WBZ

In the series „Germany – Media – Culture", launched by the CSNE in 2011, a new book, the seventh in this series, has been published: "National Socialism in the cinema of united Germany", written by Joanna Trajman.

It depicts how Nazism is dealt with in film in the context of changes occurring in the German culture of remembrance, trying to explain the causes for recurrence of the discourse on German victims. The lengthy publication of 500 pages consists of two parts. In the first one, the way how Germans settled with the Nazist past in history (until 1989, dealing with GDR and Federal Republic separately) and contemporary times (after 1989) is presented synthetically. The second, fundamental part of the book, concerns the specific recognition of the problem in the cinema of the united Germany, focusing on specific works of film, grouped into six chapters: The insurmountable past, the return of Hitler in film, the German catastrophe, German heroes, the Third Reich in the convention of melodrama, the seduced generation.
A trump of the publication is that it localize the presentation of the topic in a broad social-cultural context, evocating the most important historical debates and disputes around the films that often aroused controversy in Germany. The author utilized an impressive stock of sources; films (the filmography contains more than 340 titles) as well as extensive literature on the topic, press reviews and interviews with authors. The interdisciplinary character of the work makes it possible, that the momentum goes far beyond the horizon of films, making an important contribution to the debate on the difficult heritage of Germans. In view of the limited availability of German films in Poland as well as disputes around the selected productions (for example "The Downfall"), recalling the rich discourses, the publication can be a valuable aid for the Polish reader (and viewer) who wants to understand the identity processes of our western neighbor.

The book is accompanied by a DVD of the film "Winter father" (Germany-Poland 2010) by Johannes Schmid. It is one of the few German productions portraying the Polish victims of the war, not shunning the difficult topics of the Polish-German past, but also carrying hope for a new, peaceful dimension. Despite funding by the Polish Film Institute and the Culture Center in Gdynia, the film failed to make regular theatrical distribution in Poland. This very publication corrects this omission, as Schmid's movie – both due to the subject and the way it was shot – fully deserves.

"If you consider that Joanna Trajman first courageously went beyond the insufficient earlier attempts to synthesize the research field, first and foremost note the impressive cognitive aspirations of the scale of this project. Its implementation required multilateral competences: Knowledge about Germany, political science, culture and also about the history of film. However, these very competences, although worthy to recognize, would help little, if they did not go hand in hand with the scientific talent and the intellectual imagination of the author, merits, to which her book owes its harmonious, coherent, cognitively effective and extensive vision of the undertaken subject."
From Prof. Tadeusz Szczepański's review

Joanna Trajman is absolvent of international relations and cultural sciences at Wrocław University. Currently, she works as an associate professor at the Chair of International Studies at this university. She has written articles devoted to the German cinema and social issues of women in international politics.

By initiative of Prof. Krzysztof Ruchniewicz, director of the CSNE, he and the director of the Public City Library of Wrocław (MBP), Andrzej Ociepa signed an agreement establishing close cooperation. The agreement stipulates the implementation of educational and popular scientific ventures through regular exchange of information about planned conferences, exhibitions and publications. The aim of the agreement are joinedly organized cultural events (for example exhibitions, book promotions, discussion panels, film shows, conferences) in the field of Polish-German relations and in the areas: history, sociology, culture and film, literature and politics, including those of most recent times, taking into consideration local history.

Additionally, the partners will promote the project sides and their staff, and in the context of librarian exchanges pass doublets and publications issued by both institutions. The Centre will be incorporated into the partnership program OK City Libraries. This agreement allows for the active involvement of the Centre in the mainstream popularization of knowledge about Polish-German relations, which is extremely important considering the historical cultural heritage of Wroclaw and its significance as a European Capital of Culture 2016, begins a long and fruitful cooperation of CSNE and MBP and opens new perspectives for both institutions.

The first joined venture of the CSNE and the MBP in Wrocław will be the organization of a meeting with the author Dorota Danielewicz-Kerski on 31st March, 2014 at 5 p.m., where she will present her book "Berlin. Guide to the soul of the city". The meeting will be chaired by Prof. Krzysztof Ruchniewicz (CSNE, Wrocław University).

More information about the meeting on the website: http://wbz.uni.wroc.pl/pl/aktualnosci/item/1080-berlin-przewodnik-po-duszy-miasta-spotkanie-autorskie-z-dorota-danielewicz-kerski.html
We welcome you!

Summer school of the University of Bonn.
European dialogue: United in diversity? A German-French-Polish Menage a trios
Apply now for the summer school!

