18th-20th October: Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory

We invite you to explore the program for this year's edition of Pamiętaj z nami (Remember with us), a recurring event organized by the Museum of Krakow since 2012. Between 1st and 20th October 2024, events will take place at three branches of the Memory Trial: Pomorska Street, the Eagle Pharmacy, and Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory. The proposed activities will revolve around the central theme of war experiences of refugees from World War II and present-day conflicts, with a special focus on those fleeing Russia's aggression in Ukraine.

The theme will be approached from both an individual perspective and within a broader context, addressing the mechanisms connected to this issue. The chosen theme is deeply rooted in the heritage of the city and its residents, but it naturally extends beyond Krakow. The large influx of Ukrainian refugees since 2022 has posed challenges on many levels for the state and major urban centers during the early weeks of the war. The events will primarily reflect the experiences of Poles and Ukrainians, while also acknowledging political refugees from Belarus and the Middle East.

The project's goals include education, promoting empathy and human solidarity, integrating people from different cultures, as well as fostering memory and social engagement. The event’s audience includes Krakow residents of all ages, the Ukrainian minority in Krakow, international tourists visiting the Memory Trial branches, and residents of the Podgórze and Krowodrza districts where the Memory Trial locations are situated.

The program will feature historical workshops for youth, discussions, lectures, film screenings combined with meetings with Ukrainian creators, the unveiling of a mural created by Polish and Ukrainian artists, an outdoor exhibition at Ghetto Heroes Square, concerts in exhibition spaces, and the theatrical performance "Huljet, huljet" by Teatr Figur Kraków. There will also be meetings with war correspondents reporting on contemporary armed conflicts and representatives of non-governmental organizations helping refugees, guided exhibition tours and culinary workshops integrating Ukrainian, Belarusian and Middle Eastern cuisine. The grand finale will be a concert titled "Wołanie o pokój" (Cry for Peace) at Schindler’s Factory by the international choir, Jednym głosem, accompanied by poetry readings dedicated to wars and refugees, serving as a reflective tribute to the victims of war.

18th-20th October: Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory

18th October (Friday, 10:00 – 11:30)
Workshop "Współpraca jest konieczna dla uwolnienia ludzkości od tej ohydnej klęski. Czy jesteśmy w stanie coś zrobić, by przeciwdziałać nienawiści, wojnom i ludobójstwom?" (Cooperation is required in order to liberate mankind from such an odious scourge. Can we do anything to counter hatred, wars and genocides?)

The title of the workshop is drawn from the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Based on this document, we will consider how effective — if at all —the measures taken by the international community have been in preventing a catastrophe on the scale of World War II from recurring. We will also examine, using G. Allport’s Pyramid of Hate and G. Stanton’s scale, what we as individuals and smaller groups can do to avoid embarking on the path of fighting against otherness, which can ultimately lead to wars, crimes and genocides.

●     Condacted by Mateusz Zdeb.
●     Fee: 20 PLN
●     Registration required at the Visitor center.
●     Activity is available in Polish only.

18th October (Friday, 12:00 – 13:30)
Guided tour of the permanent exhibition "Kraków under Nazi Occupation 1939–1945"

●     Registration and entry ticket required.
●     Activity is available in Polish and English.

18th October (Friday, 14:00 – 16:00)
Cooking workshop – Ukrainian, Belarusian and Middle Eastern cuisine

In response to the large number of refugees from Ukraine and the Arabian Peninsula arriving in Krakow, we offer a glimpse into part of these nations' heritage — food. In addition to enjoying the food and spending time together, there will be brief lectures on how individuals from these countries came to Poland and Krakow.

●     Conducted by Agata Dębek-Dziwosz and Rami Muszyński.
●     Activity is available in Polish and English.

18th October (Friday, 18:00 – 19:30)
"Kijów – Lwów – Kraków… Muzea w wojnie, muzea o wojnie" (Kyiv – Lviv – Krakow… Museums at war, museums about war)

A panel discussion with cultural institution and museum directors: Yurii Savchuk (Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, Kyiv) and Roman Chmelyk (Lviv Historical Museum). The discussion will be moderated by Jacek Salwiński, the Deputy Director of the Museum of Kraków.

The panel will address the current and future situation of Ukrainian and Polish museums and cultural institutions in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Topics include the state of museums in Kyiv and Lviv between 2022-2024: the direct threat to these cities from the Russian invasion following the outbreak of full-scale war and the ongoing bombings. The directors will discuss how museum collections and elements of Ukraine’s cultural heritage were secured during the first weeks of the war, cooperation with Polish museums and institutions in evacuating collections, and how these museums maintained operations during the conflict.

Representing the Museum of Kraków, Jacek Salwiński will discuss the actions taken in the first weeks of the war to assist refugees and how both institutions adapted their programming to accommodate the large Ukrainian minority in Poland.

The final part of the panel discussion will address the future of the museums, particularly those focusing on the history of wars in both countries, and their role in educating and preserving the heritage of the ongoing war with Russia. The discussion will also explore the shared experience and heritage of the war from the perspectives of both Ukraine and Poland.

