On Memory, History, and Heritage! Fall Academic Conferences

Fall is traditionally marked by conferences, academic sessions, and public outreach events.

On November 4, Prof. Hubert Chudzio, director of the Center, delivered a lecture titled “Dr. Władysław Gębik—A Hero Still Being Discovered. A Polish-Austrian Project to Restore His Memory” during the ceremonial celebrations marking the 65th anniversary of the Władysław Gębik Elementary School No. 6 with an Inclusive Education Program in Kwidzyn.

In his speech, he provided an overview of the life of Dr. Władysław Gębik—a teacher, social and cultural activist, and prisoner of the German Nazi concentration camp KL Gusen. The lecture also provided an opportunity to present the results of the international Erasmus+ project “The European Dimension of Nazi History Using the Example of Archaeological Excavations at the Gusen Concentration Camp,” carried out in collaboration with partners from Austria and Germany. As part of the project, an exhibition accompanied by a catalog, educational materials, and three biographical films about Polish heroes were produced.

In addition, on November 4–5, 2026, the 2nd International Scientific Conference “Regional Heritage: Between Tradition and the Present,” organized by the Institute of History and Archival Science at the University of the National Education Commission in Kraków in cooperation with the Institute of History at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Prešov in Prešov.

During the conference, Wiktoria Zarębczan, M.A., a staff member of the Center, delivered a presentation titled “Home Archives as an Element of Cultural Heritage: The Emigration of the Podhale Highlanders in the 19th and 20th Centuries, as Illustrated by the Example of Gronków—A Museum Concept.” The presentation focused on the significance of family collections, photographs, and emigration documents as sources that allow us to reconstruct the history of local communities and preserve the memory of the migration experiences of Podhale’s residents.

We thank the organizers for the invitation and the opportunity to share the results of our research and our experiences related to the preservation of historical memory.

 

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