Regeneration: Jewish Life in Poland

The Elizabeth C. and Peter Tower Gallery at Daemen College will host the American premier of the photography exhibit, Re-generation. Jewish Life in Poland featuring photos of Chuck Fishman. An opening reception for the exhibit will be held on September 12th from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m at the gallery located in the Haberman Gacioch Arts Center at Daemen College (4380 Main Street, Amherst NY).  The exhibit will be on display from September 12 - October 11, 2019.  Regular gallery hours are 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The exhibit and events surrounding it are free and open to the public

The extensive exhibit documents the rebirth of Jewish life in Poland, featuring photos which span over 40 years beginning in 1975. It provides one of the most comprehensive records of European Jewry of the last 50 years and the enormous impact the 1989 rise of the Third Polish Republic had on the revival of Jewish communities and the revival of the consciousness of history among the wider community in Poland. Once home to the largest Jewish community in  Europe, Germany’s 1939 invasion and Hitler’s Final Solution virtually obliterated the Jewish community and the rich Jewish culture Poland once knew.  Journalist Ruth Ellen Gruber notes that Mr. Fishman set out in the 1970s and 80s to capture the “final chapter” of this storied 1000 year history and has joyfully failed as he is “now chronicling an expanding, multi-faceted and ever-unfolding story - and long may he do so!” 

RELATED EVENTS

A preview documentary, Bogdan’s Journey, about one man’s effort toward healing the wounds of the 1946 Kielce Pogrom, will be shown on Monday, September 9th at 7:00 p.m. at the Maxine and Robert Seller Theater located in the Jewish Community Center, Benderson Family Building, 2640 North Forest Road in Getzville.  

On Friday, September 13th at 1:00 p.m. Daemen’s Wick Alumni Lounge will be the site of a panel discussion with guest panelists Jakub Nowakowski, Executive Director of the Galicia Jewish Museum in Krakow who coordinated the exhibit’s visit to the United States; Dr. Sean Martin, the Associate Curator for Jewish History at Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland; and award-winning Buffalo journalist Rich Kellman, who reported on developments in Poland in the 1970s and 1980s.  A screening of the documentary, A Town Called Brzostek, about the restoration of the Jewish Cemetery there, will also be shown during the panel event.  

An additional documentary, The Return, about being young and Jewish in Poland today, will be screened on Tuesday, September 17th at 7:00 p.m. at the Research and Information Commons (RIC) 120 on the Daemen Campus. The exhibition gallery will be open on September 17^th until 7:00 pm.

This project is co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland as a part of the “Public Diplomacy 2019” program and is made possible by the Galicia Jewish Museum, and sponsorships from the Visual and Performing Arts Department, the Center for Polish Studies and the History & Political Science Department at Daemen College, the Permanent Chair of Polish Culture at Canisius College, the Buffalo Jewish Community Relations Council, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo, and the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo.

Symposium on 100th Anniversary of Polish Independence -- Saturday, September 22

Prof. Andrew Wise Delivers Public Lecture at Kosciuszko Foundation in Washington, D.C.

L-R: Tomasz Pudlocki, Magdalena Baczewska, Janusz Romanski, and Andrew Wise

Polish Cultural Institute and Kosciuszko Foundation,"Between Music and Diplomacy: The Founding Fathers of WWI American-Polish Rapprochement" -- Washington, DC, 2 February 2018

The year 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the rebirth of the Polish state, and the Center for Polish Studies at Daemen College and its affiliated faculty are actively engaging students and community partners in Buffalo, the US, and Poland in commemorating this event of worldwide significance.

En route to Poland to teach at Jagiellonian University for the spring semester, Prof. Andrew Kier Wise (Professor of History and Chair, Polish Studies Center) joined Prof. dr. hab. Tomasz Pudlocki (Professor of History, Jagiellonian University)  and Dr. Magdalena Baczewska (Director of Music Performance Program, Columbia University) for an evening of programming at the Kosciuszko Foundation in Washington, DC. Prof. Pudlocki is the coordinator in Poland for Daemen's study abroad program, which brings Daemen students to Poland during the summer session. He also was a Fulbright Scholar in Residence at Daemen College in fall 2015.

