We’re excited to share that our PI, Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska, was recently featured as an expert voice in de Volkskrant, one of the leading newspapers in the Netherlands. In a special report marking 80 years since the westward shift of Poland’s borders, Karolina spoke to Arnout le Clercq about the spectral dimensions of post-displacement—how echoes of loss, memory, and the past continue to shape the present.
She reflected on how the end of World War II not only redrew borders but also uprooted millions of lives. In the article, she explained how not only authorities, but also people subjected to these changes, responded to forced migration.
The article also highlights our ongoing research into the legacies of post-displacement in Central Europe—looking at how history haunts space, material culture, and community life today.
The Institute of Slavic Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences (ISS PAS) is inviting expressions of interest from postdoctoral researchers interested in applying for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA PF) under the Horizon Europe program, with ISS PAS as their host institution.
We welcome applications from ambitious and talented scholars from around the world who are keen to carry out innovative research in a vibrant and interdisciplinary academic environment in the heart of Warsaw, Poland.
We invite applications for a postdoctoral position focusing on the history of Central Europe after World War II, with an emphasis on forced migrations, landscape anthropology, and material culture studies.
The successful candidate will be mentored by dr hab. Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska, a cultural anthropologist and ethnologist at the Institute of Slavic Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences. Dr hab. Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska leads the ERC Starting Grant project Spectral Recycling (2022–2027), which investigates the experiences of post-war settlers in Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia, particularly their interactions with material remnants left by previous German inhabitants. The project employs a hauntological approach to explore how these ghosts of the past continue to influence contemporary cultural landscapes
About the Institute
ISS PAS is one of the leading research centers in Central and Eastern Europe, with over 70 years of academic excellence. Our interdisciplinary work focuses on the languages, cultures, histories, literatures, societies, and identities of Slavic and neighboring regions. We are proud holders of the HR Excellence in Research award, reflecting our commitment to providing a supportive, transparent, and inclusive research environment.
What We Offer
Comprehensive support in preparing and submitting your MSCA PF application, including internal review and mentoring
A stimulating research environment with access to a multidisciplinary team of experts
Full access to ISS PAS’s infrastructure, library, and academic resources
Opportunities for publication, international conference participation, and career development
Office space and administrative support during the fellowship
Assistance with relocation and settling in Warsaw
Who Can Apply
We are looking for researchers of any nationality who:
Hold a PhD at the time of the MSCA PF deadline (10 September 2025)
Have no more than 8 years of research experience since obtaining their PhD
Have not resided or carried out their main activity in Poland for more than 12 months in the 36 months prior to the call deadline
Propose a research project aligned with the thematic areas of ISS PAS
Deadline for expressions of interest at ISS PAS: 30 June 2025
MSCA PF application deadline (EU): 10 September 2025
Selected candidates will receive full institutional support in preparing their fellowship application.
How to Apply
Please submit the following documents in a single PDF file via email to horyzont@ispan.edu.pl with the subject line: “MSCA PF – Expression of Interest – [Your Name]”
Curriculum Vitae (max. 2 pages)
Short description of your proposed research project (max. 2 pages)
A brief statement explaining your motivation to join ISS PAS
The blog post was quest-written by Mariusz Fornagiel, PhD student at the Doctoral School in the Humanities of the Jagiellonian University. The text delves into the sensory experience of the Polish-Slovak border, highlighting the nuanced nature of the border as more than just a physical demarcation. Instead, it is portrayed as a space shaped by everyday practices and human interaction, which transcends its political significance. The border is depicted as historically invisible, blending seamlessly with the linguistic, visual, and auditory landscape that defines the region. However, shifts in political dynamics have brought about a heightened awareness of the border, marking it as a visible and regulated divide. Mariusz delves into how the border was perceived, felt, and given significance by the individuals residing in its proximity, shedding light on the multifaceted nature of the border experience.
