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The Crimean Karaites in the Account of Wilhelm von Massow

Rafał Witkowski

rwitkows@amu.edu.pl
Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza, Wydział Historyczny (Poland)
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5994-3773


Abstract

Wilhelm von Massow, a German journalist and politician with conservative views, published his account of his travels through the southern regions of Russia and the Caucasus in 1902. His description is free of nationalistic and ethnic prejudices and focuses on showing the differences in living conditions and culture. This is also evident in the passage describing Crimea, where he met the Karaites. Such information, emphasizing the Karaites’ ties to the Khazars, as expressed by the German author, played an important role during World War II, when the ethnic origin of the Karaites was being considered and their fate was being decided.


Keywords:

Karaites, Crimea, Wilhelm von Massow, enthographic account

References

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Published
2025-12-30

Cited by

Witkowski, R. (2025). The Crimean Karaites in the Account of Wilhelm von Massow. Karaim Almanac, 14, 115–120. https://doi.org/10.33229/ak.1107

Authors

Rafał Witkowski 
rwitkows@amu.edu.pl
Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza, Wydział Historyczny Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5994-3773

Doktor habilitowany, absolwent Wydziału Historycznego (1991) i Wydziału Neofilologii (1994) Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu. Od 1991 roku zatrudniony w Zakładzie Źródłoznawstwa i Nauk Pomocniczych Historii Instytutu Historii Wydziału Historycznego UAM. Członek Komisji Historycznej Poznańskiego Towarzystwa Przyjaciół Nauk. W latach 1999–2000 wykładał na University of Notre Dame (Indiana, USA). Jest autorem ponad 250 publikacji naukowych; obecnie prorektor UAM.



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