NEH Summer Institute - Deadline March 4, 2014

America’s East Central Europeans: Migration and Memory 

National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute for College & University Teachers 

Columbia University, East Central European Center June 8-29, 2014

This NEH Summer Institute looks at 20th century Baltic, Western Slavic, South Slavic, Hungarian, as well as Jewish immigration to the United States from East Central Europe. Twenty-five NEH Summer Scholars will come together on the campus of Columbia University with some fifty master teachers and community representatives to address three core questions: First, what are some of the methodological and conceptual issues we should consider in the study of the East Central European emigrations? Second, how can we define the particular characteristics, motivations, and experiences of these immigrants? Finally, can we create a narrative synthesis of the “East Central European Experience” in America that could be integrated into broader courses on politics and immigration, sociology, and ethnic studies?

 College teachers, independent scholars, museum curators, librarians and advanced graduate students are encouraged to apply for this competitive program. The application deadline is March 4, 2014, and successful applicants are notified March 31. Application information is available at NEHsummerinst.Columbia.edu or contact Co-Director Robert Davis (rhd2106@Columbia.edu) 212 854-4701.

 STIPEND, TENURE, AND CONDITIONS OF AWARD 

Individuals selected to participate will receive $2,700. Stipends are intended to help cover travel expenses to and from the project location, books and other research expenses, and ordinary living expenses. Stipends are taxable. Applicants to all projects, especially those held abroad, should note that supplements will not be given in cases where the stipend is insufficient to cover all expenses. Seminar and institute participants are required to attend all meetings and to engage fully as professionals in the work of the project. During the project’s tenure, they may not undertake teaching assignments or any other professional activities unrelated to their participation in the project. Participants who, for any reason, do not complete the full tenure of the project must refund a pro-rata portion of the stipend.

 At the end of the project’s residential period, NEH Summer Scholars will be asked to submit online evaluations in which they review their work during the summer and assess its value to their personal and professional development. These evaluations will become part of the project’s grant file. 

Above, “Czecho-Slovaks and Rumanians celebrating their independence in front of Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,” originally appearing in Robert Keating Smith’s The Czecho-Slovaks (New York: Board of Missions, n.d.), transcribed for Project Canterbury (http:// anglicanhistory.org) in 2008 by Wayne Kempton, Archivist and Historiographer of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this Web resource do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

JANUARY 27, 2014 - INTERNATIONAL DAY OF COMMEMORATION 

IN MEMORY OF THE VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST

On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops came into the largely empty death and concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Its prisoners were sent on the death march towards Germany. Only few were left behind. The United Nations selected this day to establish the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. The more time passes since the war, the more people want to forget or deny that it happened. It is important to remember.

Two Board members of PAHA published poetry blogs for this occasion:

 John Guzlowski: International Holocaust Remembrance Day, on his Open Salon Blog

 Maja Trochimczyk: Day of Remembrance at the United Nations and in Family History, on her Poetry Laurels Blog.

PAHA Announces its 2014 Awards at the 71st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

           

           PAHA President Thomas Napierkowski introduces Ambassador Ryszard Schnepf 
                         at the Opening Panel of PAHA 71st Meeting, with presenters, 
                           Dr. Maja Trochimczyk and Prof. Mary Patrice Erdmans.

On Friday, January 3, 2014 at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, the Polish American Historical Association announced the winners of the organization's annual awards.  The Awards Reception was hosted by Deputy Chief of Mission to the U.S., Minister-Counselor Maciej Pisarski.  The Ambassador of Poland, Dr. Ryszard Schnepf opened the deliberations of PAHA during its first session on Friday morning at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington D.C. In his welcoming remarks the Ambassador underlined the importance of the PAHA mission to promote research and disseminate Polish-American history and culture. He highlighted an improvement in cooperation between US-based researchers and academics from Poland, and encouraged PAHA members to take part in celebrating in the important historical anniversaries in 2014: the 100th birthday of Jan Karski, the legendary Polish resistance emissary who brought the first accounts of the Holocaust to the world, and the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising.  

   

At the Embassy, Poland's Minister-Counselor Maciej Pisarski welcomed the scholars and in his remarks emphasized the critical importance of historical research for Polish-American community in America and for Polish-American relations.  He reminded the audience about the important European anniversaries of 2014: the 25th anniversary of Poland's accession to the European Union and the 15th anniversary of membership in NATO.  

            Min. Pisarski welcomes PAHA, with Dr. Pien Versteegh, PAHA Executive Director.

PAHA President Thomas Napierkowski presided over the award ceremony. PAHA presented the annual Halecki Prize for the best book on a Polish American topic to Dr. Beth Holmgren, Professor of Slavic and Eurasian Studies, Slavic and Eurasian Studies Department Chair at Duke Universityfor her book "Starring Madame Modjeska: On Tour in Poland and America", the annual Haiman Award for sustained scholarly effort in the field of Polish American Studies to Dr. Dominic A. Pacyga, and the annual Swastek Prize for the best article appearing in Polish American Studies to Dr. Anna Mazurkiwicz from the University of Gdańsk, as well as many other awards listed below. We congratulate all the winners for their achievements and well-deserved recognition.

