Jan Karski Exhibition at the United Nations in New York

A new exhibition about Jan Karski, The World Knew - Jan Karski’s Mission for Humanity will open to the public on January 22, 2013 at 6:00 PM at the United Nations Visitor’s lobby in New York, NY (1^st Avenue, between 45^th and 46^th Street). 

This visually captivating presentation will walk you through Jan Karski’s life, his wartime ordeals and his noble mission to stir the conscience of world leaders about war atrocities in Nazi-occupied Poland.  The exhibition was produced by the Polish History Museum in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, the Polish Mission to the United Nations and the Jan Karski Educational Foundation. 

This exhibition is a part of UN 2013 Holocaust Remembrance Events, built around the theme “Rescue during the Holocaust: The Courage to Care.” The exhibit will be on display until February 18, 2013. 

 Space for the opening ceremony on January 22 is limited* so you NEED TO REGISTER online at:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dG1pSG8xaDZvS1gyVlhWbU1jNUV1R1E6MQ#gid=0

For more information about the exhibit go to:

http://www.polishculture-nyc.org/index.cfm?eventId=2047

*Please allow at least 10 minutes for security clearance at door.

PAHA 2013 Awards Winners

The Annual Meeting of PAHA in New Orleans was very successful. The following individuals received PAHA Awards 2013 for their contribution to Polish American communities and the field of Polish American studies in 2012.

PAHA 2013 AWARDEES

1. Oskar Halecki Prize - Dr. Brian McCook

THE POLISH AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION  In Recognition of an Outstanding Scholarly Work on the Polish Experience in the United States is Pleased to Confer Upon Dr. Brian McCook The Oscar Halecki Prize  

2. Mieczyslaw Haiman Award - Dr. Richard Lukas

THE POLISH AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION  In Recognition of Exceptional and SSustained Contributions to the Study of Polish-Americans is Pleased to Confer Upon  Dr. Richard Lukas The Mieczyslaw Haiman Award   

3. Joseph Swastek Award - Dr. M. Momryk

THE POLISH AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION  In Recognition of an Outstanding Scholarly Contribution to Polish American Studies is Pleased to Confer Upon Dr. M. Momryk The Joseph Swastek Prize   

4. Distinguished Service Award - Dr. Thaddeus Gromada and the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in America

THE POLISH AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION  In Recognition of Valuable and Sustained Service to the Association is Pleased to Confer Upon Dr. Thaddeus Gromada and the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in America The Distinguished Service Award

5a. Skalny Civic Achievement Award - Lady Blanka Rosenstiel

THE POLISH AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION  In Recognition of Outstanding Contributions in Promoting Polish-American Community and Culture in the United States is Pleased to Confer Upon Lady Blanka Rosenstiel The Skalny Civic Achievement Award 

5b. Skalny Civic Achievement Award - Dr. Roman Solecki

THE POLISH AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION  In Recognition of Outstanding Contributions in Promoting Polish-American Community and Culture in the United States is Pleased to Confer Upon Dr. Roman Solecki  The Skalny Civic Achievement Award 

5c. Skalny Civic Achievement Award - Dr. Ewa M. Thompson

THE POLISH AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION  In Recognition of Outstanding Contributions in Promoting Polish-American Community and Culture in the United States is Pleased to Confer Upon Dr. Ewa M. Thompson The Skalny Civic Achievement Award  

5d. Skalny Civic Achievement Award - Mr. David Motak

THE POLISH AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION  In Recognition of Outstanding Contributions in Promoting Polish-American Community and Culture in the United States is Pleased to Confer Upon Mr. David Motak The Skalny Civic Achievement Award  

5e. Skalny Civic Achievement Award - Ms. Mary Sendra Anselmo

THE POLISH AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION  In Recognition of Outstanding Contributions in Promoting Polish-American Community and Culture in the United States is Pleased to Confer Upon Ms. Mary Sendra Anselmo The Skalny Civic Achievement Award    

6. Amicus Poloniae Award - Mr. Harlan J. Berk

THE POLISH AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION  In Recognition of Outstanding Contributions by a Leader from Outside the Polish American community to Furthering Understanding of Polish and Polish-American History and Culture is Pleased to Confer Upon  Mr. Harlan J. Berk The Amicus Poloniae Award   

7.  Creative Arts Award - Ms. Brigid Pasulka

THE POLISH AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION  In Recognition of Outstanding Contributions in the field of the creative arts by individuals who has promoted an awareness of the Polish experience in the Americas is Pleased to Confer Upon Ms. Brigid Pasulka The Creative Arts Award

See you at PAHA Meeting in New Orleans!

