In the picturesque Lubuskie region, among woods of south-west Poland, participants of “In Between?” project encountered the rich heritage of Polish-German neighborhood history as well as signs of vast migration which touched this region after the Second World War.
Anna Zubko, Karen Nikiforov and Mariya Vasylyeva from Ukraine, Christoph Jakubowsky from Germany together with Kinga Czechowska and Ksenia Wilaszek from Poland conducted interviews with representatives of various ethnicities which inhabit Lubuskie region nowadays. Participants also digitalized many interesting and valuable archival materials hidden hitherto in family archives.
During the first day of the study visit the group went on an excursion to the most interesting places of the region which represent its multicultural background. The trip included visits in vineyard in Łaz, old Catholic and Evangelical churches in Klępsk, Kosieczyn and Chlastwa, Evangelical cementary in Brójce and Cistercian abbey in Paradyż.
The next days were dedicated to interviews with 13 families representing Polish Bukovinians in Ochla, indigenous Poles in Nowe Kramsko, Ukrainians in Szprotawa and Zielona Góra, Roma people in Zawada and Greeks in Nowa Sól. Participants received warm welcome and had an opportunity to collect valuable stories and documents.
The study trip in Lubuskie region wouldn’t have happened without great input of Anitta Maksymowicz from the Lubusz Land Museum and Dorota Bazuń from the University of Zielona Góra. We would also like to thank Ms. Maria Waligóra from Nowe Kramsko and Ms. Stefania Jawornicka from the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine in Zielona Góra for their extraordinary hospitality.