Estimating the scale of gastronomic services in Warsaw during the German Occupation 1939‑1944: a review of the evidence.

It is frequently asserted that gastronomic services (or the hospitality sector) in Warsaw during the Occupation was, paradoxically, larger than before 1^st September 1939. The evidence for this assertion, by known and highly respected authors, is argued here to be internally inconsistent even though their conclusions are largely the same. This paper comes to contrary conclusions, namely, that the scale of gastronomic services was smaller than before the war, though it was still surprisingly large, given the terrible conditions existing in the city. (Obviously, in either case, the evidence one draws upon can often be circumstantial and partial). The research draws on an analysis of telephone directories published in Poland from 1930 to 1945, some of which, but not all, are some of the sources used by the authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]