Prof. Beth Holmgren (R) with Dr. Maja Trochimczyk (L)

Oskar Halecki Prize 
“Recognizes an important book or monograph on the Polish experience in the United States”

Beth Holmgren, Starring Madame Modjeska: On Tour in Poland and America (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2012). 

Review by Maja Trochimczyk in the Polish American Studies (spring 2013) opens with: “this handsomely produced volume about Poland’s legendary actress is a must for every library and every Polonian home”. Kazimierz Braun who had authored a play devoted to Modjeska wrote: “this is an excellent and meticulously rendered book” (Modern Drama 56/2, 2013). Upon examination of the review copy provided by the publisher, the Awards Committee found the above-mentioned reviews very well grounded. In our opinion, this book deserves the Halecki Award for its merits and also bears the potential of promoting the story of Helena Modrzejewska (Modjeska) among Polish-Americans as well as Polish and Polish-American heritage among the larger, non-ethnic audiences in the U.S. Beth Holmgren is the Professor of Slavic and Eurasian Studies and Slavic and Eurasian Studies Department Chair at Duke University.

Mieczyslaw Haiman Award
 “Offered annually to an American scholar for sustained contribution to the study of Polish Americans”

Dominic Pacyga – Professor of History, Department of Humanities, History and Social Sciences at Columbia College Chicago

 Dr. Pacyga received his PhD in History from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1981. He has published extensively about Polish Americans - especially immigrant and working class Polish Americans and their descendants - and with a focus on Chicago. Dr. Pacyga has lectured and written widely on a variety of topics including the Polish-Americans whose members worked in the stockyards and steel mills. His Polish Immigrants and Industrial Chicago (1991) throws real light on their experiences. Dr. Pacyga was the recipient of the Oscar Halecki Award from the Polish American Historical Association and of the Catholic Book Award. In 1999, he received the Columbia College Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has been a visiting Professor at both the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago. In the spring of 2005, he was a Visiting Scholar in Campion Hall at Oxford University. Professor Pacyga is now in Kraków – as a Fulbright Lecturer at the Institute for American Studies and the Polish Diaspora, Jagiellonian University.

Amicus Poloniae Award
“Recognizes significant contributions enhancing knowledge of Polish and Polish-American heritage by individuals not belonging to the Polish-American community”

Peter Hetherington

Peter Hetherington is a geologist by profession and author of Unvanquished – already a widely-acclaimed book that through a dynamic narrative chronicles Joseph Pilsudski’s life with a “stunning detail and impressive depth” – as one reviewer put it. Published in 2012 this 752-page book brings Pilsudski to life and with him the history of Poland and the region. The book had two editions in one year! It has been favorably reviewed and endorsed (among others) by Zbigniew Brzeziński and Marek Jan Chodakiewicz and has already received a number of recognitions. Hetherington’s description of the book reads: “Although not of Polish ancestry, I have come to appreciate Pilsudski and the Polish people with zeal of a convert, and hope that in some small measure this book will increase awareness of Poland's rich cultural heritage and her important contributions to Western civilization." His interest, effort, input and efficacy with no support in the Slavic profession make him a perfect candidate for the award recognizing friends of Poland.

Creative Arts Award
„Recognizes the contributions in the field of creative arts by individuals or groups who have promoted an awareness of the Polish experience in the Americas”

Julian Stanczak 

A Polish-born painter and printmaker is being recognized for his 70-year career in the arts and education and his unique gift for painting and insight into visual perception. He and his family - he was only 12 years old at the time - were all forcibly removed by the Soviet military to Central Asia following the Nazi-Soviet invasion and conquest of Poland in 1939. Stanczak escaped from Siberia, via Persia and Uganda reached England and then United States where he received a BA from the Cleveland Institute of Art, and completed MFA at Yale. He has achieved wide acclaim and success despite the fact that since his incarceration in the USSR he’s permanently lost the use of his right arm (he used to be right-handed).

Julian Stanczak is recognized as one of the important pioneers in Op-Art. This term first appeared in print in Time magazine in October 1964 in response to Julian Stanczak's show Optical Paintings at the Martha Jackson gallery in New York. The year 2013-2014 has been announced “The Year of Stanczak Celebrations” by the Akron Museum of Art in Cleveland, the Museum of Art, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and the Kelvin Smith Library of Case Western Reserve University Lectures & Exhibitions.

PAHA President Thomas Napierkowski

Skalny Civic Achievement Awards

“Honor individuals or groups who advance PAHA's goals of promoting research and awareness of the Polish-American experience and/or have made significant contributions to Polish or Polish-American community and culture”

 Edward J. Dybicz United States Army veteran of the European Theatre of Operation during World War II (born 1923). Mr. Dybicz has been a tireless supporter of Polish and Polish-American activities in Pennsylvania and Delaware during the past fifty years. He has written numerous articles in the Polish American Journal and in the local newspapers, he is a member of the Polish-American Sacred Heart Church in Swedesburg, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 840 and the Disabled American Veterans Post 44. He is a member of the Montgomery County Historical Society and the Valley Forge Historical Society.

