabitants—Roman Catholic Poles, Greek Catholic Ukrainians, and Jews—responded to the significant political upheavals during and after the World Wars. The Eastern Front's shifting dynamics resulted in the city changing hands seven times, with each transition bringing new governance and heightened tensions among the groups. Prior to 1914, violence was rare, but the political changes during World War I escalated intergroup frictions and led to shocking violence, especially against Jews. The city's incorporation into the Polish Republic in 1918, following a brief Ukrainian rule, intensified conflict, with Ukrainians facing discrimination and repression, prompting nationalist attacks on the Polish state. The 1930s saw a sharp rise in anti-Semitism. World War II brought further turmoil, with the city under Soviet rule, then Nazi occupation, resulting in the near-total extermination of its Jewish population. By war's end, Soviet forces expelled the Polish residents. Drawing on extensive archival research and contemporary sources, this work examines the inhabitants' reactions to the shifting political landscape and how ethnic and national ideologies influenced their interactions. An earlier German version was published as Kri