Against forgetting: The Ukrainian & Lemko experience of deportations in postwar Poland

Polen

The Second World War is arguably the most impactful and traumatic event in modern European history, especially for South-Eastern Poland. What has once been a multicultural, intricate mosaic of culture and ethnicity would be thoroughly destroyed by policies of ethnic cleansing, most importantly the Holocaust.

We are tracing this history as well as the difficult attempts at preserving memory of the past with the example of Lemko and Ukrainian communities, both of which endured significant political repression in postwar Poland. This exchange program invites you to immerse yourself in the songs of Ukrainian and Lemko communities. As part of the program, we will journey through the Nadsanie and Lemkowyna regions, exploring the history of postwar deportations and connecting with individuals and organizations dedicated to preserving the multicultural heritage of southeastern Poland.

This exchange program invites you to immerse yourself in the songs of Ukrainian and Lemko communities. Don’t worry if you’re unsure about your singing skills! Traditional singing is about coming together as a community and sharing cultural heritage. If singing isn’t your focus, you can join a team responsible for creating a podcast that will document the stories of the people and initiatives we encounter.

The project is partially funded by EU‘s CERV programme (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values).

Registration: please register first with our partners if you come from the following countries: Poland (College of Eastern Europe)
Hungary (ZACHOR Foundation For Social Remembrance)
Slovenia (National Youth Council of Slovenia)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Association "Education builds Bosnia and Herzegovina – Jovan Divjak")

Germans and other internationals, please register below.