New Orleans Skyline in 2011. Photo by Demetrio Mascarena, www.123rf.com

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We will see New Orleans' festive skyline very soon! PAHA Annual Meeting will take place at New Orleans Marriott Hotel on January 3 to 5, 2013. 

We hope you will join us for our celebration of Polish and Polish American history and culture. We will talk about Kazimierz Pulaski, Zbigniew Przezinski, Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki, Joe Biden, Marion Lush, Monika Krawczyk, New Orleans Polonia, immigration history, Poles in the Civil War, Polish Catholicism, Detroit, Polish nobility, letters to the editor, spies, and much more!

Christmas Lights on the corner of Royal and Dumaine Streets
 of the Latin Quarter. Photo by Colin Young, www.123rf.com 

PAHA ANNUAL MEETING 2013 PROGRAM

PAHA Annual Board Meeting

Thursday, January 3, 2013: 3:30 PM-5:30 PM
New Orleans Marriott, Preservation Hall, Studio 5

 

Themes in Polish and Polish American Arts, Letters, and Sciences

Friday, January 4, 2013: 8:30 AM-10:00 AM
New Orleans Marriott, Preservation Hall, Studio 5

Chair: Pien Versteegh, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences

Papers:
Constructing Femininity: The Monica Krawczyk Short Story Contests of the 1960s
Grazyna Kozaczka, Cazenovia College

Between Myth and Stereotype: Tackling the Story of Polish American Inventors and Their Contributions
Slawomir Lotysz, University of Zielona Gora

The Career and Lyrics of Marion Lush: Their Significance for Polonia
Thomas Napierkowski, University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Górecki in America: From Copernicus to Sorrowful Songs
Maja Trochimczyk, Moonrise Press

Comment: The Audience

 

Casimir Pulaski: New Facts and Discoveries

Friday, January 4, 2013: 10:30 AM-12:00 PM
New Orleans Marriott, Preservation Hall, Studio 10

Chair: Jack Pinkowski, Nova Southeastern University

Papers:
Forgotten Records of Casimir Pulaski's Birth and Death
Peter Obst, La Salle University

The Other Pulaskis: How They Changed Their Names to Become Impostors
Edward Pinkowski, Poles in America Foundation

Identifying Pulaski without DNA
Charles Merbs, Arizona State University

Comment: The Audience

 

Topics in Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Polish American History

Friday, January 4, 2013: 10:30 AM-12:00 PM
New Orleans Marriott, Preservation Hall, Studio 5

Chair: Maja Trochimczyk, Moonrise Press

Papers:
The Polish Museum of America: Twenty-First-Century Developments
Geraldine Balut Coleman, Polish Museum of America

The Chene Street History Project: Documenting a Lost Detroit Neighborhood
Karen Majewski, University of Michigan

Death Comes to Polonia: Mortality among Polish Immigrants in the Early Twentieth Century
John Radzilowski, University of Alaska Southeast

Comment: The Audience

 

Polish and Polish American History in the Cold War

Friday, January 4, 2013: 2:30 PM-4:30 PM
New Orleans Marriott, Preservation Hall, Studio 5

Chair: Brian McCook, Leeds Metropolitan University

Papers:
Joe Biden: Politics in the Polish American Community in Wilmington, Delaware
Thomas Duszak, State Library of Pennsylvania

"The Little UNO" at 769 First Avenue, New York, 1956–63
Anna Mazurkiewicz, University of Gdansk

Spies from the Embassy: Polish Counter-intelligence Structures Responsible for Surveillance of American Diplomatic Posts, 1956–89
Patryk Pleskot, Institute of National Remembrance

The Strategic Mind of Zbigniew Brzezinski: How a Native Pole Used Afghanistan to Protect His Homeland
J. B. White, Louisiana State University

Comment: The Audience

 

Topics in Nineteenth-Century Polish and Polish American History

Saturday, January 5, 2013: 9:00 AM-11:00 AM
New Orleans Marriott, Preservation Hall, Studio 5

Chair: Neal Pease, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

Papers:
The White Eagle with an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor: First Sergeant Peter Tolusciak
Annette Amerman, Marine Corps History Division

"Polish" Regiments in the U.S. Colored Troops during the American Civil War
Piotr Derengowski, University of Gdansk

Szlachcic As Model Gentleman: Poland, Partition, and the British Romantic Historical Novel
Adam Kozaczka, Syracuse University

A Portrait of New Orleans Polonia in the Mid-Nineteenth Century
James Pula, Purdue University North Central

Comment: The Audience

 

Polish Diaspora in America and Europe

Saturday, January 5, 2013: 11:30 AM-1:30 PM
New Orleans Marriott, Preservation Hall, Studio 5

Chair: Theodore Zawistowski, Pennsylvania State University

Papers:
Interethnic Relations in Letters to the Editor in the Polish Language Press, 1902–69
Anna D. Jaroszynska-Kirchmann, Eastern Connecticut State University

