Years 1944-48 were a unique European ‘interregnum’, the trial-and-error moment for various modus operandi on macro- and microlevel. Propaganda clashed with popular support, political superpowers had to take into consideration the local power of individuals, and the pre-war categories and values were redefined and shaped accordingly to the war experiences and ideological agenda, in each context differently.
In my talk, I will offer a broader insight into what can be called a ‘window of opportunity’ for the production and circulation of ideas and intellectual projects concerning the place of Poland and Polish culture. To do this, I will talk about Jerzy Borejsza: a pre-war communist party member, who rose to become one of the critical characters for the reconstruction of cultural and intellectual life in Poland between 1944 and 1948 – and the one that was supposed to lead the non-violent, gentle revolution of the immediate afterwar.
Speaker
Olga Byrska is a PhD researcher at the European University Institute in Florence. Her dissertation concerns the immediate post-WW2 intellectual history in France, Poland, Britain and Germany.
ALL ARE WELCOME