Appropriation and Revitalization. Negotiation Processes of the German-Jewish Cultural Heritage in Poland

• Applicants: Privatdozent Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Knufinke; Professorin Dr. Ruth Leiserowitz
• Subject Area: Modern and Contemporary History ; Architecture, Building and Construction History, Construction Research, Sustainable Building Technology
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 497279188

The project deals with Jewish ritual buildings and cemeteries, located in former German territories of contemporary Poland, as objects of a complex appropriation as "cultural heritage" by diverse groups and actors. Since the end of the II World War, the material Jewish heritage of Poland has been heterogeneous and therefore lends itself to an examination of different heritage strategies: Due to territorial shifts, it now includes objects and sites of Jewish communities in the core Polish regions as well as those in the former German territories. The special feature of the project is the examination of the subject of study from an interdisciplinary perspective (history, building history, monument preservation), as a result of the academic orientation of the project’s applicants. The main research methods will be case studies and interviews with various actors to investigate whether, when, in what way, and by whom the relics of Jewish culture, in this case, synagogue buildings and cemeteries, were and are included in the Polish cultural heritage. In particular, differences in appropriation, use, and representation between those objects with "German-Jewish" and "Polish-Jewish" derivation will be investigated, with a focus on the appraisal and analysis of the objects in the former German territories that have so far received comparatively little attention. In the planned study, great emphasis will be placed on a joint consideration of contemporary historical aspects, as well as aspects of architectural history and monument preservation in the interdisciplinary working group. The research questions are formulated as it follows: Which objects are preserved in which way? Which ritual buildings and cemeteries, as material relics of a historical Jewish community as a whole, are protected with which strategies? How preservation and reuse processes are discussed and perceived locally, regionally, and, if applicable, internationally? What role do Jewish actors, communities, and institutions play locally and internationally, and which national and supranational organizations are involved? What is the significance of the "revived" Jewish buildings for local populations and their "heritage consciousness"? Preliminary research enabled the identification of structures and facilities relevant for the research. Also, close cooperation has been agreed with organizations dealing with the preservation and use of the chosen facilities. The project’s goal is to develop a basis for further comparative work on other Jewish building heritage in Europe and worldwide and, in the context of the SPP, to contribute to the reflection of heritage strategies with regard to cultural sustainability. The project is therefore located in Cluster A. However, it also asks, in the sense of Cluster C, about the relevance of Jewish actors for building heritage and, vice versa, about its importance for the historical-cultural awareness of Jewish communities - in Poland and beyond it.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 2357: Jewish Cultural Heritage
• International Connection: Israel, Poland
• Cooperation Partners: Dr. Eleonora Bergman; Dr. Jerzy Krzysztof Kos; Vladimir Levin, Ph.D.