Background Article Displaced Persons – Between Liberation and a New Beginning Over eleven million people were considered displaced persons in 1945. Those who did not return immediately lived mainly in DP camps in the western occupation zones of Germany and Austria. How did they experience this time of uncertainty?
Background Article How Jazz Came to Poland Freedom, independence, modernity, an alternative cultural lifestyle, and musical resistance to the communist regime — these were the qualities attributed to the jazz scene in the Polish People’s Republic, a scene that would become a pioneering force in the development of jazz cultures throughout the Eastern Bloc. But how did jazz manage to take root in Poland in the first place?
Background Article No “Zero hour” after the Shoah Immediately after the Second World War, Germany became a place of refuge for nearly 300,000 Jews. They lived like other so-called Displaced Persons (DPs) in Jewish or mixed DP camps and played a significant role in the revitalisation of European Judaism. However, few people are aware of their fate today.
Background Article Reconstructing for the Future Why do we need scientific 3D reconstructions? If we consider the example of sacred Jewish buildings in East Central Europe, the value of doing so quickly becomes apparent. Buildings that are at risk of collapse or destruction, partially or completely lost can be digitally recreated and become accessible and tangible again.
Background Article The Changing Landscape of Place Names The Republic of Poland has a turbulent history – as do its many place names. Hardly any town or village has only one, which makes the matter very complicated, especially for historical research.
Background Article The “Polish Economy” and the “German Pig” The end of the First World War marked a turning point in the power relationship between Poland and Germany. But did traditional images of superiority and inferiority also change? Caricatures provide an interesting lens through which to answer this question.
Background Article Warsaw, Monrovia and London In the 1930s, as part of a Polish colonial movement, Poland briefly pursued a colonization project in Liberia. The Warsaw government supported the project, while Great Britain looked on with skepticism. Ultimately, Poland’s efforts to become a colonial power proved unsuccessful.
Background Article “Surrounded by Friends” in the Land of the Perpetrators? What is left of life after the concentration camp? With the help of private photo albums from two Polish survivors, this essay examines the existence of Displaced Persons in postwar Germany and Australia – a story of forced displacement, political pressure and the attempt to leave the past behind and dare to make a new beginning.
