Not Yugoslav Enough: The Position of Resident Jews in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia on the Eve of World War II

Abstract

The article analyzes the position of Jews without citizenship in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1918 to World War II. It examines the European context of statelessness, Yugoslav citizenship laws, and bureaucratic practices, focusing on the tension between proclaimed universalism and practical exclusivity. Special attention is given to the 1928 Citizenship Law, residence permit systems, and the policy of “forced collective internment.”

The case studies of Andrija Roman and Samuel Reiss reveal how individuals and families, despite decades of residence, education, and integration, remained without legal protection. Their experiences highlight the limits of Yugoslav universalism and the intersection of bureaucratic nationalism and antisemitism.

In comparison with European states such as Poland and Romania, Yugoslavia shared restrictive practices but stood out for the contradiction between supranational ideology and selective exclusion. Stateless Jews thus serve as a paradigmatic example of excluded groups in interwar Yugoslavia, shedding light on broader European mechanisms of exclusion before the Holocaust.