Entitled "Between Music and Diplomacy: The Founding Fathers of WWI American-Polish Rapprochement," the event featured lectures by Prof. Pudlocki and Prof. Wise and a piano performance by Dr. Baczewska. Prof. Pudlocki provided a cogent and in-depth analysis of the historical events surrounding American-Polish collaboration during World War I.  Prof. Wise focused on the activities in the US and Europe of Buffalo Health Commissioner Dr. Francis Fronczak, who was a close friend of Ignacy Paderewski and a member of the Polish National Committee. An accomplished concert pianist and recording artist, Dr. Baczewska performed on the piano and also provided scholarly commentary about the Paderewski pieces that she selected.

Co-sponsored by the Polish Cultural Institute (New York) and the Kosciuszko Foundation (Washington, DC Center), the event was well-attended by community members, scholars, and representatives from the Polish Embassy. Please click here for one review in the Polish-American press:  https://www.kurierplus.com/2018/02/5365/miedzy-muzyka-i-dyplomacja/. The photo below includes event organizers Magdalena Mazurek (Polish Cultural Institute New York), Barbara Bernhardt (Kosciuszko Foundation, Washington, DC Center), and Anna Domanska (Polish Cultural Institute New York).

L-R: Magdalena Mazurek, Barbara Bernhardt, Prof. Pudlocki, Magdalena Baczewska, Andrew Wise, and Anna Domanska 

History & Politics Speaker Series: Dr. Erica Lehrer on "Jewish Poland Revisited: Heritage Tourism in Unquiet Places"

Faculty of the History and Political Science Department cordially invite you to the next lecture in the History & Politics Speaker Series

Prof. Erica Lehrer

Jewish Poland Revisited: Heritage Tourism in Unquiet Places

Monday, 26 October 2015

7:00 pm

Wick Alumni Lounge

Generously funded and sponsored by Collegiate Village

Jewish heritage revival in Poland is a phenomenon that has attracted a great deal of attention and provoked many controversies. American cultural anthropologist Erica Lehrer ventures into this territory, both fascinating and fraught with tension, giving a fresh glimpse into the backstage of the Jewish heritage industry.

Dr. Erica Lehrer

Prof. Erica Lehrer is a socio-cultural anthropologist and curator. She is currently Associate Professor in the departments of History and Sociology-Anthropology and Canada Research Chair in Museum & Heritage Studies at Concordia University, Montreal. She is the author (among other publications) of Jewish Poland Revisited: Heritage Tourism in Unquiet Places (Indiana University Press, 2013), and editor (with Michael Meng) of Jewish Space in Contemporary Poland (2015). In 2013 she curated the exhibit “Souvenir, Talisman, Toy” at the Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum in Krakow, and in 2014 published the accompanying book Lucky Jews and the online exhibit www.luckyjews.com.

Interview with Professor Robert Blobaum, Eberly Family Professor at West Virginia University

Professor Robert Blobaum, Eberly Family Professor at West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV), discussed World War I, Buffalo, and the practical side of history in an interview with Tomasz Pudłocki (Assistant Professor of History, Jagiellonian University; Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence at Daemen College).

 

Prof. Robert Blobaum



Tomasz Pudłocki:  Not long ago, you participated in a conference on World War I (Death of Empires) at Daemen College in Amherst, NY. As the keynote speaker, you delivered a presentation on Warsaw during the Great War. How were you able to place events in Warsaw within the broader context of “the death of empires?” What can we say about life in this city during WWI? 

Robert Blobaum:  It was Warsaw’s fate to bear witness to the collapse of two of them during the First World War—that of the Russian Empire, which for Warsaw effectively occurred in August 1915 when the Russians were forced to evacuate the city, never to return, and then that of the Second German Reich whose forces occupied the city following the Russian withdrawal, only themselves to depart in the fall of 1918. One is tempted to add a third empire to this mix, the Austro-Hungarian, but its presence in the city was essentially a diplomatic one of ever dwindling influence. In many ways, life in Warsaw during the war was similar to that in imperial capitals such as Vienna, Berlin and St. Petersburg, particularly in regard to the experience of food supply, quality and distribution. In other ways, however, it was significantly different, for example, in the high level of unemployment and massive out-migration, voluntary and involuntary, of much of its working-age male population. 

