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This time without Michal, the female part of our team decided to discuss the current Czech knowledge production about formerly German sites and cemeteries published this year in international journals. We gathered online to discuss the article titled: “Institutionalised amnesia? Exploring geographies of memory and the care of German graves in Central Europe: insights from the Czech Republic” written by Lukáš Novotný, a scholar based at University of Jan E. Purkyně in Ústí nad Labem and another article “Reanimation of abandoned places: three case studies from Czechia” by a collective of Czech authors. Novotný focuses on preserving the formerly German cemeteries in the Czech Republic and conducted interviews with mayors and professionals. His data illustrate very well that caring for cemeteries is not only a matter of international politics and ideology, but also everyday management that is difficult for small Czech municipalities. The Study of Kreisslová and a collective of authors is a comparative study of three cases of abandoned and destroyed formerly German villages in Czechia and bottom-up efforts to reconstruct or memorialize them. They focus on these alternative heritage preservation practices and hypothesize how they can inspire thinking about abandoned places in other regions. 

Both pieces inspired our writing about the region, and as both articles were published as open access, we encourage you to read them as well.

We invite you to explore the topic further and read about Karina’s recent field research, in which she describes how a group of volunteers cares for the damaged cemetery of the former German inhabitants of the village Čermná (German: Leukersdorf) near Ústí nad Labem (German: Aussig).

As part of her field research, in mid-October Karina Hoření took part in the Wandelust event organized by artist Lucie Králíková. For several years now, a group of volunteers has been caring for the damaged cemetery of the original German inhabitants in the village of Čermná (German: Leukersdorf) near Ústí nad Labem (Aussig). This initiative, of which there are many similar ones in the Czech borderlands, is unique in that it included not only work on the graves but also an artistic performance in a local abandoned church. This event, which makes use of the specific necromantic atmosphere of abandoned sacred buildings in the former German borderlands while further aestheticizing it, attracted a diverse audience. Art school students, local residents, a Slovak writer, and finally two ethnologists researching the borderlands, all came together to pull weeds and plant new flowers. This event shows how Czech collective memory has established a way of remembering the German past and who the actors are that make it happen.

Lately, Michal Korhel had the pleasure of participating in the international conference “Das ‘Erbe’ – Praktiken und Akteure in grenzüberschreitender Perspektive”, organized by the Deutsch-Tschechische and Deutsch-Slowakische Historikerkommission. The event took place from October 8–11 in the historic town of Kutná Hora, Czechia.

In his presentation, “Die Geister von Hauerland: Deutsches Erbe der Region Oberes Neutra seit 1945”, Michal shared insights from his ongoing research into the Hauerland region in central Slovakia — a once predominantly German-speaking area deeply affected by the post-1945 transformations. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, oral history, and archival sources, he examined how the traces of German heritage continue to exist in ambiguous and often ghostly forms, resonating with the philosophical concept of hauntology.

The presentation sparked a discussion around the interpretive potential of hauntology in historical studies, the role of local actors in shaping memory cultures, and the complex issues of guilt and reconciliation in postwar relationships between Germans and settlers. Michal also received valuable feedback and suggestions for further research — including a tip about a site rumored to be literally haunted by German ghosts.

Michal extends his thanks to the organizers and all fellow participants for the enriching exchange, thought-provoking questions, and inspiring conversations during these memorable days in Kutná Hora.

On October 9, Karolina presented her work on the Polish part of her research at the seminar of the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Her talk focused on the methodological challenges of working with hauntology, both in archival research and in ethnographic fieldwork. She discussed the underexplored topic of the second generation of settlers, as well as the methodological questions that arise when working with non-institutional archives, such as materials preserved privately in family homes rather than in public repositories. Karolina also reflected on how spaces, much like objects, undergo processes of resemanticization, acquiring new meanings through use, memory, and everyday practice.

The discussion that followed centered on both methodological and theoretical concerns, including the role of fact and conjecture in recounting histories, and the specific historical trajectories of the formerly German territories incorporated into Poland after 1945.

Karolina expresses her gratitude to the organizers for the invitation and for a rich and stimulating discussion that further deepened the methodological dialogue within our project.

On October 8, 2025, the studio “Duży Pokój” hosted a debate titled “What Remains: Experiencing History in Post-Migratory Central Europe.” The discussion was inspired by the latest issue of the journal Sprawy Narodowościowe. Seria nowa, which was edited by Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska and Michal Korhel (link to the editorial) and focuses on memory, identity, and heritage in regions affected by forced migrations. The issue also includes texts based on research conducted within the ERC Spectral recycling project. Karina Hoření, Magdalena Bubík, and Michal Korhel explored how memory and history are experienced through different lenses: Karina discussed the construction of national identities and ethnic tensions in the First Czechoslovak Republic; Michal examined the role of theater in Slovakia in bringing to life the memory of displaced German communities; Magdalena, in a review, focused on the emotional and historical significance of everyday objects in postwar Polish cities.

The event featured scholars: Kamila Fiałkowska (University of Warsaw), Agata Tumiłowicz-Mazur (New York University), and Dariusz Stola (Institute of Political Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences). The debate was moderated by Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska, project leader of the ERC StG Spectral Recycling and co-editor-in-chief of Sprawy Narodowościowe.

Participants explored questions about what it means to experience history and what remains with us in everyday life. They reflected on the nature of memory and the complex intertwining of personal biographies with collective history.

We thank everyone for their presence, thoughtful questions, and inspiring conversation!

Participants of the event. Photos: Wiktoria Nylec.

At our first seminar after the summer break, we discussed the upcoming themes for this semester and, above all, exchanged experiences from the past months of fieldwork. Much of our work this season unfolded in Slovakia, which naturally became the central point of our conversation.

Karin opened the meeting with reflections from her Slovak fieldwork, focusing on the tensions between two distinct strands of local memory: the remembrance of a German past and the commemoration of the Slovak National Uprising. Her observations led to a broader discussion about the position of the ethnographer in the field: how researchers are perceived by local inhabitants, and how aspects such as gender and appearance may influence these perceptions. As these issues remain insufficiently theorized within our field, the discussion raised important methodological and ethical questions.

Michal also shared insights from his time in Slovakia, presenting how he approached memory through walking, following his experiences from Czechia, which he wrote about in one of the blog posts. By retracing parts of the Slovak National Uprising trail, he explored how movement and sensory engagement can contribute to an understanding of memory in place. His presentation prompted a collective reflection on accessibility in fieldwork: which spaces and communities are open to us, which remain closed, and on how these dynamics may intersect with broader processes of depoliticizing the German past.

Karolina then presented her ongoing work in Pomerania, where she is completing her field research. She focused on her collaboration with the Wałcz Land Museum, where she is engaged in preparing an exhibition as both part of her ethnographic engagement and her responsibilities as a member of the museum’s scientific council. Her reflections highlighted the intersections between research, curatorial practice, and institutional cooperation.

Although Magdalena could not attend the meeting in person, she shared a written report from her fieldwork in Northern Bohemia. Her research in these couple of months followed the trajectories of objects connected to Protestant communities, exploring how material traces mediate memory and belonging in the region.

The seminar served as a valuable space to reconnect after the summer and to consider how our individual field experiences speak to each other. The discussions revealed the thematic continuities across our projects: from the politics of memory and local heritage to the position of the researcher within these entangled landscapes.

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.

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.

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.

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.