Navigating Survival: Economic Exploitation and Everyday Local Practices in Occupied Transnistria (1941-1944)

• Applicant: Privatdozentin Dr. Svetlana Suveica
• Subject Area: Modern and Contemporary History
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 556324096

The research project explores localised survival practices in Transnistria under Romanian occupation from 1941 to 1944. The area, now southwestern Ukraine, was administered by the Nazi ally Romania but heavily influenced by the NS military presence. Transnistria was a significant Holocaust site and faced dual economic exploitation. I argue that the inhabitants had more opportunities to survive and navigate constraints in spaces where Romanian and Nazi economic interests overlapped. This study examines the social experiences of Jews and non-Jews in rural, urban, and border areas, analyzing how they adapted to economic changes and wartime restrictions. This approach offers an alternative to the collaboration-resistance narrative and enhances the understanding of the resilience and resourcefulness of the Ukrainian population during World War II, a topic with enduring relevance today.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants