In the aftermath of the Second World War, thousands of visa-less Holocaust survivors sought to flee the horrors of Nazi Europe by embarking on clandestine voyages to the British Mandate of Palestine, most often from Italian ports. In August 1946, the British government responded to such movements by establishing internment camps in Britain’s colonial territory of Cyprus. The erection of 12 distinct campsites in the villages of Caraolos and Xylotymbou collectively housed over 52,000 people and witnessed the births of over 2,000 children until the camps dissolution in February 1949.
The case of the Cyprus camps has largely remained on the periphery of academic scholarship, often confined to brief sections on the post-Holocaust period or national narratives of Israel and Cyprus. The presentation will explore the history of the camps and the rich thematic context it encapsulates, from illegal immigration and post-war relief to decolonisation and Anglo-American relations.
Speaker Biography: Eliana Hadjisavvas is a final year Ph.D candidate in Modern History at The University of Birmingham, under the supervision of Professor Gavin Schaffer. Her research, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), is centred on Jewish Displaced Persons in post-war Europe, with a specific focus on the Cypriot internment camps (194649). Since October 2015, she has been in residence as a fellow at the Library of Congress’ Kluge Centre in Washington DC.
London, SW1Y area (details with the venue location will be sent after registration)
RSVP by 16/1/2017: esavvidou@mfa.gov.cy
Reception to follow with Cyprus wines and delicacies.
