The conference, which is taking place in Jaworowy Dwór near Zakroczym, is attended by 43 participants from 17 countries: Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Ireland, Canada, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Morocco, Germany, Russia, the United States, Tunisia, Ukraine and Italy. The theme of the meeting is the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II.
During the meeting, the Deputy President of the IPN, Jan Baster, outlined the history of the formation of the structures of the Institute. Director Adam Hlebowicz talked about the most important educational activities of the National Education Office in the context of commemorating the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. The inaugural lecture entitled "The Discontinuity of Polish History" was delivered by prof. Wojciech Roszkowski. Professor Roszkowski presented the complexities of Polish history, which at times proved to be facts which even experienced educators were unaware of. Presenting well known facts from various perspectives enables their better assessment and thus a thorough understanding of the choices once made by our ancestors.
On 5 July the participants of the conference will take part in an educational trip to Gdańsk, where they will visit, among others, the Museum of the Second World War, the memorial site of Westerplatte and the former German concentration camp Stutthof. "Polish Community Meetings with Modern History" will last until 12 July.
The aim of the conference taking place within the framework of the IPN’s Polish Community Program is, first and foremost, substantive and methodological support for the process of teaching modern Polish history abroad. The "Polish Community Meetings with Modern History" program has been prepared to cater for the needs of people teaching Polish history and the Polish language in schools, during Polish classes, in parish schools or other Polish educational institutions abroad. Lectures on the subject will be accompanied by workshops on, among others, the use of source texts and historical games during lessons.Olga Tumińska from the IPN's National Education Office is the coordinator of the project.
Contact: olga.tuminska@ipn.gov.pl, phone no. +48 22 581-88-18
The IPN’s Polish Community Program
Since 2006, as part of the Polish Community program, the Institute of National Remembrance has been cooperating with Polish educational institutions. We regularly conduct lectures, workshops and lessons for teachers and students, organize presentations of historical exhibitions, and encourage Polish communities to participate in the educational projects of the IPN. We have also created a network of "History Points", which are systematically visited by our employees. As part of this project, we have reached several hundred teachers and several thousand children and young people living abroad. All of the above initiatives are aimed at supporting Poles outside the country in preserving their national heritage and identity as well as at disseminating knowledge about the history of Poland.
"Polonia meetings with modern history"
The conference "Polonia meetings with modern history" is an annual summary of activities of the Polish Community Program. Establishing the Institute of National Remembrance – Chief Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation, the legislator set out the task of the "dissemination of the results of the work of the IPN as well as the research of other institutions, organizations and people on issues which are the subject of its activity, in Poland and abroad".
The Polish Community Program is aimed primarily at Polish teachers working outside the country as well as culture and language animators.
As part of the Polish Community Program the employees of the National Education Office of the Institute of National Remembrance establish contacts with Polish educational institutions and conduct various types of educational events for teachers, students and the Polish community. IPN’s “History Points” are also places where the Polish community abroad can familiarize itself with Poland’s modern history. So far, our History Points have been opened, among others, in Vilnius, Lwów, Grodno, Brussels, Zaolzie, New York and Chicago.
History Points
Our “History Points “ are one of the elements of the Polish Community Program created thanks to teachers and institutions which cooperate with the Institute of National Remembrance. During the meetings as part of the IPN’s History Points , our employees organize presentations of exhibitions, book promotions and classes for teachers and students. Currently, there are History Points in: Vilnius, Grodno, Lwów, Zaolzie, Lutsk and Zhytomyr in Ukraine, Brussels, London, New York and Chicago.
As part of the Polish Community Program, the IPN’s National Educational Office (BEN) is conducting a wide educational campaign among Polish schools and institutions around the world. Classes conducted by the best educators, scientists and archivists bring the history of Poland into the 20th century and present the role of the Institute of National Remembrance.