Edited together with Bożena Karwowska, Auschwitz-Birkenau, 2017.
The book presents a collection of essays written by undergraduate students who come to Poland from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada) as a part of the intensive research seminar , “Witnessing Auschwitz – Conflicting Stories and Memories”. Each study in this volume is based on the unique interests of the young researchers and highlights a particular aspect of history related to Auschwitz. The texts come with invaluable footnotes by experts in the field who accompanied the students with advice and support throughout their research.
The authors of the essays participate in a seminar developed by scholars from the University of British Columbia, the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and the Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute. Each spring a new group of students travels to Poland for a month of lectures and study tours on subjects pertaining to pre-war Jewish life and the Holocaust in Poland. The essays in this volume are the results of this international, scholarly, and educational cooperation.
The book is also available in Polish.
Reviews
Review by Dani Belo.
Praise
“These essays are a record of the participants’ reflections […]. They may help to shape one’s own way of approaching this particularly sensitive topic. They can be used to prepare others for a visit to Auschwitz or as a part of an educational program. Finally, they can inspire personal reflection.”
~ From the foreword by Piotr M.A. Cywiński, Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum
„So far, more than 80 students have participated in all the editions [of Witnessing Auschwitz]. During the lectures, workshops or individual consultations with the Museum’s staff, almost everyone emphasized how important it was for them to stay in the Museum and interact with the authentic space of the Memorial, as well as how unique and personal the experience was. With such a selection of thematic essays presented in the publication we would like to underline the diverse research interests of students, and also highlight their sensitivity to the complex aspects of the history of Auschwitz. In this context, the publication is also an irrefutable proof of the need for this new, fully complementary model of education. Proper preparation for participation in the program, the content of the historical message, but above all the possibility to personally experience the authenticity of the Memorial inspires young people to take up independent creative work.“
~ Marta Berecka, the International Centre for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust
„The uniqueness of this volume and its substantial contribution to the market of knowledge rests on the comprehensiveness of the analysis – largely resulting from the diverse areas of expertise of the individual scholars. Furthermore, the authors in the book write on various subjects that have largely remained untouched in Canadian academia: the profitability of the work camps for the German economy; the artistic expression of prisoners; moral dilemmas, such as betrayal of others for the sake of survival; and complex emotions such as love.“
~ Dani Belo, Witnessing Auschwitz alumni
Funded by
University of British Columbia; Auschwitz Birkenau State Museum.
Auschwitz: History, Place and People
Edited by Bożena Karwowska, Jacek Lachendro and Piotr Setkiewicz, with the assistance of Ewa Wampuszyc and Anja Nowak, Auschwitz-Birkenau, 2021.
Auschwitz: History, Place and People. An Academic Guide to the Camp Complex offers readers a unique insight into Auschwitz based on the most current historical research. Edited by Dr. Bożena Karwowska (UBC), Dr. Jacek Lachendro and Dr. Piotr Setkiewicz (Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, Research Center), the book features 18 in depth studies on central topics related to the Auschwitz camp complex. Targeted for an audience with a profound academic interest, Auschwitz: History, Place and People is an ideal coursebook for students, but also a valuable resource for those with a general interest in the field.
The book is accompanied by a website, which provides readers with additional academic resources to continue their inquiry into the Auschwitz camp complex.
With a particular focus on mapping, the website features projects by graduates of the Witnessing Auschwitz study abroad seminar, as well as contributions by scholars and educators from the field of Holocaust Studies. Each section of the website is tied to one of the chapters from Auschwitz: History, Place and People and the related projects share a similar focus. The contributions reflect the particular interests our UBC students developed during the intense research seminar under the guidance of Dr. Bożena Karwowska and the researchers and educators of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. Their work explores various aspects pertaining specifically to the prisoner experience, the sites and spatial dimensions of the Auschwitz camp(s) and the task of preserving and mediating its history.
Praise
„The book’s message goes beyond providing its audiences with historical facts. It fosters civic engagement with topic of the Holocaust and its wider implications. After all, for many Auschwitz remains not only a memorial and a symbol, but also a shorthand for genocide […]“
~ Grażyna J. Kozaczka, former President of the Polish-American Historical Society
„The project is, on the one hand, the result of many years of cooperation between the Museum and the University of Vancouver, and on the other, an expression of the excellent cooperation between the researchers and educators of the Auschwitz Memorial and the academics and students of UBC. The textbook and website created as part of the project will, in my opinion, be an appropriate source of knowledge about Auschwitz tailored to the needs of audiences in North America and other English-speaking countries […]“
~ Andrzej Kacorzyk, Director of the International Centre for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust
Related Papers
and Anja Nowak. „SS Personnel in Auschwitz.“ History, Place and People – An Academic Guide to Auschwitz.Edited by . Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and UBC, Vancouver, 2021, p. 109-122.
Igor Bartosik, Aja Jade Beattie and Anja Nowak. „The Sonderkommando in Auschwitz and the Revolt of October 7, 1944.“ History, Place and People – An Academic Guide to Auschwitz. Edited by Bożena Karwowska, Jacek Lachendro and Piotr Setkiewicz. Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and UBC, Vancouver, 2021, p. 61-77.
„Spatial Configurations of the Concentration Camp: The Inside and the Outside.” Geograficzne przestrzenie utekstowione. Edited by Bożena Karwowska and Ewa Wampuszyc. University of Bialystok Publishing House, 2017, p. 371-386.
Funded by
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland within the grant competition “Public Diplomacy 2021″.