Susanne Lotarski formerly a Deputy Assistant Secretary and Director of office of Eastern Europe, Russia and Independent State, U.S. Department of Commerce, devotes her skills and energy to serving the Polish-Americans and strengthening the links between the U.S. and Poland. Widely recognized on both continents, she was selected for the award for her activism in the Polish community in Washington, DC, and her leadership in the Polish American Congress (she is the Vice President for Public Relations), unwavering service to the Polish Institute of Arts & Sciences, and for tireless organizing of conferences and workshops on various topics for scholars and students in the D.C. area.

Tony Muszynski is a founder and first Program Director of “Poland in the Rockies,” who served as President, and earlier as a Vice-President of the Polish Canadian Association of Calgary. He is Vice-President of both the Canadian Polish Congress (Western Canada) and the Canada-Poland Youth Internship Society. Muszynski works as an immigration lawyer, he leads the Athabasca Project for the Canadian Polish Congress, a project that has as its main goal significantly increasing skilled worker immigration to Canada from Europe.

Irene Tomaszewski, founding President of the Canadian Foundation for Polish Studies, she serves as Curriculum Director for the Canadian "Poland in the Rockies" summer educational program designed specifically for university students and young professionals. She is also the editor of I Am First a Human Being: The Prison letters of Krystyna Wituska and co-author of Zegota: The Rescure of Jews in Wartime Poland.

Wanda Urbanska (center-left) in conversation with 

representatives of Julian Stanczak and Bozena Nowicka-McLees

Wanda Urbanska – an author and television host mostly recognized for her program devoted to sustainable living called Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska. She has authored and co-authored nine books, published in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Natural Home, Mother Earth News and other papers. A blogger (atyourlibrary.org/wanda-urbanska) she is also a PR and political strategist. Dedicated to promoting the links between the U.S. and Poland, she was a Director of the Jan Karski U.S. Centennial Campaign. Its efforts culminated on May 29, 2012 as the Campaign succeeded in obtaining a Presidential Medal of Freedom for Polish Underground hero of World War II – Jan Karski. She is currently the President of the Jan Karski Educational Foundation.

The Polish Arts Club of Buffalo, Inc. founded almost 80 years ago (in 1945) is a non-profit organization that organizes an array of cultural programming (lectures, readings, musical and social events, film showings) to integrate, entertain and educate the Polish Americans as well as interested larger public about Poland’s culture and heritage. Members of the Arts Club meet at least once a month and hear talks on variety of topics related to Polish and Polish-American art, culture, and history. They periodically organize concerts, art shows, invite visiting scholars to their Club and even organize annual biesiadas in honor of their outstanding community members. Furthermore, they have devoted a considerable effort to preservation and promotion of the murals by Jozef Slawinski (the sgraffito technique) in the Buffalo-Niagara region. Always open to new contacts and expanding their network, in 2013 the PAC of Buffalo Inc. helped to organize PAHA midyear meeting in Buffalo and invited James Pula to give a talk to their members.

Prof. Anna Jaroszynska-Kirchmann with Dr. Theodore Zawistowski 

Distinguished Service Award 
“Given occasionally to a member of PAHA who has rendered valuable and sustained service to the organization”

Anna Jaroszyńska-Kirchmann

She is PAHA’s former President (2007-2009), and first Vice President (2004-2007), a former member of Awards Committee, Associate Editor of the Polish American Encyclopedia (ed. by James Pula), serves on the editorial board of Polish American Studies. Anna Jaroszyńska-Kirchmann teaches at the Eastern Connecticut State University, continuously rendering excellent service to PAHA; PAHA board member for many years she’s been instrumental in developing new strategies, alert in PAHA’s PR activities. Recipient of many prestigious awards –Anna Jaroszyńska-Kirchmann has devoted her time and her skill to the organization caring for the study and promotion of the Polish-American history and culture with visible, positive results.

Swastek Prize
“Awarded annually for the best article published in a given volume of Polish American Studies, the journal of the Polish American Historical Association”

 Anna Mazurkiewicz, "'Join, or Die'--The Road to Cooperation Among East European Exiled Political Leaders in the United States, 1949-1954."

The voters commented that this was “a meticulously researched article that was also well articulated so as to readily read by the type of general audience that Studies attracts. The Board found this to be an excellent treatment of an important subject in the recent history of Poland and Polonia that was solidly grounded in a wealth of original archival research. The questions raised in the article are appropriate and the analysis persuasive.”

Graduate Student Research Paper Awards
“Recognize outstanding research into Polish-American history and culture by a young scholar in the humanities or social sciences”

1. Marta Cieslak (Transnational Studies Department, SUNY at Buffalo), "Crossing the Boundaries of Modernity: The Transatlantic Journey of Polish Peasants to the United States."

This paper explores the pre-World War I transatlantic migration of Polish peasants to the United States and positions them within the transnational hierarchies of race, ethnicity and class, which, it argues, enabled the impoverished rural Poles to finally turn from the losers of modernity to its beneficiaries.

 2. Piotr Derengowski (Department of History, University of Gdansk, Poland), "Capt. Alexander Raszewski's Polish Legion and Other Less Known Polish Troops in the Union Army During the American Civil War."