T. P.:  You are well-known for your works on the Polish lands before 1914. Why did you decide to study World War I? Was it because of the centenary or is it a part of your broader interest? 

R.B.:  In part, it was a natural progression for me, after my earlier studies of the Kingdom of Poland and Warsaw before the First World War. I had planned to move on to the First World War somewhat earlier but another project, the organization and editing of a collaborative volume on antisemitism in modern Poland, intervened in the meantime. The centenary only came into play once I was finally able to begin my research on Warsaw during the war in 2008.  

T.P.:  You have studied Poland and Polish history for many years, and you have authored many books and articles. You have won many awards for your innovative approaches to issues in Polish history. Could you tell us how you became interested in Polish history? 

R.B.:  My original interest was actually focused on imperial and revolutionary Russia. The role of Poland and Poles in that history, however, had led me westward by the time I began my doctoral studies, eventually to my dissertation on Feliks Dzierżyński and then later to the Revolution of 1905 in the Kingdom of Poland. 

T.P.:  Is it easy to speak to an American audience about Polish affairs? Many Americans have trouble locating Poland on a map, not to mention the difficulties of pronouncing Polish names. Does this affect the popularity of your research? 

R.B.: Americans have difficulty with names in any other language other than English. Only a minority are able to pronounce my German surname properly. Once, however, Americans realize that they cannot hope to understand European history and affairs, particularly in the modern era, without knowledge of Poland at its epicenter, it’s a much easier sell. One can make the argument that Poland is as relevant as France and Great Britain, if not more so, to modern European history, but to do that it is necessary to demonstrate that Polish history is not and never has been peripheral. Given Poland’s location on the map of Europe, how could it be? 

T.P.:  Do you have any advice for students who are interested in Central and Eastern Europe? To what areas of research would you turn their attention? 

R.B.:  My first piece of advice is to familiarize themselves with one or more languages of the region. For example, to do Polish history justice, one should know at least four languages in addition to English: Polish, of course, but also Russian, German and Yiddish, not to mention Ukrainian, Belorusian, and Lithuanian. While I have some kind of proficiency in three of these of languages, I regret to this day that Yiddish is not among them. As for areas of research, the field is wide open. For example, when I have been asked to compare the experience of the Great War in Warsaw with that of other Polish cities, I can do so only in the most general terms because that work hasn’t been done in any systematic way for places like Kraków, Lwów, Poznań, Łódź, etc. Even for the Second World War, until the recent appearance of Joshua Zimmerman’s book on the Polish underground and the Jews this year, no serious scholarly monograph has gone beyond stereotypes to treat that controversial topic in a dispassionate and impartial way. In any event, there is much to do in practically every area of Central and East European history.   

T.P.:  And what about the nationality/ethnicity of the researcher? In your opinion, is it a factor that helps or hinders his/her research? Or does it matter? 

R.B.:  It shouldn’t matter but it has in the past, especially in dealing with issues of interethnic relations. One’s ethnicity can be beneficial, in adding nuance and insight about group thinking. Or it can be harmful, a source of bias and stereotypes. Often, one’s ethnicity is held against or in favor of the researcher, without any basis in the quality of research itself. For example, I have often been assumed to be Jewish because of my surname, which then has been said to disqualify me from making pronouncements on the history of Polish-Jewish relations. On the other hand, my actual status as a third-generation American of German descent for some has presumably endowed me with impartiality in dealing with such issues.  

T.P.:  Do you believe that universities and colleges in Buffalo, such as Daemen College, are good places to study Central and Eastern Europe? 

