Remebrance and Future Forum

grows out of the experience of meetings, conferences and congresses organised by the “Remembrance and Future” Centre already since 2012.

As part of these undertakings, the Depot History Centre and Wrocław were visited by many guests. We discussed the past, shared memory, but also the inspiration we draw from history for the times we live in today. Especially worth mentioning here is Anamneses – the International Festival of History, organised by our institution together with the Tygodnik Powszechny Foundation in 2012-2013. An important experience was the Social Congress initiated by Grzegorz Górny and organised at the Depot History Centre between 2016 and 2018.

A number of other projects can be mentioned, such as the Europa Quo Vadis conference, or specialist conferences bringing together researchers into the history of Wrocław and the Western Territories. A very successful undertaking is the Bolesław Kominek Youth Forum which, over the course of its five editions, has brought together dozens of young leaders from all over Europe in discussions and workshops.
In this section we would like to present the guests of our past events. The experience of meeting them was at the origin of the Remembrance and Future Forum project.

NameEventsBiowydarzenie_hfilter
Adam MakowskiHistorian, PhD in humanities, Associate Professor and Director of the Institute of History at the University of Szczecin. In 1994 he defended his doctoral thesis entitled “Formowanie komunistycznego monopolu władzy politycznej na Pomorzu Zachodnim w latach 1945–1948”, and in 2007 he habilitated on the basis of his thesis entitled “Pomorze Zachodnie w polityce gospodarczej Polski w latach 1950–1960”. remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Alexandra GrochowskiManager of the Meetingpoint Memory Messiaen in Goerlitz who deals with the Remembrance of the victims concerning the WW II German POW camp Stalag VIII A. Member board of Fundacja „Pamięć, Edukacja, Kultura”. The Foundation concerns the work with young people, which aims to transfer historical knowledge related to the region, shape civic attitudes among young people and raise awareness of the importance of regional identity. In doing so, the association relates to the work of the French composer Olivier Messiaen who was interned in the Stalag VIII A. The result of these activities is the creation of a partnership network of associations, memorial sites and local government organizations in the Polish-German-Czech border region.remembrance-and-future-forum-2023-en
Andreja Valič ZverSlovenian politician and historian. She is a member of the Kranj City Council (2018-2022). She is a member of the SDS executive committee, the council of the Assembly of the Republic, the main committee of the Association for Values of Slovenian Independence and chairperson of the council of the Dr Jože Pučnik Institute. She is a member of the board of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience. As director of the Centre for National Reconciliation Studies, she signed the accession declaration in 2011 in the presence of Peter Nečas, Viktor Orban and Donald Tusk. In 2012 she received her doctorate in contemporary history from the Faculty of Arts in Maribor. In 2007, she participated in an international conference of teachers of human rights and history teaching in Bled as part of a two-year project of the same name (European Association of History Teachers EUROCLIO). In 2004-2008, president of the Slovenian Association of History Teachers. President of the Council of Jože Pucnik Institute – NGO organization.remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Andrew DemshukProfessor of history. His research focuses on post-1945 German and Polish history. His first monograph, “The Lost German East: Forced Migration and the Politics of Memory, 1945-1970” examines how, amid the charged political context of the early Cold War, millions of West Germans expelled from the province of Silesia after World War II came to recognise that physical return was not possible. A fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. His third monograph, “Three Cities after Hitler: Redemptive Reconstruction across Cold War Borders” measures the politics of memory in urban reconstruction under three contrasting regime ideologies haunted by the recent Nazi past. His latest book, “Bowling for Communism: Urban Ingenuity at the End of East Germany” measures how catastrophic urban decay helped to prompt dynamic interplay between residents, local officials, and central authorities over the decade before the Leipzigers spearheaded the revolution that ended East German communism in 1989. Professor Demshuk specialises in courses relating to twentieth-century Central and Eastern Europe, with close attention to nationalism, genocide and ethnic cleansing, urban planning and memory, and the broader effects of mid-20th-century forced migration on the world we inhabit today. remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Anna GrafDirector of the Municipal Cultural and Sports Center in Miłkowice – community center which main aim is to build the local community, strengthen the identity of local history and rural folklore from the Lower Silesia region.remembrance-and-future-forum-2023-en
Annie MartinDirector of the Resistance Museum in Limoges. Institution ilustrates the civic and solidarity values carried by the Resistance during the Second World War. The Muzeum runs „The Central Resistance Museum Network” to bring together the resistance museums of the Massif Central using a collective instrument, namely a database.remembrance-and-future-forum-2023-en
