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!