Anti-Semitic threads in “Kurier Łódzki” in the Interwar period

Abstract

“Kurier Łódzki”, boasting a rich publishing tradition, was one of the most important daily newspapers in the Interwar period. Thanks to, among others, “Kurier’s” owner, Jan Stypułkowski and his activities, Łódź soon stopped being regarded as a mere provincial publishing centre. Spreading over the country, Łódź's daily papers won a readership in many regions of Poland. Stypułkowski's publications, including “Kurier Łódzki”, the paramount title, exerted a significant influence on the development of press in Łódź. Stypułkowski's daily newspaper consistently followed its editorial policy, as the newspaper evolved. Nonetheless, “Kurier” continued to present the national and Catholic values. Its attitude towards national minorities, especially to the Jewish one, was unequivocal. The anti-Semitic rhetoric was the most pronounced in the first years of the Second Polish Republic. Although it was gradually becoming more substantive and factual, it could hardly be defined as objective.