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

Internal Seminar: Discussing Adelheid by František Vláčil

Our team meets regularly every two weeks to discuss our fieldwork, scholarly texts, or literature. Sometimes, we watch a film together to analyze how the representation of expulsion and resettlement is depicted in Czech, Slovak, or Polish cinema and what conclusions we can derive from it for our work as cultural studies scholars.

This time, we met to discuss Adelheid, a 1969 film made by one of the Czech cinema classics, František Vláčil, based on the 1967 novel by Vladimír Körner. During our discussion, we focused primarily on how materiality was presented and to what extent it followed the stereotypical view of the Borderlands as a land in decay. We also tackled issues such as the differences between the book and the adaptation, Czechs as heroes, and how the presence of Germans was portrayed.

Once again, film proved to be an inspiring basis for discussion, which may be useful for anthropological research and broaden our horizons.

Still from the film, photo by František Uldrich.





New blog post (in Czech). Čí je to příběh? Na motivy hry „Wandervogel“

“Wandervogel” is a thought-provoking theater play directed by Jan Mocek, currently being staged at the Alfred ve dvoře theater in Prague. Five actors, one stage, and one almost forgotten story of Heinz Rutha, a Czech German and nationalist leader from Northern Bohemia who committed suicide after being accused of homosexuality. This post is not a classic theatrical review. Instead, Karolina wonders what we can learn from the play about the complexities of nationalism, identity, and the impact of suppressed desires, shedding light on a lesser-known aspect of history.

Link to the blog post by Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska you can find here.

Magdalena Bubík explores the legacy of the (post)displacement regions with students of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków

In January Magdalena had the opportunity to share her research with the students of history at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. Her class was titled “Legacy of the (Post)Displacement Regions: Material Culture and the Redefinition of Space”. The session offered an introduction to the key concepts of our project, including an exploration of hauntology — a theoretical approach our team employs to investigate post-displacement regions and their transformations.  

Drawing from her research, Magdalena illustrated the concepts of recycling and redefinition, focusing particularly on sacred spaces in Piła and Liberec. Her presentation highlighted how these processes shape the understanding of post-displacement landscapes. The class also featured interactive elements: analyzing photographs and materials from research sites and fostering discussion and critical engagement with real-world case studies. This was followed by a collective discussion, where students explored additional examples of post-displacement characteristics, broadening their perspectives on the topic.  

The class provided students with an unique opportunity to delve into the complexities of displacement, memory, and material culture, equipping them with tools to understand better the lasting impacts of historical processes on contemporary spaces.

This enriching session was organized in collaboration with Dr. Kamil Ruszała from the Institute of History, Jagiellonian University, whose involvement added an invaluable interdisciplinary dimension to the class.

photo: Kamil Ruszała

Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska tenured

We are proud and happy to announce that the habilitation colloquium of our PI, Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska, took place on October 23, 2024. She successfully submitted and defended  a series of articles titled: “Recycling of memory. The role of “formerly German” materiality in resettlement cultures in post-displacement regions. An anthropological case study.“

The habilitation committee assessed the application positively  and the  degree of “doktor habilitowana” (i.e. tenured scholar) was granted by the resolution of the Academic Council of the Institute of Slavic Studies, PAS, on November 25, 2024.

Congratulations and we wish Karolina further success!