ABSTRACT
This paper provides a summary of larger research which explores the most typical neighbourhoods inhabited by Jews in the prewar period. Several case studies reveal different levels of acculturation, different functions in terms of the dominant professions in a settlement, varied periods of Jewish presence, and sizes of the communities. Despite the fact that the multiplicity of factors influencing the physical settings through the everyday use of space may seem enormous, an in-depth analyses shows certain general patterns. While the meaning of certain elements did not change a great deal through the ages, new threads appeared, not only through acculturation and modernisation, but also as a consequence of factors such as the rapid growth of the Hasidic community or due to the influx of Russian Jews at the end of the 19th century.
