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Aaron Kosminski: what Wikipedia removed

Aaron Kosminski was a Polish Jewish immigrant to London named as one of the prime suspects in the Jack the Ripper murders. Through 2010 the opening noted that Kosminski was possibly the victim of antisemitism or confused with another Polish Jew of the same age. The word does not appear anywhere in the article today. A reader today does not learn that Wikipedia’s own opening once floated antisemitism as a possible reason he was named a suspect.

The word “antisemitism” appeared 1 times in this article’s opening at its peak, in 2010. Today it appears nowhere in the article at all, references included. Checked against the full current article on 2026-08-01.

The tracked words, snapshot by snapshot

Section titled “The tracked words, snapshot by snapshot”
word20052010201520206 October 20232025
antisemitism010000

Counts are of the opening paragraph only, the part most readers, search engines and AI training sets ever quote.

What was taken out

Section titled “What was taken out”
  • The birth-name detail was reworded, not lost.
  • The emigration and occupation detail was reworded, not lost.
  • The specific date of his institutionalization is gone from the opening.
  • The description of contemporary police suspects was reworded, not lost.
  • The identification claim was reworded, not lost.
  • The sentence floating antisemitism as a possible reason he was named a suspect is gone from the opening.

How it opened then, and now

Section titled “How it opened then, and now”

2005 (revision 17089995):

Redirect to: List of proposed Jack the Ripper suspects

2025 (revision 1294237221):

Polish barber and Jack the Ripper suspect Whitechapel murders Canonical five Annie Chapman Catherine Eddowes Mary Jane Kelly Mary Ann Nichols Elizabeth Stride Speculated Emma Elizabeth Smith Martha Tabram Thames Torso Murders Whitehall Mystery Locations Buck’s Row Dorset Street Flower and Dean Street Hanbury Street Mitre Square Ten Bells Letters and clues “Dear Boss” letter “Saucy Jacky” postcard “From Hell” letter Openshaw letter Goulston Street graffito Investigators Frederick Abberline Robert Anderson Walter Andrews Thomas Arnold Walter Dew George Godley Melville Macnaghten Henry Moore Edmund Reid Donald Swanson Charles Warren Adolphus Williamson Whitechapel Vigilance Committee George Lus…

Section titled “Related”

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