Our collaboration with the Pomeranian State Museum in Greifswald, Germany, is ongoing. Following last year’s working meeting at the museum, our researcher, Michal Korhel, returned recently to present the results of his latest work. In his presentation, Michal focused on the region of Pomerania, specifically addressing the theme of “German ghosts” said to haunt the inhabitants of Goleniów. He showcased various examples of the German cultural heritage preserved in the town and explored how local residents are engaging with and responding to this legacy today. The subsequent discussion offered a valuable opportunity to compare these experiences with those of other regions affected by the forced displacement of previous populations. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Pomeranian State Museum – and in particular to Dorota Makrutzki – for the kind invitation and support.
We invite you to watch a short film produced by the Polish Academy of Sciences, featuring Karolina as she speaks about what we do in the project. Quite unusually, it was shot in Warsaw. How come Poland’s capital city has spectral qualities? Here’s the link where you can see yourself!
This semester, our team launched a thought-provoking cycle of internal seminars dedicated to exploring the German culture of remembrance, with a special focus on the representation of expulsion and resettlement in post-war artworks and scholarship, rooted in Germany.
We began in January with a deep dive into “Alles, was wir nicht erinnern”, a recent bestseller by Christiane Hoffmann. The book, a personal account of retracing her father’s flight route from Silesia, offered a poignant entry point into the silences and tensions surrounding collective memory in Germany today. You can find some of our reflections on it here.
From there, we moved into more academic territory, discussing two seminal articles by Robert G. Moeller, who has written extensively on the divided memory cultures of East and West Germany. While his arguments are rich and well-grounded, we approached them from a hauntological perspective, probing what remains unsaid or spectral in his narrative. This led us to watch the 1951 West German film Grün ist die Heide (The Heath Is Green), which Moeller names as one of the era’s most popular. The screening sparked a dynamic discussion on how the theme of expulsion in the film is both present and repressed—simultaneously visible and veiled—echoing the ghostly presences all of us engage with during our fieldwork.
To conclude this seminar series, we’ll turn to a text by Bill Niven, focusing exclusively on the GDR’s culture of remembrance. This will round off our exploration of how memory diverged across Germany’s post-war landscapes.
We’ll return after the summer—reenergized by fieldwork, conferences, and writing—with a new series of seminars. Until then, we continue to reflect on what is remembered, what is forgotten, and what lingers in between.
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, photo: Michal Korhel
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, photo: Michal Korhel
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, photo: Michal Korhel
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, photo: Michal Korhel
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, photo: Michal Korhel
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, photo: Michal Korhel
As winter turned to spring, much of our energy was devoted to intensive fieldwork—a time of travel, observation, conversation, and discovery. To regroup and reflect, we held an internal seminar on April 23rd, where we shared our recent experiences and insights from the field.
Michal presented his journeys to Czechia and Slovakia, where he explored themes relevant to his broader research on Polish-Slovak memory landscapes. In Slovakia, he spent several weeks tracing traces of a variety of German heritage, delving into local histories in Hauerland and their ongoing presence in cultural narratives. You can read more about his travels here and here.
Magdalena continued her field research in Piła, Poland, focusing on former Protestant objects and their transformation—especially during the emotionally charged weeks of Lent. Her work uncovered other dimensions of how these spaces are recycled, reinterpreted, or quietly linger in the background of the contemporary religious life of Protestant and Catholic communities. She summed it up in one of the posts.
Meanwhile, Karolina returned to Wałcz County, where she collaborated with the Wałcz Land Museum on a new permanent exhibition, while also conducting interviews to deepen our understanding of regional heritage and its living memory. She and Magdalena were even able to meet in person—a rare and welcome moment of shared fieldwork.
We also heard from Karin, who represented our team at the REECAS conference in Seattle. Her reflections sparked discussion on how to communicate our Central European-focused work to broader international audiences, and how the themes of memory, displacement, and heritage resonate across regions.
This energizing session reminded us how interconnected our research truly is, even as we work in different places and on diverse topics. Fieldwork takes us out into the world—but seminars like this bring us back together. And yes—it’s good to talk!
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.
conference spaces in Seattle, pictures by Karina Hoření
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.
