Pogromnik

Pogromnik is a Polish noun that designates a person who commits or instigates a pogrom—a violent, often mob-led attack on a civilian population, historically aimed at Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, though not exclusively so. In historical writing, the term describes perpetrators rather than victims.

The term is formed from pogrom (the act) plus the agent-noun suffix -nik, following a common Polish pattern for agent nouns. It is chiefly used in Polish-language historiography and ethnography. In contemporary Polish, the word is relatively rare outside scholarly discussion; everyday language more commonly uses phrases like sprawca pogromu (perpetrator of a pogrom).

Historically, pogroms occurred in the Russian Empire and neighboring lands during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with outbreaks in periods of political and social turmoil. A pogromnik, then, refers to individuals or organized groups responsible for such violence, often acting with collective intent and targeting ethnic or religious communities. The term is descriptive and carries strong negative connotations due to the violence and persecution involved.

In English-language scholarship, pogromnik is usually translated as pogromist or "perpetrator of a pogrom." The term reflects a historical phenomenon and is used primarily in historical or ethnographic contexts rather than contemporary discourse.