 This paper argues that the involvement of Poles in the Civil War was significant, and though organization of a entirely Polish unit during the war proved to be impossible, many units were either organized by Poles, or were called “Polish.” Had it not been for their dispersion - the author writes - there were enough Poles to raise several regiments, or possibly even a brigade.

 Both students attended the awards reception and presented their papers at the conference. Piotr Derengowski has just successfully defended his Doctoral Dissertation. Marta Cieslak will be finishing her work this year. Both awardees are Polish, one works on Polish American topics in Poland – one in the U.S.

Attendees of the Awards Ceremony (L to R). Front: Maja Trochimczyk, Anna Mazurkiewicz, Neal Pease, Wanda Urbanska, Susan Lotarski, Grazyna Kozaczka, Ambassador Rowny,Deputy Chief of Mission to the US, Minister-Counselor Maciej Pisarski, Anna Jaroszynska Kirchman, Helen Napierkowski, Beth Holmgren, Grazyna Zebrowska, Representatives of the Polish Club of Buffalo, Pien Versteegh. Back: Stanley Kozaczka, James Pula, M.B.B. Biskupski, Mary Patrice Erdmans, Tom Napierkowski, Ted Zawistowski, Tom Duszak, Marta Cieslak, Piotr Derengowski, Peter Hetherington, and other guests.

Washington, D.C. in January? Program of PAHA 2014 Conference

PAHA 2014 Annual Meeting Program
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, 2660 Woodley Rd NW
Washington, D.C., DC 20008, 202-328-2000
Registration

Program of Events:

On January 3 and 4, 2014, one of Polonia’s most venerable organizations will hold its Annual Meeting at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington D.C. The conference will gather over 30 scholars presenting their current research during eight scholarly sessions dedicated to such topics as: Protest and Exile, Polish Immigrant and Ethnic Women, Between the Revolutionary War and World War II, Polish Immigrant and Ethnic Identities, Religious Leaders and Communities, and Stories of World War II. Individual presenters will discuss: Pułaski’s burial, Polish troops in the American Civil War, General Bolesław Wieniawa-Długoszowski, Pope John Paul II in America, World War II mementos and family histories, Polish children in exile, Polish-Jewish émigré composers and their inclusion into Polish music history, writings by women, American support for Warsaw in 1944, Polish-American press in Canada and the U.S., careers of second generation émigrés, Polish documents at the Library of Congress, dialects in Polish folk theater, and much more.

A special book forum will be dedicated to Mieczysław B.B. Biskupski’s The United States and the Rebirth of Poland, 1914–18 (with comments by noted historians Prof. Neal Pease, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and Prof. James Pula, Purdue University North Central). The Conference will end with a screening of Mariusz Kotkowski’s Pola Negri: Life is a Dream in Cinema held on Saturday, January 4, 2014: 5:30 PM at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Jefferson Room. PAHA Annual Awards for research in the field of Polish American Studies will be announced during the Annual Awards Banquet on Friday, January 3, 2014. 

PAHA Annual Board Meeting
Thursday, January 2, 2014: 3:30 PM-5:30 PM
Marriott Wardman Park, Taft Room

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PAHA Registration Desk
Friday, January 3, 2014: 8:00 AM-2:30 PM
Marriott Wardman Park, Registration Counter A

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Protest and Exile
Friday, January 3, 2014: 8:30 AM-10:00 AM
Marriott Wardman Park, Taft Room
Chair: John Radzilowski, University of Alaska Southeast 

Papers:
"In America Forever or Only a Short Time": Brotherhood of Dispersed Solidarity Members
Mary Patrice Erdmans, Case Western Reserve University

Jewish Composers of Polish Music in 1943
Maja Trochimczyk, Moonrise Press

"On or Before January 1, 1972": Detente and the American East European Exile Programs
Anna Mazurkiewicz, University of Gdansk

Comment: The Audience

Review of a 1943 Performance of Aleksander Tansman's Polish Rhapsody.

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Polish Immigrant and Ethnic Women
Friday, January 3, 2014: 10:30 AM-12:00 PM
Marriott Wardman Park, Taft Room
Chair: Maja Trochimczyk, Moonrise Press 

Papers:
What Women Wrote: Polish American Women Readers and Their Letter in Ameryka-Echo, 1902–69
Anna Jaroszynska-Kirchmann, Eastern Connecticut State University

Monica Krawczyk's Rebellious Women
Grazyna Kozaczka, Cazenovia College

Case Study of a c. 1912 Polish Immigrant: The Story of Ludovica Baldyga of Zalas, Poland and Clinton, Mass
Barbara Pulaski, Mount Ida College
Francis Wolenski, Millennium Pharmaceutical Co.

