The exhibition of the Jan Karski Institute of War Losses, entitled ‘Artefacts – Memory Enchanted in Objects’, reached its next location on 3 December. This time, it is located in Kolbudy, situated in the picturesque surroundings of the Pomeranian Province.
Since September, the exhibition has already visited Tczew, Pruszcz Gdański, Starogard Gdański, Skarszewy and Bydgoszcz, showing that war losses can be not only destroyed buildings or lost documents, but also forgotten family heirlooms and the traditions behind them.
Dr Bartosz Gondek, director of the Institute of War Losses, spoke to pupils at the Primary School in Kolbudy about how to prevent this and the importance of cherishing family traditions.
What lies behind these found objects? What should we remember? Can seemingly unremarkable objects turn out to be artefacts of special significance? Dr Gondek answered these and other questions based on the memorabilia he found, photographed and described. He also emphasised that without knowledge of the context, these items would be, at best, an enigmatic curiosity, similar to the authentic artefacts on display at the ISW exhibition:
• A diary made of birch bark by a Siberian woman evacuated with Anders' Army to Iran
• A ring belonging to a female prisoner of German concentration camps
• A suitcase with letters from a participant in the Warsaw Uprising
• A bracelet belonging to a Polish soldier found in northern England
Without knowledge of their history, they are merely enigmatic curiosities. With context, they become a testament to an era.
According to Director Gondek's announcement, from now on, the exhibition will travel to different locations in the Kolbudy municipality every week. Each presentation of the exhibition will be accompanied by a lecture emphasising the importance of preserving the memory of tragic events and the responsibility that rests with the current generation.
We would like to thank the local government representatives, Mayor Marek Goliński and Deputy Mayor Robert Aszyk, for their support of this initiative.