Jakub TyszkiewiczHistorian specialising in modern history, Silesian history and Polish-American relations; academic teacher associated with higher education institutions in Wrocław. Graduated in history from the University of Wrocław. He completed his studies with a Master’s degree in 1991. Immediately afterwards, he continued his further education in doctoral studies. In 1995 he obtained a doctorate in history. In 2004, the Council of the Faculty of Historical and Pedagogical Sciences of the University of Wrocław awarded him a habilitation degree in history, specialising in contemporary history, based on his thesis entitled “An open window in the Iron Curtain. The policy of the Eisenhower administration towards Poland”, and a successful habilitation colloquium. Shortly afterwards, he was promoted to associate professor at the University of Wrocław. Member of the Committee of Historical Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences. remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Jan Pawlakremembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Jie-Hyun-LimProfessor of history. His research addresses the issue of nationalism in a specific context, which he calls “victim nationalism”, and defines as competing collective memories for the status of victims. The author illustrates his ideas with examples from the Second World War, especially from the history of Japan and Korea, but also Germany, Austria and Poland. remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Joanna Nowosielska-SobelHistorian specialising in modern Polish and general history, history of Silesia and Prussia; academic teacher associated with the University of Wrocław. She studied history at the Faculty of Historical and Pedagogical Sciences of the University of Wrocław, where she received her master’s degree. After completing her studies, she was employed at her alma mater, the Historical Institute of the University of Wrocław, as an assistant lecturer, and then from 2001 as an assistant professor in the Department of Contemporary History. In the same year, she obtained a PhD degree in history. In 2012 she was elected deputy director of the Institute of History at the University of Wrocław for teaching matters.remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Krzysztof NoworytaCreative producer at Tengent, originator of the exhibition “Walls of Totalitarianism. 1939-1945”. Co-author of two parts of the film “Niezwyciężeni”. Graduate of the National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw. Creator and producer of innovative projects in the field, culture, science and art, which serve to popularise Polish history and its contemporary potential. He specialises in creating narratives for exhibitions, films and digital products that address global pop culture audiences. remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Łukasz AdamskiHistorian and political scientist, specialist in Central and Eastern European history as well as in current political situation of Ukraine and Russia. Deputy Director of the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding since 2016. In 2006-2011 he worked at the Polish Institute of International Affairs as an analyst and then as Programme Coordinator for Bilateral Relations in Europe. In 2014 he was Reporting Officer in OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. His works were published in academic journals and press, including “Gazeta Wyborcza”, “Rzeczpospolita”, “Tygodnik Powszechny” and “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. Author of the monograph „Nacjonalista postępowy. Mychajło Hruszewski i jego poglądy na Polskę i Polaków” (“Progressive nationalist. Mykhailo Hrushevsky and his views on Poland and the Poles “), Warsaw, 2011.remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Magdalena KlagManager of the Hall of Memory in Kąty Wrocławskie, co-run by the Municipal Culture and Sports Center in Kąty Wrocławskie, Enthusiasts’ Society of Ziemia Kącka and “Remembrance and Future” Institute. The Hall of Memory houses the exhibition “From Kanth to Kąty Wrocławskie” and is the result of the efforts of the local community to remember the history of the region’s inhabitants. Institiution has a wide range of educational activities aimed mainly at children.remembrance-and-future-forum-2023-en
Marek Mutor, Director of the “Remembrance and Future” Centre in Wrocław. Polish philologist and historian, a graduate of the University of Wrocław. Head of the National Centre of Culture in 2006-2007 and in 2016. Creator of state programmes such as “Patriotyzm Jutra”, “Świadkowie Historii”. Organiser of exhibitions, including “Pociąg do historii” and “Solidarny Wrocław”. Creator of the Depot History Center. kongres-spoleczny-2016-en remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Maria AxienteFounder of Pitesti Prison Memorial Foundation and of Manuscris Publishing House. She is a museologist, a graduate of University of the Arts London, Wimbledon College of Art and of University of Bucharest, Unesco Chair, MBA program. Since 2011 she has been coordinating activities related to communist repression in Romania and has developed educational programs about political detention and repression of communist dictatorship in Romania for the young public.remembrance-and-future-forum-2023-en
Maria Kromp-ZaleskaDirector of the Edith Stein House in Wrocław, which acts as a research center dedicated to its patron’s heritage, also open to visitors, and a meeting place for events on inter-religious Christian-Jewish dialogue and meetings of the Polish, German and Jewish nations.remembrance-and-future-forum-2023-en
Matija OgrinObtained his PhD in literary studies in 2001 at the University of Ljubljana. He is a research fellow at the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana. Ogrin studies early modern Slovenian literature, focusing on the periods from Baroque to 19th century. His work is founded upon research of primary sources, notably manuscripts, and their traditional scholarly treatment: transcription, commentary and critical editing. Ogrin has been associated with the “New Slovenian Covenant” for many years in its efforts to preserve the memory of the victims of the communist revolution in Slovenia. Since 2018, he has been serving as the President of the Association. remembrance-and-future-forum-2023-en
