Valdosta State University Conference to Celebrate 100 Years of Poland's Regained Independence

Conference Celebrating the Centennial of Poland’s Rebirth in Georgia

Valdosta – Students, faculty, and local citizens attended a conference celebrating the centennial of Poland’s rebirth on 9 November 2018.  Sponsored by the History Department of Valdosta State University (VSU), it was also supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington D.C., the Polish American Historical Association, the Kosciuszko Foundation, and the Faculty of History, University of Gdańsk (UG).

The conference featured four components:  academic papers, a Polish lunch and trivia game, a student essay competition, and a film screening.  Organized by visiting professor Anna Mazurkiewicz (UG) and John Dunn (VSU), their goal was to provide an introduction to Poland’s history and culture.  This started with a collection of posters graciously provided by the Polish Embassy in Washington.  These gave a real sense of the tremendous strides made by Poland in the last 30 years, along with enticing images that encourage students to consider a study abroad experience in 2019.

Mazurkiewicz established a focus of academic presentations, one that showed how America responded to crises in Polish history.  The keynote speaker, Dr. Neal Pease, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (UWM), started with a concise look at why Poland’s rebirth was important in an international context.  Dunn followed up with an account of Paul Eve, the only native-born American who served with insurgents during the November Insurrection (1831), while Dr. Mathew Adams, Savannah State University, told of the many American connections to Poland’s 1918-1921 struggles, ranging from the Grey Samaritans to the Kościuszko Squadron.  The academic papers concluded with Mazurkiewicz explaining 1980s America’s part in “Poland’s way out of Communism.”

With a sense that students were still hungry for knowledge about Poland, the next component featured an east-central European lunch.  Guests were offered barszcz, bigos (regular and vegan), piernik and of course pierogi. Dr. Yakov Woldman, VSU Chemistry, earned a special distinction for making 100 of the pierogi Russian style, while Ewa Barczyk gained honor for bringing a suitcase full of pierogi and sausage from Milwaukee.  An hour later, only a few slices of bread remained on the tables.

Barczyk, former director of the Library at UWM continued support for the conference by allowing students to submit encyclopedia entries for her upcoming book, A Guide to Polish Historical Sites in North America.  Two students produced entries worthy of reward:  Ms. Logan Mabey of Georgia, and Ms. Aylar M Chijayeva, a native of Turkmenistan.  Both obtained a certificate, plus an award of $50.

The conference concluded with a screening of the Fourth Partition.  This 2013 documentary directed by Adrian Prawica, tells the story of Polish emigration to America, all the way back to Jamestown.  Following this, select participants enjoyed a celebratory banquet.  Rumor has it Żubrówka, complete with bison grass, may have been served.

Participants judged the conference a success, as it helped cement the already good relations between Gdańsk and Valdosta Universities.  Future plans include continuing exchanges of professors and students, while furthering a mutual interest in Polish History.