Bauman Zygmunt. Modernity and the Holocaust / translated from English by Kateryna Dysa. Kyiv: DUKH I LITERA, 2022. 344 p. (in the original Revisiting Modernity and the Holocaust: Heritage, Dilemmas, Extensions)
The book Modernity and the Holocaust by the renowned sociologist and philosopher Zygmunt Bauman occupies a special place among the numerous works on the tragedy of European Jewry.
The author consistently disproves the thesis that this genocide was a proof of the fragility of civilisation, and instead suggests that the Holocaust should be seen as evidence of its powerful potential. Zygmunt Bauman demonstrates that the roots of the genocide go back to the very nature of modernity, whose important features are nationalism, the construction of an artificial social order, rational bureaucratic management, etc. The author refuses to limit the study and understanding of the Holocaust to Jewish history, while offering an in-depth analysis of the aspects that have a "modern flavour" and make this genocide different from others. According to Zygmunt Bauman, "The Holocaust was a legitimate resident of the house called modernity".
Announcements
MoreLatest News
-
(No) Children’s Stories Exhibition in Odesa
Starting the year with a powerful event - from January 19 to 30, 2026, Odesa will host the exhibition (No) Children’s Stories for the first time.
[More] -
Bibliographic Database “Jewish Studies in Independent Ukraine”
The Ukrainian Association for Jewish Studies has begun work on a project to create a bibliographic database entitled Jewish Studies in Independent Ukraine. The project envisages the creation of a reference resource covering various types of academic publications, as well as dissertations and educational publications
[More] -
Happy New Year 2026 from the Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies!
2025 was a year of action and partnerships. With our team and partners, we made many meaningful initiatives possible.
[More] -
The Formation of Holocaust Scholarly Discourse in European Nations
On December 16, 2025, the State Institution Institute of World History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine held the International Scientific Conference The Formation of Holocaust Scholarly Discourse in European Nations.
[More] -
Research Team Meeting for the Project “One Stone - One Life: 80 Stumbling Stones for Kyiv”
On 13 December 2025, the first in‑person meeting of school research teams took place in Kyiv. These teams are currently studying the biographies for new Stumbling Stones. Five teams from Kyiv and one from Odesa - history teachers working together with their students - are each conducting their own research.
[More]