Nikolaj Iwanow, , Historian of Belarusian origin who has been associated with Opole University for many years. In the past he has also taught at Stanford University, the Sorbonne and the University of London. His research is mainly devoted to the fate of the Polish minority in the USSR, including Soviet crimes against Poles. He is the author of such books as: “Powstanie warszawskie widziane z Moskwy, Zapomniane ludobójstwo”, “Polacy w państwie Stalina czy Polacy w Związku Radzieckim w latach 1921–1939”. anamneses-2013-en remembrance-and-future-forum-2020-en remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Paulina Bednarz-ŁuczewskaManagement scholar and business consultant. Graduated from Humboldt University in Berlin and Warsaw University, assistant professor at Kozminski University in Warsaw. Her professional interests cover various aspects of dialog – in interpersonal communication, management, strategy-building and education. Member of the Scientific Committee in the International Center for Study of the Phenomenon of Solidarity. remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Piotr Damasiewiczremembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Pjerin MirditaAlbanian history expert, and director of the Site of Witness and Memory, the first memorial in Albania erected in the premises of the main prison of Shkodra, which was in operation from 1946-1991. He completed his studies at the Atë Pjetër Meshkalla high school in Shkodea while he completed studies in history and geography at the University of Florence and that of Shkodra. In addition to his scholarly work, Pjerin Mirdita has curated and authored numerous exhibitions that vividly depict the harrowing experiences of religious communities in Albania during the communist regime. His dedication to preserving the historical memory of Albania’s past and his commitment to shedding light on the communist prosecution against religions have made him a prominent figure in the field of history and memory studies. remembrance-and-future-forum-2023-en
Prof. dr hab. Joanna Wojdon, Professor of history. Scholarship holder of the Kościuszko Foundation and the Fulbright Foundation. She conducted research, among others: in Leuven, Jerusalem, Cambridge, Palo Alto, Minneapolis, New Britain, Bristol, Brunswick. Vice-chairman of the Committee for Migration Research and member of the Committee for Historical Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the PAU Commission for the Study of the Polish Diaspora and the Steering Committee of the International Federation for Public History. Since 2014, she has been coordinating pioneering master’s studies in Poland in the field of public history. Laureate of the Oskar Halecki Award from the Polish American Historical Association. Awarded the Mieczysław Haiman Medal for lasting contribution to research on Polish Americans.remembrance-and-future-forum-2020-en remembrance-and-future-forum-2023-en
Rafał RogulskiStudied cultural and political science at the Universities of Wrocław and Marburg, and participated in the Executive MBA programme at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. He was an advisor to Professor Władysław Bartoszewski, at the Polish Robert Schuman Foundation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2001 to 2005 he was secretary of the Culture Department at the Polish Embassy in Berlin. In 2010, Ministers Tomasz Merta and Andrzej Przewoźnik entrusted him with the creation and management of the ENRS Secretariat, which in 2015 became the Institute of European Network Remembrance and Solidarity.remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Richard Demarco, , Teacher, artist, philosopher. Organiser of several thousand exhibitions and theatre premieres during the Edinburgh International Festival. Creator of the Demarco Archives, a unique collection of photographs and artworks documenting the history of encounters between the avant-garde of Western and Eastern Europe from the 1960s until the fall of communism. In 2013 he was awarded the European Citizen Prize by the European Parliament. anamneses-2013-en remembrance-and-future-forum-2020-en remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Richard DemarcoDemo desctt
Robert Kostro, Director of the Polish History Museum in Warsaw. A graduate in history from the University of Warsaw. He was active in the opposition Young Poland Movement. Editor of conservative journals, publicist. He has served, among others, as director of the Political Office of the Minister of Culture, Deputy Director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, advisor to the Union for Europe of the Nations Group in the European Parliament. anamneses-2012-en remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Robert Kostroremembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Robert Żurek, Graduated in history and theology from Freie Universität in Berlin. In 2003, he defended his doctoral dissertation on the relations between the Polish and German church in the years 1945-1956. He was the deputy director of the Center for Historical Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Berlin and the director of the Wrocław branch of the Institute of National Remembrance. His main interests include Polish-German relations after 1945 and relations between the state and the church in Poland and Germany. Managing Director at the “Krzyżowa” Foundation.kongres-spoleczny-2017-en remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Simone Zoppellaro, Italian writer and journalist. He lived in Iran and Armenia. Author of two volumes published by Guerini e Associati: “Armenia Oggi” and “The Genocide of the Yazidis”. He works with the Gariwo Foundation and with the Italian Cultural Institute in Stuttgart, where he lives.remembrance-and-future-forum-2020-en remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en
Wojciech Kucharski, A historian and an archaeologist, PhD and habilitation in humanities. Studying the history of the Middle Ages and contemporary times, in particular: religion, ecclesiastical history, the history of German-Polish reconciliation after World War II, and the diplomatic relations of the Polish People’s Republic government with the Vatican, history of everyday life, methodology and oral history. Deputy director for research at the Remembrance and Future Centre, lecturer at the University of Wrocław. The founder of the Wrocław Yearbook of Oral History. With the use of oral history methods, he organised and supervised an array of research projects on the post-war history of Lower Silesia. A member of the Polish Historical Society, the Polish Oral History Association and of the scientific council of the Silesian Institute in Opole. kongres-spoleczny-2016-en remembrance-and-future-forum-2021-en