Przejdź do treści

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
Principal Investigator in ERC StG
more
dr Angelika Zanki
Manager/research facilitator in ERC StG
more
mgr. Karina Hoření
Researcher in ERC StG
more
Michal Korhel, Ph.D.
Researcher in ERC StG
more
mgr Magdalena Bubík
PhD student/assistant
more

News

Walking through the landscape around Handlová

The first days of May brought pleasant, sunny weather. Our researcher, Michal Korhel, took advantage of this during his field research in Handlová, setting out to explore traces of the former German inhabitants in the surrounding cultural landscape. He was accompanied on his hikes by a local from a mixed family – his mother was from a German family in Handlová, while his father arrived in the town as a settler from Hungary. Thanks to this guide, Michal gained valuable insights not only into the local forests but also into the lifestyle and farming practices of the German population, as well as the changes that occurred in the region after World War II.

Former land boundaries

The first day began beneath the hills of Biela skala and Veľký Gríč, which held symbolic value for the German population. Much of the hillsides once served as cattle pastures before the war. This is evidenced by the remains of so-called summer stables and various fruit trees – cherries, apples, and pears – now found on the forest edge or even deep within the woods. These trees were originally planted to deter forest animals from entering garden plots. Today, their blossoms and fruit are living reminders of the German population of Handlová, who planted them decades ago before being forcibly displaced after the war. In many parts of the surrounding countryside, piles of stones can still be found – once the boundaries of individual land plots. These properties were later nationalized under the so-called Beneš decrees. However, since the Czechoslovak state and the new settlers were either unable or unwilling to use the land in the same way as the previous inhabitants, much of it was reforested. Over time, the forest has gradually covered decades, even centuries, of the original population’s labor.

At the source of the Handlovka river

Some of this history is now being rediscovered by local enthusiasts, including Michal’s guide. One example is the source of the Handlovka River, which flows through the town of Handlová. Its location was only recently reidentified. Traces such as a dominant tree and remnants of surrounding walls suggest that the German population was well aware of the spring, possibly using it as a destination for short trips. Once it is cleaned, it is expected to serve a similar recreational purpose once again.

Blossoming fruit trees on the edge of a forest

On the second day, Michal and his guide followed in the footsteps of German miners who once commuted to the Handlová mines from nearby Jánová Lehota (known in German as Drexlerhau). Along the route, the miners reportedly paused to pray at a cross, which still stands today. During the walk, Michal again came across the remains of farm buildings and various fruit trees. A nearby lake, artificially created by Germans, was repurposed after the war as a popular leisure destination for the new settlers. As Michal’s guide recalled, children used to build wooden rafts and reenact naval battles on the lake. In May, young couples would sit under a blossoming cherry tree on the shore. Today, the lake appears neglected, and no one would consider swimming in its waters.

Blossoming cherry tree by the lake

Michal concluded his journey in Jánová Lehota. Like Handlová, it features stone houses built by the local German population before World War II. However, Jánová Lehota has preserved more visible evidence of its German past. Perhaps the most prominent is the monument to local inhabitants who died in World War I, located directly opposite the church.

Memorial to the inhabitants of Jánova Lehota fallen in the World War I

Walking through the landscape around Handlová reveals many traces of the life once led by the original German inhabitants. However, many of these are unnoticed by the average visitor or lie beyond marked trails. That’s why Michal is especially grateful to his guide, whose familiarity with the local landscape and personal stories brought new meaning to the sites they encountered. Through this narrative lens, the remnants were contextualized within both the German heritage and the newer Slovak presence. In this way, walking itself becomes a vital research method.

Stone houses and church in Jánova Lehota

Karina Hoření presented her research findings in Seattle

At the beginning of April, our team member, Karina Hoření, had a chance to present her research findings in Seattle. The annual Northwest Regional Conference for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies (REECAS) at Washington University brings together West Coast and European scholars. Karina presented her case study of Gustav and Adolf – two men of German nationality who tried to reclaim their confiscated property. Karina uses their cases to illustrate the differences between Czech and Slovak post-displacement regions.  It is always a challenge to present our project outside of Central Europe, and it is always valuable to get feedback and find common topics with scholars from different regions.

Magdalena Bubík presented her research at Charles University in Prague

At the end of April, Magdalena had the opportunity to present her research to students at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University in Prague. During a lecture titled “Memory of things. Material Culture displaced in the borderlands”, she introduced the aims of her PhD project and shared insights into her work on the remnants of German Protestant churches in post-displacement areas as part of the Spectral Recycling grant.
Using selected case studies and visual materials–including photographs and texts from her fieldwork–Magdalena illustrated how memory and material heritage intersect in spaces transformed by resettlement. The lecture concluded with an engaging discussion, where students offered thoughtful reflections and questions on the topic.
The event was made possible thanks to the generous support of Tomáš Pavlíček, Ph.D, lecturer at Charles University and researcher at the Masaryk Institute and Archives of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

“There is still a sense of injustice here…” Field research in Nitrianske Pravno

Although the Hauerland region was historically dominated by a German population, it also included predominantly Slovak villages. As a result, German settlement in the area can be divided into several distinct zones. Our researcher, Michal Korhel, has previously conducted fieldwork in the vicinity of Handlová. However, he recently visited Nitrianske Pravno and its surrounding villages, where he encountered a reality unfamiliar from his earlier research: the visible presence of German heritage in public spaces.

The “partisan” bunker near Malinová

During World War II, this area was known for strong anti-fascist resistance, led by local Germans with communist sympathies – particularly from the village of Malinová ­– who fought in the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) and afterwards as partisans. Their legacy is honored today in Malinová with a monument in the village center. Nearby, there is also a “partisan” bunker, which was likely never used by partisans but instead served as a shelter for the local civilian population. Due to its proximity to the village, it became a memorial site after the war. Twice a year, local residents gather there to commemorate the resistance to fascism.

Memorial to the inhabitants of Nitrianske Pravno fallen in the World War I

A monument to the SNP also stands prominently in the center of Nitrianske Pravno. However, it shares space – and perhaps symbolic significance – with a monument dedicated to local inhabitants who died in the First World War, bearing exclusively German inscriptions. Just behind it is a museum of local German culture. German inscriptions can also be found in churches, both in Nitrianske Pravno and in neighboring villages such as Malinová and Tužina. Michal also visited local cemeteries, where he found many German tombstones and monuments commemorating the region’s German population.

Cemetery in Nitrianske Pravno

The widespread remnants of German heritage in Nitrianske Pravno and its surroundings also evoke memories of the post-war period, when property was confiscated from local Germans and redistributed to Slovaks – some from nearby villages, others from Hungary, Poland, Romania, or Subcarpathian Ruthenia. In nearly every interview Michal conducted during his visit, locals expressed that the post-war property settlement has not been forgotten and continues to influence relations among the area’s inhabitants.