On behalf of the FestivALT Association, the House of Utopia – International Center of Empathy, and the Norwid Cultural Center, we cordially invite you to a meeting dedicated to the history of the Nazi labor camp Baulager 15/XIV in Mogila and the actions that the community of Nowa Huta and local institutions can take to commemorate its victims.
The event will start at 11:00 a.m. on March 3, 2024 (Sunday), at the venue Kawa Kwiaty i Warsztaty. It will be open and inclusive: we aim to share the knowledge gained so far and acquired archival materials, as well as collectively discuss ideas for further initiatives.
In addition to the historical-archival and discussion part, there will also be an artistic component, namely embroidery workshops (registration required) led by Ewa Cieniak – an interdisciplinary artist working in the technique of embroidery, using fabrics and recycled objects in her works.
In the workshops, as well as in the name of the event, we will try to evoke the history of the Meisels sisters: Ernestyna, Paulina, Rena, Gizela, and Maryla – a history full of gaps and inaccuracies, hiding many unknowns, originating from a Krakowian, tailoring family. Ernestyna and Rena were prisoners of Baulager 15/XIV in Mogila. Most likely, only Gizela managed to survive the war. Under the sensitive guidance of Ewa Cieniak, we will attempt to retrieve them from oblivion and immortalize them in a unique way: through sewing patterns and the art of embroidery.
We hope that this meeting will not only be the beginning of deepening knowledge about the Baulager 15/XIV camp in Mogila but also – the recovery of the history of its victims.
Schedule:
- 11:00-11:15 – welcome | FestivALT Association, House of Utopia – International Center of Empathy, Norwid Center of Culture
- 11:15-12:00 – The history of the Nazi labor camp Baulager 15/XIV in Mogila | Tomasz Owoc (Curator of the Metallurgy Museum in Chorzów)
- 12:10-12:40 – The history of Jews in Mogila from the perspective of the current residents of Nowa Huta | Dariusz Grochal, Grażyna Olewniczak, Małgorzata Szymczyk-Karnasiewicz (House of Utopia – International Center of Empathy)
- 12:50-13:20 – A shared reflection on the future of the place
- 13:30-16:30 – Embroidery workshops with Ewa Cieniak dedicated to the Meisels sisters
- 17:00 – the end
This event is co-organized with House of Utopia - International Center of Empathy and Norwid Center of Culture as a part of the "NeDiPa: Negotiating Difficult Pasts" project funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme of the EU, which FestivALT is implementing together with Zapomniane Foundation and the Urban Memory Foundation.