Would you like to learn, discuss and to experience Bonn with students and professors from France, Germany and Poland for two weeks? Application for the summer school is still possible until 23rd March, 2014.
What kind of influence do cultural differences have on political conflicts and cooperations between Germany, France and Poland?
This is the opening question of the trinational summer school "European dialogue: United in diversity?", taking place from 1st to 13th July at the University of Bonn.

Scientists and students from five partner universities – besides Bonn the Universities Warsaw, Wrocław, Strassbourg and Paris-Sorbonne – will deal with similarities and differences between these three countries.
On the schedule are topics such as "External and European Images: Identity and Representation", "War, Peace and Resistance" and "European Crises and Solutions". The thematic work will be supplemented by workshops on intercultural communications, media projects and a diverse evening programme. German, Polish and French students of the participating partner universities who deal with Europe in their studies can take part.

There are mostly long lasting partnerships with the participating universities. By means of this summer school, for the first time an interdisciplinary network between the universities will be established. It will be developed and strengthened by more joint projects in the future.

The summer school is generously supported by the Erasmus-Programme of the European Commission and the German-French University.
More information on www.intensivprogramm.uni-bonn.de and europadialogbonn.wordpress.com

Application:
Please direct your application to Maren Rohe ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) until 23rd March with the following documents as an attached PDF:

• Short motivation letter (max. 1 page) with four thematic blocks in the order of your preference
• short curriculum vitae
• transcript of records
• certificate of German, French or Polish skills, if existent

The Willy Brandt Centre and the MBP kindly invite on 9th April, 2014, at 5 p.m., to an author's meeting with Brygida Helbig and the presentation of her book "Little Heaven".
The meeting is chaired by Prof. Krzysztof Ruchniewicz

The protagonist of the story, Marzena, lives in England, discovers the secrets of her family, analyzes her "homelessness" and looks for an identity. In her family she unveils the history of the Polish and German people, the history of human fates dominated by the ideas of socialism and Nazism. Slowly, she unravels the complicated lots of her great-grand-parents, parents and herself. Truth mixes with the necessity to uncover the truth, and reminiscences of the family with imagination. "Little Heaven" is a short tale, looking through the glass and discovering "treasures".

Brygida Helbig (Prof. Brigitta Helbig-Mischewski PhD habil.), born in Szczecin, is a writer and literary scholar. She works at the Polish-German Research Institute in the Collegium Polonicum in Słubicy (UAM Poznań, Viadrina), co-funded by Humboldt University in Berlin. She is the author of prose books such as "Those from the GDR and other people", nominated for the prize NIKE iGRYFIA, as well as about Maria Komornicka "Lost goddesses".

We kindly invite you to the meeting:
Date: 9th April, 2014, 5 p.m.
Place: Kawiarnia Literatka, Rynek 56/57, Wrocław

CSNE im. Willy'ego Brandta UWr, Biblioteka Turystyczna i Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna we Wrocławiu serdecznie zapraszają w dniu 31.03.14 o godz. 18.00 na spotkanie autorskie z Dorotą Danielewicz-Kerski i prezentację książki pt.: „Berlin. Przewodnik po duszy miasta".
Spotkanie poprowadzi: prof. Krzysztof Ruchniewicz (CSNE, UWr)

Książka składa się z niezależnych opowieści, które oprowadzają czytelnika po Berlinie, jego miejscach, pamięci i skojarzeniach.
Przewodnik jest wyjątkowy, bo czytając go nie tylko poznajemy, ale również słyszymy, smakujemy oraz odczuwamy sentymentalny i mroczny Berlin z przeszłości, a także ten współczesny - połączony zburzonym murem, energetyczny i wielokulturowy.
Dzięki magicznej narracji autorki wczuwamy się w historie rodowitych berlińczyków i emigrantów, a także twórców, których książki, filmy i utwory muzyczne zostały poświęcone Berlinowi.

Przewodnik jest wyrazem wrastania autorki w miasto i ukochania Berlina, który ma duszę.

Dorota Danielewicz-Kerski jest znaną dziennikarką i literaturoznawczynią, przez wiele lat była berlińską korespondentką sekcji polskiej radia RFI w Paryżu, a od 1997 r. współpracuje z rozgłośnią RBB i WDR w językach niemieckim i polskim, zajmując się przede wszystkim literaturą współczesną (miesięczny magazyn literacki w programie RBB Funkhaus Europa, przedtem Radio Multikulti) oraz tematami dotyczącymi kultury polskiej. Jest autorką licznych publikacji na łamach prasy polskiej i niemieckiej, od dłuższego czasu mieszka w Berlinie.

Serdecznie zapraszamy na spotkanie!
Data: 31.03.2014 r., o godz. 18.00
Miejsce: Biblioteka Turystyczna MBP, ul. Szewska 78, Wrocław