Comment: Mary Patrice Erdmans, Case Western Reserve University

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Between the Revolutionary War and World War II
Friday, January 3, 2014: 2:30 PM-4:30 PM
Marriott Wardman Park, Taft Room
Chair: Anna Mazurkiewicz, University of Gdansk

Papers:
I Have a Bone to Pick: A Study of the Evidence for the Pulaski Burial
James Pula, Purdue University North Central

Captain Alexander Raszewski's Polish Legion and Other Lesser Known "Polish" Troops during the Civil War
Piotr Derengowski, University of Gdansk

Frantic 7 and the American Resupply Mission to Besieged Warsaw, 1944
John Radzilowski, University of Alaska Southeast

General Boleslaw Wieniawa-Dlugoszowski: The Last True Cavalry Officer of the Twentieth Century
Charles Chotkowski, Piast Institute

Comment: The Audience

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Polish Immigrant and Ethnic Identities
Friday, January 3, 2014: 2:30 PM-4:30 PM
Marriott Wardman Park, Taylor Room
Chair: Mary Cygan, University of Connecticut at Storrs 

Papers:
Mediating Nationalism: The Case of Gazeta Katolicka in Interwar Canada
Gabriela Pawlus Kasprzak, University of Toronto Scarborough

Career Patterns of Second Generation Polish Migrants in the United States, 1900–30
Pien Versteegh, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences

Respecting the Past, Embracing the Future: A Study of Polish American Public Opinion
Thaddeus Radzilowski, Piast Institute
Dominik Stecula, University of British Columbia

Confronting the Dynamic of American Polonia's Sands of Time
Anthony Bajdek, Northeastern University

Comment: The Audience 

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Awards Banquet (by invitation only)
Friday, January 3, 2014: 7:00 PM-9:30 PM
Embassy of the Republic of Poland
2640 16th St NW
Washington, DC 20009 

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PAHA Registration Desk
Saturday, January 4, 2014: 8:00 AM-2:30 PM
Marriott Wardman Park, Registration Counter A

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Polish and Polish American Religious Leaders and Communities
Saturday, January 4, 2014: 9:00 AM-11:00 AM
Marriott Wardman Park, Taft Room
Chair: Theodore Zawistowski, Pennsylvania State University 

Papers:
Building the Community: Oblates in the Canadian Polonia
Michal Kasprzak, Ryerson University

Poland's John Paul II: Pope and Cold Warrior in the Americas
Julia L. Sloan, Cazenovia College

Reverend Wincenty (Vincent) Barzynski, C.R.: A Nineteenth Century Transformative Leader for Chicago Polonia
Michael Dziallo, Westchester Public Schools

Comment: The Audience

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Seventy-Five Years Later, Stories of World War II Emerge from Polonia's Basement
Saturday, January 4, 2014: 9:00 AM-11:00 AM
Marriott Wardman Park, Taylor Room
Chair: Mary Patrice Erdmans, Case Western Reserve University 

Papers:
The Power of Identity: Polish Children in Exile
Wesley Adamczyk, independent scholar

The Wall Speaks Project
Wojtek Sawa, Warsaw Academy of Advertising

Polish Legacy Project: World War II
Andy Golebiowski, Independent Photojournalist

Comment: The Audience

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Polish Diaspora in America
Saturday, January 4, 2014: 11:30 AM-1:30 PM
Marriott Wardman Park, Taft Room
Chair: Pien Versteegh, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences 

Papers:
Polish History Sources in the Library of Congress's Manuscript Division
Frederick J. Augustyn, Library of Congress

Ken Parejko's Remember Me Dancing: A Literary and Historical Record of the Stara Emigracja
Thomas Napierkowski, University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Crossing the Boundaries of Modernity: The Transatlantic Journey of Polish Peasants to the United States
Marta Cieslak, University at Buffalo (State University of New York)

Our Own Language: Ceremony, Performance, and Dialect in the Polish Folk Theater
Mary Cygan, University of Connecticut at Storrs

Comment: The Audience

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Book Forum: The United States and the Rebirth of Poland, 1914–18
Saturday, January 4, 2014: 2:30 PM-4:30 PM
Marriott Wardman Park, Taft Room
Chair: M. B. B. Biskupski, Central Connecticut State University

Comment:
Neal Pease, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
James Pula, Purdue University North Central 

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Pola Negri: Life is a Dream in Cinema
Saturday, January 4, 2014: 5:30 PM
Marriott Wardman Park, Jefferson Room
Chair: Mariusz Kotowski, independent filmmaker 

Polish Brigade at the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg

The celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg was expected to be special. All historical organizations interested in Civil War have been invited: thousands of invitations were sent to reconstruction groups, the media, writers and Civil War enthusiasts from all around the world. The organizers have made a huge effort to prepare the staging of three of the bloodiest days in the history of the United States. We knew we could not miss it.

One of our goals when we started as a reenactment group in Poland in 2008 was a trip to the United States to participate in celebrations of the anniversary of this battle. Then it seemed quite unreal, but we made it – the 14th volunteer infantry regiment from Louisiana, The Polish Brigade, consisting of five soldiers, including one non-commissioned officer, arrived in Gettysburg, took part in the battle and went down in history...

For the re-enactment of the battle more than 20 thousand reenactors arrived from all fifty states and 16 countries, mainly from Europe. Among the foreigners, I have met some Germans that I knew from European ACW reconstruction events. We also met the Italians, who, like us, recreated 14th Regiment of Louisiana. In our unit there served many foreigners, so do we not surprised that our Italian colleagues decided to reconstruct that very regiment. Also there were not many units in the armies of Confederation that could boast of such spectacular achievements as the Polish Brigade. The sites for the reconstruction battle and camps for the two armies were located just a few miles from the Gettysburg National Military Park, among some small overgrown hills and rolling meadows.