R.B.:  Definitely. First, because Buffalo and other cities on the Great Lakes and in the upper Midwest were major destinations of the Central and East European immigrants, so there is a natural audience of those looking to understand their roots beyond mere genealogy. Secondly, colleges like Daemen have recruited faculty, people like Professor Andrew Wise, who are skilled researchers and program builders. The “Death of Empires” conference is a testimony to such efforts, as was the amazing Nikifor exhibit at Daemen, organized by Professor Wise.  

Prof. Robert Blobaum and Dr. Andrew Wise

Dr. Wise, Prof. Blobaum, and Dr. Tomasz Pudlocki

T.P.:  In Poland, students often ask about the viability of degrees in the humanities. Are there jobs in the USA for persons interested in studying the history of Central or Eastern Europe? 

R.B.: There are jobs, but not necessarily in the academy or in teaching.  The private business sector in the United States, for example, hires more holders of Humanities degrees than one might imagine because it values research skills on the one hand, and communication skills necessary to relay information derived from research on the other. Often, private businesses have found that graduates of business schools and engineering programs don’t possess these important skills. My advice to students interested in the Humanities is to follow their passion, but combine that passion with at least some academic coursework and training in another discipline.  

T.P.:  I have the impression that the anniversaries connected with World War I (the Great War) are of greater interest to Europeans than Americans. There seem to be many more commemorations in Europe than in the USA. Why is this the case? 

R.B.:  The main reason is that the United States entered the war relatively late, officially in April 1917, but not until a year later did Americans appear in the trenches of the western front. The Great War was not nearly as traumatic for Americans as it was for Europeans. This is more important than the fact that none of the war was fought on American soil, which could also be said of the Second World War, but it is far more commemorated. Of course, how and to what extent the Great War is commemorated in Europe varies significantly from country to country as well. 

T.P.:  In conclusion, I would like to ask you about your forthcoming plans. The presentation at the “Death of Empires” conference at Daemen College is part of a larger book project. Could you share some thoughts about any other research projects? 

R.B.:  First, I need  to see my book on Warsaw during the Great War through to publication. That will take a year of revisions, editing, securing permissions for photographs and other images, indexing, etc.  Academic book publishing in the U.S. is a long process, even after a contract is signed. I also need to see through some smaller projects that have been accepted for publication—one on Polish-Jewish relations in Warsaw during the Great War, another on the role and limitations of "ego-documents” (personal correspondence, diaries, accounts, testimonies, memoirs) in conducting research on everyday life during wartime. Beyond that, we need to remember that Warsaw remained a city at war after the Great War, only now as the capital city of an independent Poland. While the Polish-Soviet war has been fairly well researched, we know little about its impact on living conditions in Warsaw, particularly as it became a frontline city in that conflict. Finally, I have been approached about co-organizing and editing a collaborative volume devoted to research on the social and cultural history of Central and East European cities during the Great War, cities which have yet to be examined and certainly not in any comparative way. I have already mentioned Polish cities like Poznań, Kraków, Łódź and Lwów, but cities like Budapest, Prague, Belgrade, Bratislava, and Vilnius—the list could go on—would also be included.

T.P.: Thank you very much.

Daemen Students Arrive in Poland

Four Daemen students arrived in Krakow on June 30 to take part in the second year of Daemen College's study abroad program in Poland, which is housed in the Department of History & Political Science.  Students will spend one week in Krakow, one week in Warsaw, and two weeks in Przemysl.

While in Krakow, students attended lectures at the Institute of History. Pictured below are Dr. hab. Slawomir Sprawski (Director of the Institute of History, Jagiellonian University), Elaina Murray, Leigh Alexander, Daniella Milanese, Heather Williams, Dr. Andrew Kier Wise (Chair, Department of History & Political Science; Director of the Polish Studies Program, Daemen College), and Dr. Tomasz Pudlocki (Institute of History, Jagiellonian University).



Lectures by faculty at Jagiellonian University were organized by Dr. Tomasz Pudlocki (pictured below with Daemen students in a classroom at Jagiellonian). The focus of the program once again is "Multicultural Poland," with a special focus on inter-cultural relations in Galicia during the period of the two world wars.



