In his commentary, Michal analyzes the return of the Beneš Decrees to contemporary Slovak politics and law through the lens of hauntology. He argues that today the decrees function less as valid legal norms and more as a “specter” of the past that reappears in property disputes and political crises of identity. Although they are largely exhausted in legal terms, the Beneš Decrees remain symbolically powerful and are politically instrumentalized, particularly by the government, which presents them as an untouchable foundation of statehood. Michal also points to the difference between the Czech and Slovak contexts: while in the Czech Republic the decrees functioned mainly as a one-off political symbol, in Slovakia they return systematically and have tangible practical consequences. In conclusion, Michal emphasizes that instead of becoming a taboo, the “specter must be listened to” – that is, the historical and moral problematic nature of the decrees must be openly acknowledged and their legacy translated into the language of a twenty-first-century constitutional state, so that the past ceases to automatically determine the present.

Link to the text you can find here.

The workshop “Popularizing Research Online” was held by Angelika Zanki, our manager and facilitator, who promotes the team’s activities and has completed numerous trainings in this field.

The workshop is a part of the NAWA’s STER Next Generation PhDs – Innovations program for doctoral students at the Anthropos Doctoral School. It provided participants with an opportunity to engage with key principles of effectively presenting and promoting academic work in digital spaces. In today’s digital age, communicating research clearly and professionally is increasingly important, and the session emphasized the growing significance of science communication for researchers.

Participants were introduced to the basics of science communication and explored how researchers can present themselves and their projects in ways that are accessible, accurate, and engaging. The workshop highlighted examples of good practice as well as common mistakes to avoid, stressing the importance of maintaining a professional online presence. It also covered strategies for managing websites and social media profiles related to research projects, including European-funded grants, and practical methods for promoting them effectively online.

The workshop was highly practical: participants actively contributed to discussions and prepared draft social media posts, applying the knowledge gained during the session.

Angelika’s experience helped create a well-structured and supportive environment, allowing participants to recognize the importance of science communication and to develop confidence in sharing their research with wider audiences.

The Anthropos Doctoral School, where the workshop was held, is located in the heart of Warsaw’s Old Town. On the day of the workshop, the area was especially magical, as the streets were beautifully illuminated and holiday decorations were lit up, creating a unique and festive atmosphere around the school.

We are excited to share that an essay by Karina Hoření has been published on the blog of the American Ethnological Society. It is part of their new collection, Anthropology That Breaks Your Heart, edited by Salwa Tareen. The collection features essays by researchers from around the world, exploring the emotional side of anthropological practice and how fieldwork can deeply affect those who undertake it.

In this essay, Karina reflects on the emotional complexities of ethnographic research in post-war Liberec (formerly Reichenberg). Focusing on the experiences of Czech settlers who moved into houses formerly inhabited by Germans, she explores how archives and family memories reveal “ghosts” of the past. A key moment occurs during a follow-up interview with a participant, Josef, when she shares archival evidence of a German resident’s suicide in his family’s house. The encounter unexpectedly intersects with Josef’s own recent family tragedy, highlighting how personal and collective histories intertwine. Karina uses these experiences to discuss the ethical and emotional challenges of ethnography, the persistence of haunting legacies, and the limits of reconstructing the past.

At the beginning of December, our researcher, Karina Hoření, gave a presentation on her research as an invited speaker at a seminar titled “Ruins and Relics: Rhythms, Temporalities, and Trajectories of Change.” In her talk Fixation on Ruins-Fixation of Ruins Karina presented her thesis about ruins as the central space of the dominant Czech narrative about expulsion. The seminar took place at the Ethnological Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences. It was organised by the team behind the Zdivočelá země/Land gone wild project, implemented by a consortium of Czech research institutes. Both our projects are interested in post-war changes in the Czech borderlands and the enduring legacies of expulsion in the landscape, and this shared interest leads to long and passionate debates. Hopefully, it was not a last chance for our teams to meet and share our findings.