It was difficult to count the encampments of individual regiments, brigades, divisions. You could get lost in an anthill of tents scattered over the vast stretches of meadows and forests. In addition to the infantry camps there were also separate camps for the cavalry (more than 300 horses!) and artillery (close to 200 cannons). This all created an atmosphere of a big military camp. As the eye could see soldiers everywhere strolled in ragged gray or navy blue uniforms, the sounds of drums could be heard in the distance, singing, shouted hoarse commands, whinnying of horses, rattling of cannon wheels on bumpy tracks and sounds of gunshots.

Together we prepared meals, cared for weapons, fireplace and high morale of our troops. . . Band of Brothers, thrown somewhere in the Pennsylvania woods waiting for orders. Walking around the camp I got to know people in different shades of uniforms, Confederate and Unionists. Many of them started their adventure with reconstruction over 40 years ago. During the entire event we fought in several decisive skirmishes influencing the course of action of the battle, such as this so important for us attempt to take Culp's Hill. There was also fight on the Wheat Field, for the Devil's Cave and the famous Pickett's attack. There were also cavalry clashes. Also the artillerymen, to the dismay of local residents, conducted artillery duels over the heads of the huddled soldiers, which lasted for hours. Day after day, no matter the weather – deadly heat or rain, we stood in long marching columns, with full pouches and canteens, ready to fight.

The organizers stood up to the challenge to recreate as faithfully as possible each individual battle. In my opinion, the Pickett attack and the attempt to take Little Round Top must have been very close to the authentic historical events (except for the casualties, of course). We set off in the morning to the hardships of the campaign and we came battered back before evening. We drank gallons of water and we cooled the heads and necks with ice.

During the fighting, smoke stung mercilessly in the eyes and visibility was limited to 20 meters due to heavy fire. Through the smoke the shouts and harsh commands of the officers were heard, their curses mixed with artillery fire and soldiers’ screams. People were falling down in large numbers and crawled for cover against enemy fire.

Behind the battle line, couriers on horseback systematically delivered new orders from headquarters to the officers. We heard ominous explosions, which pressed us to the ground and threw our banners. We marched in ranks to the fortified positions of the Yankees and performed intricate regiment maneuvers in regiments counting a few hundred people. We hid in the ditches or dense woodlands from the rifle fire. We repeatedly tried to take the Little Round Top. Suffering heavy losses again and again, we were driven back. The terrain was unfavorable for the charge, in dense undergrowth and under intense fire we had to wade through the thickets several meters uphill. Little remained of my regiment. I myself, in the fifth or sixth attempt to take the hill I fell wounded, sank onto a fallen tree. Sweat poured into my eyes and the rifle barrel burned my hands. The canteen was empty. Moments later the Unionists led a counterattack with bayonets fighting off my comrades. Somehow I have avoided captivity and despite exhaustion managed to sneak to my regiment. A lot of time had passed before I could breathe evenly again.

On the last day of the event we took part in a breathtaking Pickett's Charge. All our brigades have developed into three long, deep lines. With the support of our artillery fire, with developed banners we marched on the Union troops’ fortified positions. Despite heavy losses and fatigue, me and my Polish colleague as the only ones from our regiment managed to cross the wall and start hand to hand combat. The rest of our comrades lied on the foreground, some were "wounded" or "killed" and some withdrew to regroup. My companion fell moments later, and I had been cut down to the ground by an overgrown artilleryman. I heard above me: “Come with me ... and live!” and I saw the massive silhouette of the first sergeant. I was taken prisoner by the non-commissioned officer from the 72th Regiment of New York. We quickly became friends and since then we e-mail each other frequently...

"Corpses" on both sides lied densely, but fortunately, apart from scratches and bruises, there was no real and serious damage. After each clash, the Blues and the Grays congratulated themselves on the involvement and training, patted each other on the back and a friendly spread out to their camps. We regained strength an hour after the fight and the camp life was alive again. The Confederate songs were heard and the smell of fried food wafted in the air. It was time to clean weapons, exchange views and prepare for the next battle. I will never forget a very touching moment when we were bidden farewell by one of the veterans from Kentucky who had tears in his eyes. He could not hide his emotions when he learned that we traveled so many thousands of miles, just to take part in the celebration of the anniversary.

Although we were not able to change the course of history, we left the battlefield satisfied. Common interests unite people, regardless of country or origin. During these few days spent in and around Gettysburg we made friends with many of the Grey and the Blue.

By Piotr Narloch
_________________________________

Note from the Editor, Maja Trochimczyk:

Reprinted from Polish American Historical Association Newsletter, Fall 2013 pp. 12-13.
Photographs provided by Piotr Narloch. Used by permission.
Prof. James Pula gave a paper at the Gettysburg Conference and his report from the event will be published in the next issue of the newsletter.

Conference Program and Other News

PAHA ANNUAL MEETING - WASHINGTON, D.C., JANUARY 2-4, 2014

We are looking forward to meeting you in Washington, D.C. at PAHA’s Annual Meeting on January 2-4, 2014.  The conference will take place at Marriott Wardman Park, 2660 Woodley Rd NW, Washington, D.C., DC 20008. Phone: (202) 328-2000. 

