In the summer of 2022, archaeological research began at the intersection of Miła and Dubois streets, which is a joint project of the Warsaw Ghetto Museum, the Christopher Newport University and the Aleksander Gieysztor Academy in Pułtusk - a branch of Vistula University. The basements of two 19th-century tenement houses located at the pre-war addresses Muranowska 39 and Muranowska 41 were uncovered.
In the surviving basements, various items related to everyday and religious life of the inhabitants were discovered, such as tefillin, fragments of Jewish prayer books, and vessels for ritual hand washing. Over five thousand artifacts were excavated, these objects remain in the care of the Museum and will be included in the permanent exhibition.
The exposed parts of the basements constitute an extraordinary place for two reasons. Firstly, due to the close proximity of the so-called Anielewicz’s Bunker, of which they could have been a part. Secondly, because of the special type of commemoration they enable - the excavation area at what was formerly Miła 18 is the only place in contemporary Warsaw that allows you to actually get closer to a city that no longer exists and see that large parts of it still lay buried under the feet of its current inhabitants.
On May 8, at the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw University of Technology, a debate was held on the issue of commemoration in public space. Dr Eleonora Bergman, PhD, dr Maria Ferenc, PhD, Professor Zbigniew Kobyliński, dr Jolanta Miśkowiec, PhD, Professor Małgorzata Rozbicka and Hanna Wróblewska, Minister of Culture and National Heritage, discussed the possibilities and challenges related to the preservation and appropriate commemoration of the basements at the former Miła 18, which were uncovered during archaeological works carried out there by MGW.
Dr Jolanta Miśkowiec, PhD, director of the Department of Cultural Heritage Abroad and Memorial Sites, discussed ministerial support programs for memorial sites and the need to maintain the authenticity and durability of commemorations. She also emphasized the importance of caring for national memorial sites, both in the country and abroad.
The lecture by Professor Zbigniew Kobyliński was devoted to the importance of preserving ruins as part of cultural heritage and the challenges associated with their conservation and presentation to society. Although most people recognize the important role of ruins as carriers of information and symbols, it is difficult to find the optimal way to preserve them and make them accessible. It is necessary to ensure their conservation stability and
“EVOKING MEMORY: A DEBATE ON VARIOUS FORMS OF COMMEMORATION IN PUBLIC SPACE” | REPORT
Warsaw Ghetto Museum
The debate “Evoking memory: a debate on various forms of commemoration in public space” is behind us, an event accompanying the exhibition “Things from the Underground City. Architectural visions around the commemoration of Miła 18” at the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw University of Technology.
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