Daniella, Heather, Leigh, Dr. Pudlocki, and Elaina

The program incorporates visits to historic sites and museums into the curriculum. For example, students toured Collegium Maius (below), the oldest part of Jagiellonian University.



Dr. Pudlocki and students touring Collegium Maius


Students also toured Wawel Castle and Wawel Cathedral, even climbing the steep stairway to reach the bell tower (below).



L-R: Elaina, Daniella, and Leigh

And the view from Wawel overlooking the Vistula River was spectacular (below).



L-R: Elaina, Heather, Daniella, and Leigh

There was still free time to enjoy the charms of Krakow's Old Town. Below, students enjoy a ride in a horse-drawn carriage around Market Square en route to Wawel.



L-R: Leigh, Daniella, and Elaina



Heather

Students Reflect on Experiences in Poland

This week the Am-Pol Eagle published an article about the experiences of Daemen students in Poland. The article features interviews with Dr. Andrew Wise (Associate Professor of History), Kaleigh Ratliff (History & Government, 2013), and Caitlyn Ebert (History, 2014). You can read it here: http://ampoleagle.com/home-from-przemysl-daemen-br-group-reflects-on-experience-p7184-1.htm.

For more information on the Daemen exchange program in Poland, please contact Dr. Andrew Wise at awise@daemen.edu.

The Presentation of the History of World War II in Polish Museums. Posted by Kaleigh Ratliff.

During the few months leading up to my departure date for Poland, all I could think about was visiting museums in Warsaw and Krakow. As I continue to work towards a MA in Museum Studies, I am conscious about observing the content, message, and display techniques in museums that I visit.  I will discuss the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, the Warsaw Uprising Museum, and the exhibition "Krakow under Nazi Occupation: 1939-1945," which is located at the site of Oskar Schindler’s Factory.

 The Museum of the History of Polish Jews

The Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw is not completely open to the public, but we were able to tour some of the building and watch a video about the future exhibits. It is clear that careful thought and planning was put into the creation of the mission of the museum and the physical building.

The museum aims to tell the story of Jews in Poland by discussing their rich culture and contributions to Polish society. The architect of the building designed the main lobby to resemble the parting of the Red Sea.



Entrance to the Museum of the History of Polish Jews

The design of the main lobby made me feel trapped. Some of the other people on our tour suggested that it felt like a “wound in history” and a journey from darkness to light. I am impressed that the architect was able to make me think in such a critical way and make me feel connected to the story of the Jews in Poland simply with the shape of the lobby.

The architect set the tone and feeling of the museum by addressing the complex past of the Jews in Poland. The front entrance of the building faces the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes Memorial, which reminds us of the brutal experiences of Jews during the German occupation in World War II.



Looking out on the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes Memorial



In contrast, the back side of the building faces a large field which is open to the public for leisurely purposes.

 

Looking out on an open field

 

The building addresses darkness and death, while also remembering to reflect on light and life. I hope that I will be able to return to the museum when it is completed. It is important to discuss and learn about difficult topics in history, but it is also crucial to realize that history is made by people who had lives, families, and careers. This museum appears to tackle this balance well. 

 

The Warsaw Uprising Museum

The Warsaw Uprising Museum was my favorite museum. During my first few minutes in the museum I was bombarded with emotions and thoughts. The words “intense,” "overwhelming,” “moving,” and “real” came to mind as I took in the design and display of the content.

This museum does an excellent job of recreating the atmosphere of the Warsaw Uprising of August-October 1944. Dark and blunt colors were used to create intensity. Cobblestone, wooden, and uneven brick floors mimic the actual look of the streets at that time.



Inside the Warsaw Uprising Museum



There were smells that made me feel like a part of the history, and the use of noises -- such as planes, bombs, music, and voices -- brought the events back to life.



Model plane producing sound effects of dropping bombs

 

Because the museum discusses an extremely specific event, I was pleased to notice that all labels and exhibit text panels are similar. This creates a sense of continuity that gives the museum an impressive flow. Gruesome materials are hidden so that visitors have the opportunity to choose if they want to view them.