The program of PAHA’s 2014 Annual Meeting has been posted on PAHA’s website and can be accessed at:

 http://www.polishamericanstudies.org/Program.html

Our program is also available through the AHA website and can be searched by the presenter’s name, the title of the presentation, by the affiliated society, etc.:

http://aha.confex.com/aha/2014/webprogram/start.html

You can register for the PAHA meeting at:

http://www.polishamericanstudies.org/registration.html

And pay PAHA’s annual membership dues at:

http://www.press.uillinois.edu/journals/pas/subscription.html

You may also pay the conference fees with a check made to Polish American Historical Association (write Conference 2014 on the note line), or you may use any major credit card.  The mail-in registration form was enclosed with the PAHA Newsletter. If you do not have it and still want to register provide the following information with your payment: 

NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE BADGE

PAHA REGISTRATION PAYMENT

2014 Conference Registration Fee: $20.00. NOTE: If you want to attend the American Historical Association meeting, you must also register with AHA.	REGISTRATION $20.00
2014 Awards Reception – Free, courtesy of the Polish Embassy. RSVP to attend	⎕Yes or  ⎕No
PAHA Annual Dues. Your dues must  be up-to-date to attend. Check or circle one.    ⎕Student: $25.00     ⎕ Individual: $40.00      ⎕Household: $50.00   ⎕Institution: $98.00   ⎕ Patron:   $100.00       ⎕Lifetime Individual: $500.00	PAHA 2014 DUES $______________
Make a donation to PAHA. We appreciate any and all donations.         ⎕$50.00        ⎕$100.00      ⎕$250.00        ⎕$500.00        ⎕Other $	DONATION $_____________
TOTAL AMOUNT	$_____________

Make your payment using a check payable to Polish American Historical Association and mail it by December 15, 2013 to: 2014 Conference, PAHA at Central Connecticut State University, 1615 Stanley St., New Britain, CT 06050.  

PAHA NEWSLETTER AND JOURNAL

Both the PAHA Newsletter and the Polish American Studies have been mailed to the members. You should have received your copy by now.  The following issues of both publications will be produced in about six months.  

Send your personal news items, articles, book reviews for the PAHA Newsletter to Dr. Maja Trochimczyk, Editor, maja@moonrisepress.com

Submit your articles for PAHA peer-reviewed journal Polish American Studies to the Editor, Prof. James Pula, jpula@pnc.edu.

Some Polish-American and Slavic Journals

PAHA Members and friends are typically familiar with the Association's own journal, The Polish American Studies, edited by James Pula, and with the Polish Review of the sister organization, Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences.  The Slavic Review is also widely recognized.  Below is a sampling of notable periodicals, print and online, that publish material about Polonia.

The SARMATIAN REVIEW ON POLISH & POLISH AMERICAN AFFAIRS

Sarmatian Review is an academic tri-quarterly on Polish and Polish American affairs. It is available by subscription (Harvard and Stanford subscribe to it). Its website is hosted by Rice University (www.ruf.rice.edu/~sarmatia). Back issues are free of charge and are available at the above address. Last year’s issues include a seminal article on the tradition of Polish Republicanism by Krzysztof Koehler (UKST, Poland), an analysis of Polish political strategies by Gen. Walter Jajko (IWP, Washington, DC), a bold analysis of Czeslaw Milosz’s and Tadeusz Gajcy’s poetry by Brigitte Gautier (University of Lille, France), and a splendid prose translation of Adam Mickiewicz’s Pan Tadeusz (in installments) by Christopher Zakrzewski (Our Lady Seat of Wisdom, Canada). There are also book reviews in each issue, as well as a unique SR Data section. SR was conceived by a group of American Polish scholars who noted a remarkable absence of Polish points of view in American scholarly periodicals. SR is aware of the requirements of scholarly objectivity, but the choice of topics and epistemological assumptions of writers defy these requirements. SR is a periodical for people who desire serious discussion of Polish affairs and are willing to make an effort to participate in it. If you like SR, please click “Like” on our FB page (Sarmatian Review - Polish Institute of Houston). Thanks!

COSMOPOLITAN REVIEW: A TRANSATLANTIC REVIEW OF THINGS POLISH, IN ENGLISH

 A transatlantic quarterly for people who like to read, write and think about Poland… in English. CR covers a broad range of topics: books, art, theatre, films, education, media, and contemporary life, as well as style in all forms - including architecture, fashion and food. Commentary, whether expressed in op-ed, interviews or conversations, communicates ideas among Poles and non-Poles alike, bridging expats in Poland with the Polish diaspora worldwide and the growing number of Poles in the “Heart of Europe” who enjoy reading in English. CR provides a home for readers and writers to share views, often leavened with a touch of humor, about the many challenges and joys of being Polish: the language, the names, the tough 20th century, the best poetry and the bravest men and women in the world, the North American passion for folk dancing, the faith and the irreverence, music both classical and jazz, and just plain tenacity. More information: www.cosmopolitanreview.com

