Oppidum Judaeorum. Jews in the urban space of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

"Oppidum Judaeorum: Jews in the Urban Space of the Former Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania" follows the legacy set by earlier works like "Heaven’s Gates: Wooden Synagogues in the Former Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania" and "Heaven’s Gates: Masonry Synagogues of Poland and Lithuania," published in 2015 and 2017. This is the enhanced and expanded second edition of a volume originally issued in 2004 by the same authors. It is a part of a series exploring the over 800-year history of Jewish communities, covering Jewish settlement, synagogue architecture, and art from the era of the Piast monarchy through the Jagiellon kingdom, the Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania, and up to the Second World War's onset. This book examines the role Jews played in the social and urban structures of cities within the former Commonwealth from their first appearances until the Holocaust.The original edition, written in Polish, was part of The Cultural Heritage of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth series. It was made possible through the support of distinguished Polish historians such as Professors Józef Tomaszewski, Jerzy Gierowski, Jerzy Kłoczowski, and Maria Bogucka. The series was edited and published by the late historian Janusz Krupski.Since the first edition's publication 15 years ago, interest in the history of Jewish life in Central-Eastern European towns has grown significantly. Researchers from Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine, the United States, and Israel have unearthed much new information. The second edition caters to an international audience by being available in both Polish and English. While the number and selection of towns remain largely unchanged, the organization previously based on typology is now alphabetical. The second edition also offers enriched illustrative content and includes narratives detailing the experiences of Jewish communities during World War II.