SOCIAL MOBILITY OF THE INTERWAR JEWISH MEDICAL ELITE DURING THE HOLOCAUST

The paper analyses the social mobility of members of the interwar Jewish medical elite during the Holocaust, using the example of physicians in the town of Prešov. The aim is to confirm or refute the premise that members of the former medical elite were in a better position and had a higher chance of surviving the Holocaust. This premise is based on the assertion that, due to a shortage of qualified specialists in the Slovak state, the regime granted a wide range of exceptions, including for physicians. In this context, the research aims to analyse the extent of downward vertical social mobility within the societal structure and the changes in social status between 1938/1939 and 1945. The research seeks to answer the following questions: To what extent was the privileged position of members of the interwar medical elite maintained within the Jewish community after the introduction of anti-Semitic policies in Slovakia? What was the rate of decline within the social structure? Did belonging to the former medical elite increase one’s chances of surviving the Holocaust? And what were the main factors influencing survival? Answering these and related questions could shed more light on the social background of the Holocaust and the mechanisms of societal transformation associated with the rise of the authoritarian regime and Hlinka’s Slovak People’s Party.