The Debate on the Identity of the Polish “Recovered Territories” at Radio Szczecin

Do you feel fully connected to your place of birth or the place where you currently live? What steals away your sense of identity? These were among the key questions discussed during the debate “Świnoujście, Szczecin, Wałcz – The Identity of a Place” held at Radio Szczecin on February 20, 2025.

Participants, including our PI, Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska, discussed the process of acquiring identity as a collective and personal experience, with a focus on when, and if, today’s residents of post-displacement localities in Pomerania truly felt like they belonged there.

Marek Łuczak, a police commissioner and president of the Pomeranian Historical Society, argued that identity is defined by what we build through our actions. For him, being a city dweller is about contributing to the city’s growth, rather than mere symbols. Katarzyna Rembacka, a historian and educator, observed that the region suffers from a lack of local historical narratives. Kinga Rabińska, a cultural animator, highlighted that identity, by definition, should be constant, but in Szczecin, for example, it is ever-changing, influenced by both global conditions and the city’s dynamic history. Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska described identity as a story, noting that Pomerania’s residents have difficulty narrating it. According to her, the process of identity formation faces several obstacles, particularly with the question of place and time. Is 1989 a turning point in the region’s identity? Or perhaps 2004, when Poland joined the European Union? Marek Stelar, a crime novelist, emphasized that identity is shaped through personal experiences and noted that the process of the city’s identity formation is ongoing. Martin Hanf, a German historian and podcaster, compared how people in Poland and Germany were (or were not) discussing topics related to World War II, which was crucial for the development of regional identities in Pomerania.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can listen to the entire conversation on YouTube channel of Radio Szczecin.