SLAVIC AND EAST EUROPEAN FOLKLORE ASSOCIATION & THE FOLKLORICA JOURNAL

 The Slavic and East European Folklore Association is devoted to an exchange of knowledge among scholars interested in Slavic and East European Folklore. SEEFA promotes instruction and research in Slavic and East European folklore, organizes panels on the subject at national and international conferences, encourages the preparation of teaching materials and translations, and fosters exchanges. The Association’s journal is Folklorica and is available by subscriptions (3 years) and digital archives. More information: www.seefa.org 

AATSEEL AND SLAVIC AND EAST EUROPEAN JOURNAL

 The American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages (AATSEEL), founded in 1941, exists to advance the study and promote the teaching of Slavic and East European languages, literatures, and cultures on all educational levels, elementary through graduate school. While the largest proportion of its activities and members concentrate in the area of Russian, AATSEEL has from the beginning stressed that it embraces all Slavic and East European languages, literatures, linguistics and cultures. AATSEEL holds an annual conference in January of each year; its publications include the Slavic and East European Journal (four times a year) and the AATSEEL Newsletter (four times a year). www.aatseel.org

My Father's Trip to Poland in 1936 - By Phyllis Zych Budka

In 2008, as I prepared for my second trip to Poland, I opened an old wooden box containing my Father’s things. In it was a diary of his summer 1936 Poland trip along with other Polish‐American Scouts and Scout leaders. He was 23 years old at that time. Included in the box was a flier advertising the trip:

We believe that when these youth come to know the fatherland of their ancestors, they will come to love it and come to respect it and have within them a deep unbreakable feeling of connection to the blood, culture and spirit of Poland from afar. And then, when their love for everything Polish flows into their hearts, this youth will understand the importance of standing on free land and tradition here in Washington and to protect and to build upon the beautiful heritage of their forefathers in the form of Polish organizations, newspapers, churches and schools.

My Father, Stanley Jacob Zych, was a Scout Leader with Council 53 of the Polish National Alliance (PNA) on Crane Street in Schenectady, New York. He was born in 1913 in Schenectady of immigrant parents from Nowy Targ, Poland. Dad and fellow Schenectadian Mary Pieszczoch were the “special envoys” selected to represent the PNA on this trip.

Budka's father in a group  photo during their Polish travels.

They sailed in early July from New York City on the M.S. Batory ocean‐liner along with more than 100 other young Americans. The first brief stop was Copenhagen, Denmark. On July 10th, the group landed in Gdynia, Poland. After touring that port city, they visited Poznań, Częstochowa, Zakopane, Kraków, Wieliczka, Lwów and Warsaw. Their final destination was Camp Brenna, Śląsk. The list of their names and travel plans were published in a booklet, “Jedziemy do Polski” (We are going to Poland; Karol Burke, Drukiem Dziennika Związkowego, Chicago, Il, 1936).

Batory enters the harbor in Gdynia

In the summer of 2008, I served as a teacher volunteer at the Kościuszko Foundation – UNESCO English Language Immersion Camp in Kraków, Poland. For 3 weeks, 17 Americans, many, like myself, of Polish heritage, and more than 100 high school students from all over Poland, lived, studied and laughed together. In my suitcase was a copy of the pages from my Father’s trip diary. He documented his two weeks at the Scout camp in Brenna, Śląsk, southern Poland, mostly in English, with parts in Polish. My Father was fluent in Polish. As Language Immersion Camp newspaper editor I requested that my homeroom students transcribe the English or translate from Polish these diary pages for publication. That process sparked my interest in the details of the 1936 trip:

July 13th, 1936, Place: Częstochowa and somewhere between Częstochowa and Nowy Targ: We arrived at 5.45 AM by buses at Jasna Góra. Near the gateway, we met our procession and came into the church to the altar of Częstochowa Holy Mother (sometimes called the Black Madonna). A priest blessed us. Next we visited Skarbiec Jasnogórski where there are a lot of different old buildings. Next we went to a monastery for breakfast. After breakfast, buses took us to the railway and we went to Zakopane. At 10:00 AM, we passed through a beautiful area. About midday we arrived at the railway station in Kraków and soon set out on a journey. About 6:00 PM we passed through Nowy Targ. I stopped here so I could meet my family. I slept at Wincenty Kolasa’s home.

July 14th, 1936, Place: Zakopane: At 8:30 in the morning we took the train to Zakopane. We went to the Hotel Limka and had breakfast. At 10:00 AM we took buses to Morskie Oko and saw the Paderewski waterfall; next we climbed to the top of the mountain and saw Black Lake.

July 26th , 1936 Sunday, Place: Camp Brenna, Śląsk: We arrived in camp at 10:00 AM and had army coffee and hot dogs. Got right down to business putting up tents. I spent the rest of the day building beds, grub racks also swimming Pool. Went out on general food strike. Won out the point. Had Tough Camp officer. Breaking him in slowly.

Batory Stamp from Poland

My own awareness that the trip was a special experience for my Father came in 1986. Trip participants held a “50th Anniversary P.N.A. Batory Cruise Reunion” on Saturday, September 20, 1986, in Chicago. By that time, my Father had been disabled for many years and could not attend. But in that old wooden box is a large “Get‐Well Wishes For Someone Special” card full of good wishes from reunion attendees. It must have been a great trip!

_______________________

This post is reprinted from PAHA Newsletter, Spring 2011, p. 6-7.