Topics covered:

●     The situation and activities of four cultural institutions — Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, Lviv Historical Museum, Museum of Kraków and  — during 2022-2024, focusing on the war in Ukraine, assistance to refugees and adaptation to the new situation.

●     The role of state and municipal museums and cultural institutions in safeguarding heritage and educational activities related to the war against Russia and the situation of the Ukrainian minority in Poland.

●     Challenges facing institutions from both Ukrainian (war-torn) and Polish (refugee influx) perspectives, opportunities for interinstitutional and international cooperation, and the future prospects of cultural institutions during the ongoing conflict.

Conducted by Jacek Salwiński.

The discussion will be held in Polish (possibly with Ukrainian translation), and will be streamed online via social media channels of the Museum of Krakow.

19th October (Saturday, 13:00 – 15:00)
Classical music performance (clarinet/string duo)

A performance of classical music in the space concluding the permanent exhibition "Kraków under Nazi Occupation 1939–1945" (Room of Choices).

●     Activity open to all visitors.

19th October (Saturday, 16:00 – 17:30)
Panel with war correspondents "Widziałem to na własne oczy: bliskie wschody" (I saw it with my own eyes: Middle Eastern fronts)

A meeting with war correspondents Mateusz Lachowski and Michał Zieliński discussing the reporting of wars by correspondents in the 21st century, with a special focus on Ukraine (2014-2024) and the Middle East.

19th October (Saturday, 18:00 – 20:00)
Screening of the documentary film "Everything Needs to Live" and a meeting with the directors and the main protagonist, Anna Kurkurina

"Everything Needs to Live" portrays the extraordinary daily life of Anna Kurkurina, a charismatic athlete, "the strongest woman in the world", an animal rights activist and an openly lesbian woman. From a young age, Anna demonstrated a unique bond with animals. She taught biology in school and worked at a local zoo, where she befriended a lion. She supported the creation of animal shelters and found new homes for dozens of stray animals. After turning 40, she decided to pursue a career in powerlifting and quickly reached the top, becoming a three-time world champion. She also began working as a coach for young people with disabilities. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Anna, leveraging her popularity in the sports world and as an influencer, has continued helping injured and abandoned animals, following her motto: "Whoever saves one life, saves the whole world".

●     Movie will be screened in original language with the Polish subtitles.

20th October (Sunday, 12:00 – 13:00, 13:30 – 14:30)
Yesterday Kharkiv and Kyiv – today Krakow, art workshop for families with children

The workshops will be led by Julia Rybińska, a war refugee from Kharkiv, and the director of culture and communication at the "Renovation" charitable foundation. During the first two months of the war and the shelling of the city, Julia spent most of her time in the Kharkiv metro with her children. Despite facing the dramatic situation and fear, Julia continued to work with children helping them to cope with the ongoing trauma through artistic expressions and drawings. During the workshops, in addition to showcasing works from Kharkiv, Julia will work with parents with children – both refugees and Polish children – on their current experiences in Krakow.

●     The workshops will be conducted bilingually in Polish and Ukrainian.
●     Fee: 20 PLN
●     Registration required at the Visitor center.

20th October (Sunday, 16:00 – 17:30)
Meeting with Dr. Joanna Talewicz, president of the Foundation Towards Dialogue, who will give a lecture on Romani refugees from Ukraine in Poland and the Foundation's activities

●     Activity is available in Polish only.

20th October: FINALE (18:30 – 20:00)
"Wołanie o pokój" (Cry for Peace) concert performed by the international choir, Jednym głosem, accompanied by poetry readings dedicated to wars and refugee

We invite you to a unique final concert, which serves as a reflective tribute to the victims of war and a cry for peace in the world, fostering memory and concern for the future of humanity.

The concert will feature life-affirming folk songs filled with emotions and stories passed down through generations. Many of the songwriters became victims of war and terror. The songs will be accompanied by poetry from countries affected by contemporary conflicts — Ukraine (Halyna Peteosaniak), Palestine (Refaat Alaereer), as well as Jewish (Yehuda Amichai), Russian-American (Joseph Brodsky) and Polish (Wisława Szymborska, Katarzyna Dybżyńska, Edmund Fetting) poets. These words, filled with pain and longing, but also with strength and will to live, will evoke the stories of people who experienced war firsthand, recounting everyday life interrupted by the sound of gunfire and the specter of destruction.

 The "Wołanie o pokój" concert is an affirmation of life, a reminder that war is always a failure of humanity and a voice against indifference. It will be a gathering full of contrasts — where the beauty of music and poetry is intertwined with suffering and the joy of life collides with the drama of armed conflicts.

We invite you to join us in listening to this cry for peace and to remember that each of us has the power to oppose violence and hatred. Let this concert be a bridge of solidarity with those still suffering from war, and a call for a world where peace becomes our shared value.

The event is co-financed by the Polish History Museum in Warsaw as part of the "Patriotism of Tomorrow" program.