I ghetti di Hitler : voci da una società sotto assedio, 1939-1944

Reconstructs the experience of life in the ghettos of Eastern Europe, based on testimonies from memoirs and diaries. Focuses on social aspects, especially the activities of the Jewish Councils and of resistance groups. Asserts that the specificity of the ghetto as a social organization was due to the fact that, although it was imposed by the Nazis, the Jews had a certain degree of freedom to deal with the difficult conditions confronting them. Moral values were tested in cases of life or death; responses to the circumstances were ambivalent, ranging from extreme cases of corruption and egotism to extreme cases of solidarity and sacrifice. Includes bibliographical references and index. 526 pages : illustrations, maps ; 22 cm.