Between 1942 and 1945, Jewish inmates of a forced labour camp and later Auschwitz subcamp at Blechhammer (Blachownia Slaska, Upper Silesia) worked alongside British prisoners of war on the construction site of a giant synthetic fuel facility, the Oberschlesische Hydrierwerke. This paper examines the multifaceted forms of interaction between these two groups, who were situated at the opposite ends of a spectrum ranging from high survival rates to certain death. By reframing the Jewish inmates’ perceptions of the POWs, it seeks to shed new light on a controversial debate on the nature of the relationship between them and the British prisoners. The paper argues that important aspects have been missing from this debate, as the Jewish inmates were not sufficiently represented and not viewed as active protagonists. The relations between Jews and British POWs were not one-sided, but rather interdependent in complex ways. Both groups used these contacts to gain strategic information on the war and jointly contributed to the Allied resistance effort. The barter with British POWs played a crucial role in the collective and individual survival strategies of Jewish inmates, whereas the British increasingly depended on the Jewish inmates to procure basic foods, when German rations ceased to be allocated. An analysis of the effects of British aid-giving showed that the actual impact on the physical survival of the emaciated inmates was negligible. However, these gifts were commonly interpreted as humanitarian gestures by both sides. Altogether, the British were encouraging symbols of resistance against the Nazi regime in the eyes of the inmates. Negative experiences were rarely corroborated and were often linked to poor English language skills, or a stronger identification with other nationalities.

中文翻译：

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“救世主”、“商业伙伴”还是“势利小人”？纳粹布莱赫哈默集中营（上西里西亚）中的犹太囚犯如何看待英国战俘并与之互动


1942 年至 1945 年间，布莱赫哈默 (Blachownia Slaska，上西里西亚省) 强迫劳动营和后来的奥斯威辛集中营的犹太囚犯与英国战俘一起在巨型合成燃料设施 Oberschlesische Hydrierwerke 的建筑工地上工作。本文探讨了这两个群体之间多方面的互动形式，这两个群体处于从高生存率到一定死亡的范围的两端。通过重塑犹太囚犯对战俘的看法，它试图为有关他们与英国囚犯之间关系性质的争议性辩论提供新的线索。该论文认为，这场辩论遗漏了重要的方面，因为犹太囚犯没有得到充分的代表，也没有被视为积极的主角。犹太人和英国战俘之间的关系不是片面的，而是以复杂的方式相互依存。两个组织都利用这些联系来获取有关战争的战略信息，并共同为盟军的抵抗努力做出了贡献。与英国战俘的易货贸易在犹太囚犯的集体和个人生存策略中发挥了至关重要的作用，而当德国停止分配口粮时，英国人越来越依赖犹太囚犯来获取基本食物。对英国援助效果的分析表明，对瘦弱囚犯身体生存的实际影响可以忽略不计。然而，这些礼物通常被双方解读为人道主义姿态。总而言之，在囚犯眼中，英国人是鼓励反抗纳粹政权的象征。 负面经历很少得到证实，并且通常与英语语言能力差或对其他国籍的强烈认同有关。