It defines, as I have already mentioned, a memorial site in the categories of a symbol of civilizational injustice as well as a warning sign against the effects of contempt for human dignity and basic human rights. Such message becomes an important means of education, both historical as well as civil, representing particular importance in current social reality in Europe as some of its aspects seem to be redefined by media acts of escalating violence, humanitarian crises and the radicalization of public discourse. It all prompts to constantly asking the crucial question of European civil education: is difficult history of Europe in the 20th century really a lesson for the contemporary?
You have received the information about being awarded with the distinction already during the crisis connected with coronavirus pandemic. After more than two months, CMJW is returning to the new normal. How did you cope with your activity in the reality marked by the epidemic?
Well, I think that our museum, similarly to other Polish museums, have managed with the state of epidemic quite well. We very quickly implemented the necessary procedures, switched the organization of our duties generally to telework and were regularly updating the schedule (and we still do this). Some events, such as for example our most important anniversary reminding on March 17th of the liberation of Stalag 344 Lamsdorf or the POWs Poetry Recitation Competition “Let us not lose hope” had to be cancelled. Other ones, such as Polish national historical project “Before it is too late” are realized in the virtual space. If the conditions allow us to do so, we intend to carry out more activities in the autumn. We maintain the contact with our visitors online on social media. For a week, our seats both in Opole as well as in Łambinowice are open for visitors – but there are not many of them, which is understandable. We are still in the reality of pandemic. We all need to be careful and have the most reasonable attitude towards the situation.
What are your plans for the nearest future?
We intend to continue our civil education developed on scientific bases and non-material testimonies. For this reason we would among others like to modify the educational offer and the message addressed to museum visitors – with the narration taking into account the perspective of micro history and joint educational project “Lamsdorf-Auschwitz, Auschwitz-Lamsdorf” carried out together with the Auschwitz Memorial constitutes an example here. We want to establish the cooperation with partners from the European Heritage Label network, extend international cooperation (e.g. through Erasmus+, the offer for foreign students), develop our competencies in the field of visitors service.
What is more, with one of European Heritage Label aims in mind, being the support for synergy between cultural heritage and modern art and creativity, the museum intends to inscribe the activities aimed at popularizing the European dimension of the facility. Works which are supposed to accompany these activities are also ahead of us.
This year it is the conservation of post-camp remnants of Stalag 318/VIII F (344) Lamsdorf and creating there open air exhibition, togethr with popularizing scientific findings in several consistent publications, continuing the queries in archives and libraries, organizing the actions of collecting memorabilia after POWs “Saved memorabilia, preserved memory”, implementing new image as well as intensely searching for funds for the next stages of reconstruction of the museum in Łambinowice in order to create a convenient entrance zone, modern education halls and storage space and for the entire complex in order to take into account the needs of people with disabilities. We have also dreams, but they are to be aken care of later.
Interviewer: Paweł Sawicki
Rozmawiał Paweł Sawicki
Więźniowie pierwszego transportu na dworcu kolejowym w Tarnowie