Spectral Recycling

Project objective

dr hab. Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska
For years: 2022–2027
Project number: 101041946
ERC Starting Grant

Ghosts are often presented as the spirits of the dead haunting the living. But what if we understood them as material remains, bringing to light overlooked past and enabling us to grasp the experience of the otherness? We propose such an approach in research on displacement, on territories previously inhabited by one culture but after a forced migration resettled by another one.

The displacement comprises expulsion and resettlement. While the former is well-researched, much of the latter remains understudied: especially the settlers’ experiences with things previous inhabitants had left behind. Things act as “ghosts” of previous culture and force settlers to interact with the “spectral” presence of the expellees. Hence, we will operationalize the category of “post-displacement” as a form of afterlife, based on archival records and fieldwork, in 3 regions in Slavic Central Europe where the traces of previous German cultures remained visible, regardless of the efforts to remove them. With hauntology as the proposed research framework and introduction of the category of recycling, we will establish a novel approach in research on the post-displacement regions. Hauntology, a spectral theory of being, shows how the present is pervaded by the past and enables us to engage with unresolved questions, becoming a tool to investigate unexplained phenomena. Recycling is a mechanism of reintroducing the things that were left by expellees into the life of the settlers. Our approach will bring fresh insights into everyday life in the post-displacement regions by providing a more nuanced and coherent understanding of forced migration processes and their continuous reinterpretations in different political and ideological regimes. In understanding what post-displacement things are and the attitude of people towards them, the project presents a showcase study of what we can learn about the emergence of new cultures from the experiences of Central Europe.

Team

dr hab. Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska, prof. IS PAN

Principal Investigator in ERC StG

dr Angelika Zanki

Manager/research facilitator in ERC StG

mgr. Karina Hoření

Researcher in ERC StG

Michal Korhel, Ph.D.

Researcher in ERC StG

mgr Magdalena Bubík

PhD student/assistant

view the whole team

News

7 days ago

New blog post (in Czech). Dycky Most do budoucnosti

Karina Hoření shares reflections from her visit to the archive in Most, a city in northern Czechia marked by a complex history of displacement. Following the post-war expulsion of its German-speaking population, the historic town was demolished in the 1970s to make way for coal mining. Her trip, grounded in the framework of critical archival studies, focused on uncovering materials related to the German history of North Bohemian industry.

During her research, Karina examined identification cards of women from the Soviet Union who had been forced labourers in a carpet factory in Maffersdorf/Vratislavice nad Nisou. As she handled the documents, two photographs detached from their cards, severing the connection between faces and names. This moment prompted a reflection on the nature of archives—not as neutral repositories of factual knowledge, but as spaces shaped by specific individuals, events, and material conditions.

Karina also describes the people, places, and atmosphere of the institution itself, considering how these elements influence the production and transmission of knowledge within the archive.

Blog post you can find here.

2 weeks ago

Cieszyn. Border, bridge, and identity – interview with Magdalena Bubík

Magdalena Bubík returns to her hometown to see it with fresh eyes – as both a researcher and someone who has always lived on the border. In this conversation, she talks about her fascination with the Bridge of Friendship, the lingering ghosts of history in Cieszyn, and how academic research became a path to understanding her own identity.

This is not just a story about the past, but about how the past still shapes the present – through memory, displacement, and life between cultures.

We invite you to read the full interview (in Polish) in “Głos” and see Cieszyn through Magdalena’s eyes – the link is available here.

2 weeks ago

An Interview with Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska for TVN24

In a recent conversation for TVN24’s historical series, Karolina Ćwiek‑Rogalska reflects on the complex legacy of the so‑called “Recovered Territories” (Ziemie Odzyskane) in Poland. She discusses what these regions were, who was resettled there, and how memories and identities around these areas continue to evolve — especially as new generations reinterpret the past.

4 weeks ago

Upcoming Debate: “To, co zostało. Doświadczanie historii w post-migracyjnej Europie Środkowej/ What Remains. Experiencing History in Post-Migratory Central Europe”

Date: October 8, 2025
Time: 18:00
Venue: Pracownia Etnograficzna, Warecka 4/6, Warsaw

We invite you to a public debate organized around the latest issue of Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa. The discussion will center on the complex ways histories are remembered, lived, and negotiated in post-displacement Central Europe. In the lead-up to the debate, we’ve been featuring the articles from this issue on our Facebook page. Be sure to check them out for background and insights!

We especially encourage you to read Michal Korhel’s and Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska’s editorial – they offer an introduction to the issue’s central themes.

Participants:

Kamila Fiałkowska (University of Warsaw)
Agata Tumiłowicz-Mazur (New York University)
Dariusz Stola (Institute of Political Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences)

Moderator:
Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska (our PI and Co-Editor-in-Chief of Sprawy Narodowościowe)

The event will delve into themes of memory, identity, displacement, and the legacies of migration in the region. It is free and open to all. We warmly welcome your presence and contributions.