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The Fragility of Goodness
Why Bulgaria's Jews Survived the Holocaust
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by Tzvetan Todorov
Princeton University Press
Due/Published
May 2001, 224 pages,
cloth
ISBN
0691088322
With the exception of Denmark, Bulgaria was the only country allied with Nazi Germany that did not annihilate or turn over its Jewish population. Here, Todorov--a Frenchman with Bulgarian roots, accounts for this singularity. Todorov assembles and interprets for the first time key evidence from this episode of Bulgarian history, including letters, diaries, government reports, and memoirs--most never before translated into any language. Through these documents, he reconstructs what happened in Bulgaria during World War II and interrogates collective memories of that time. He recounts the actions of individuals and groups that, ultimately and collectively, spared Bulgaria's Jews the fate of most European Jews. The Bulgaria that emerges is not a heroic country dramatically different from those countries where Jews did perish. Todorov does find heroes, especially parliament deputy Dimitar Peshev, certain writers and clergy, and--most inspiring--public opinion. Yet he is forced to conclude that the "good" triumphed to the extent that it did because of a tenuous chain of events. Any break in that chain--one intellectual who didn't speak up as forcefully, a different composition in Orthodox Church leadership, a misstep by a particular politician, a less wily king--would have undone all of the other efforts with disastrous results for almost 50,000 people. The meaning Todorov settles on is this: Once evil is introduced into public view, it spreads easily, whereas goodness is temporary, difficult, rare, and fragile. And yet possible. |
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Review
How were Jews in Bulgaria, a country allied with Nazi Germany, not sent to concentration camps? Who was responsible for saving the Jews? These are the central questions Tzvetan Todorov explores in his brilliant and crucial analysis of Bulgarian actions during World War II. Todorov bases his work on an analysis of letters, diaries, memoirs and government documents, many of which have never been published in English and are included in this volume. Todorov stresses that the survival of Bulgarian Jews often resulted from individuals, particularly the king, acting in their own interests, and rested on a very tenuous chain of events. Thus, had individuals not spoken out a certain time, the outcome might have been very different. Todorov also points to the limits of Bulgaria’s protection of Jews: more specifically, he points to King Boris’s decision to deport over 10,000 Thracian and Macedonian Jews to concentration camps. (Macedonia and Thrace had come under Bulgarian control during the war). Furthermore, race laws passed in Bulgaria forced Jews to wear the yellow Star of David and placed other restrictions on them. However, many politicians, religious figures, and ordinary Bulgarians, through their vocal opposition and complex maneuvering, successfully prevented the deportation of 48,000 Bulgarian Jews. Todorov’s history and the documents included in The Fragility of Goodness is both a sobering and inspirational exploration of the capacity for human evil and goodness. He relates the story in a clear and intelligent fashion, offering an important and vital history. For other titles in related subjects: |
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