One section of the museum is made to resemble the sewers that the fighters stayed in during the Uprising. The floor is uneven, the sound of running water is present, and the tunnel is dark and damp.



Inside the sewers



   

View from the sewers of a plane overhead



This museum is respectful and effective in conveying the feelings and events of the Uprising. It is also very engaging; I left feeling overwhelmed, but I believe that the museum curators intend to make visitors feel that way. It is impressive to say the least!

Schindler’s Factory

Schindler’s Factory is extremely similar to the Warsaw Uprising Museum in terms of successfully portraying the look and feel of the time period.

 

Marker outside of Schindler's Factory

The museum focuses on the story of Oskar Schindler, a German who saved the lives of Jewish workers at his factory. The museum places this episode within the overall story of the German occupation in Krakow.

 

Nazi flags on exhibit inside the museum at Schindler's Factory

 The Nazi occupation of Krakow is introduced in innovative and effective ways.

 

Flooring at the museum at Schindler's Factory

Overall, this museum utilized noises, lighting, and reproductions of buildings, trains, and streets to bring alive the history of the German occupation of Krakow during World War II.



Posted by Kaleigh Ratliff

Daemen Students Visit World War II Monuments & Memorials in Poland. Posted by Tyler Vanice.

As we travel from place to place in Poland, we can feel that there is a vast amount of history that has happened in our local surroundings. How can we tell? We can tell simply by the number of monuments and memorials that are scattered throughout Warsaw and Krakow. We have seen dozens of statues, monuments, and memorials in our days of travel, but I recall several dedicated to World War II that seem special.

In Warsaw there is a monument dedicated to the Ghetto Uprising that occurred in 1943. It was built only a few years later in 1948. The Monument to the Ghetto Heroes was built with leftover supplies that were meant to be used by the Germans to build a monument for Adolf Hitler to celebrate his wartime victories.

The front of the monument (see below) is called “The Fight” and it shows the rebellion that occurred. Innocent civilians are running from the burning ghetto in the background.

"The Fight"

The reverse side of the monument is called “Walk to Death” and it shows the suffering the Jewish community had to endure during the war.

 

"Walk to Death"

Another important monument is the Bunker Memorial at 18 Mila Street (18 Pleasant Street) in Warsaw.  A house was once here and it was used to hide Jews and Jewish militia who were fighting back against the Germans.

Bunker memorial

During the Ghetto Uprising, it was attacked for weeks on end. Instead of giving their lives to the Germans, many Jewish fighters committed suicide. This land and memorial have been saved to preserve the memory of those who fought and died.

Marker at the 18 Mila Street Bunker Memorial

The Willy Brandt Memorial is also located on the same property of the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes Memorial.  This honors West German Chancellor Willy Brandt’s visit to the Heroes Memorial on December 7, 1970. Brandt was a German socialist who escaped from the Nazi regime and was in exile from Germany during WWII.  During his 1970 visit to the Ghetto Heroes Memorial, he kneeled down and prayed for those who died during the war.

Willy Brandt Memorial

During our visit to the Oskar Schindler Factory Museum in Krakow, we came across a room in the building that had the walls pasted with the words and memories of those who lived during the war. This room felt oddly silent and empty, even though there was music and people were inside.

Caitlyn Ebert and Kaleigh Ratliff inside the Room of Choices

This room is called the Room of Choices. It makes one reflect on what happened and how other individuals felt during that time.

The photo below does not show a monument. Yet nearly seventy years after the war this place still overwhelms all who visit.  This room is not just any room. This is Auschwitz-Birkenau.



Barracks at Birkenau

Here is where many inmates had slept. People would sleep in groups of 3-6 per “bed,” being piled up as high as the room would allow with nothing but hay. This particular room was meant to be a stable for horses but was converted when the camp needed more room for the mass amount of people living there. The fireplace never was used because resources were thin, so at most the fireplace was used for sitting on and to give false hope to those living there.

Stay tuned for more blogs from Daemen students about our experiences here in Poland and also in Ukraine.

Tyler Vanice