The Politics of Memory and Exile within the Polish Diaspora in the United Kingdom, 1945–89
Brian McCook, Leeds Metropolitan University

Explore Your East European Roots: A Guide to Genealogical Research
Barbara Pulaski, Mount Ida College
Francis Wolenski, Boston University

The Polish Diaspora in the Wider World: Polish Settlements in Belgium and the Netherlands, 1920–30
Pien Versteegh, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences

Comment: The Audience

 

Book Forum: Mikolaj Stanislaw Kunicki, Between the Brown and the Red

Saturday, January 5, 2013: 2:30 PM-4:30 PM
New Orleans Marriott, Preservation Hall, Studio 5

Chair: Neal Pease, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

Papers:
Between the Brown and the Red: Nationalism, Catholicism, and Communism in Twentieth-Century Poland
Mikolaj S. Kunicki, University of Notre Dame

Comment: Neal Pease, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

PAHA Annual Awards Ceremony 

Saturday, January 5, 2013: Evening.  Bourbon House Restaurant

News from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Poland

11 December 2012 - Changes on the map of Polish diplomatic and consular posts around the world.

For Polish diplomatic and consular posts to better respond to changing needs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs decided to close the Consulates General in Lille and Malmö, and move the seats of two other Consulates General – from Los Angeles to San Francisco and from Vancouver to Edmonton. The MFA also plans to open diplomatic missions in new locations, especially in Asia.

The Consulate seat was moved to San Francisco due to the city’s position as one of the leading American academic and business hubs, and a breeding ground for new technologies. The new location will help unlock the mission’s potential for promoting Poland and its economy. Meanwhile, Edmonton is Western Canada’s biggest centre of Polish diaspora, with important educational institutions and a thriving mining industry.

The decision to close the Consulates in Malmö and Lille by mid-2013 was based on economic considerations and the need to streamline the Polish diplomacy’s global presence. The sale of the Malmö Consulate property is expected to bring in approximately PLN 2.15 million, with PLN 1.5 million to be saved annually thanks to job cuts. In Lille, the savings are estimated at PLN 3.3 million and PLN 2.6 million respectively. Keeping properties and staff in these cities makes little economic sense given the small number of applications processed (e.g. in Malmö, one employee processes 6 non-passport applications a month).

In addition, the amended Passport Act signed by the President enables citizens to file passport applications in any consulate. The Consular Section of the Embassy in Stockholm will take over the functions of the Consulate in Malmö, while the Consular Section of the Embassy in Paris and the Consulate General in Lyon will be responsible for the tasks carried out by the Lille post.

The MFA will use the savings to bolster Polish diplomatic and consular presence in other regions, especially Asia. Over the last five years, the number of Embassies has been reduced from 101 to 91, while 9 Consulates Generals have been closed. At the same time, Poland has opened a number of new diplomatic and consular posts. They include: the Embassies in Podgorica and Astana; the Consulates General in Manchester, Reykjavik, Sevastopol, Vinnytsia and Donetsk; the Consular Agencies in Smolensk and Irbil; the Permanent Representation to UNESCO; and the Polish Institutes in Brussels, Madrid, Tokyo and New Delhi.

Posted by Marcin Bosacki
MFA Press Spokesman

Program of the 2013 PAHA Meeting, New Orleans, LA

The next Annual Meeting of PAHA will take Place at New Orleans Marriott Hotel, on January 3-5, 2013.

PROGRAM

PAHA Annual Board Meeting
Thursday, January 3, 2013: 3:30 PM-5:30 PM
New Orleans Marriott, Preservation Hall, Studio 5
_____________________________________________________

Themes in Polish and Polish American Arts, Letters, and Sciences

Friday, January 4, 2013: 8:30 AM-10:00 AM
New Orleans Marriott, Preservation Hall, Studio 5

Chair: Pien Versteegh, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences

Papers:
Constructing Femininity: The Monica Krawczyk Short Story Contests of the 1960s
- Grazyna Kozaczka, Cazenovia College

Between Myth and Stereotype: Tackling the Story of Polish American Inventors and Their Contributions - Slawomir Lotysz, University of Zielona Gora

The Career and Lyrics of Marion Lush: Their Significance for Polonia - Thomas Napierkowski, University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Górecki in America: From Copernicus to Sorrowful Songs - Maja Trochimczyk, Moonrise Press

Comment: The Audience
____________________________________

Casimir Pulaski: New Facts and Discoveries

Friday, January 4, 2013: 10:30 AM-12:00 PM
New Orleans Marriott, Preservation Hall, Studio 10

Chair: Jack Pinkowski, Nova Southeastern University

Papers:

Forgotten Records of Casimir Pulaski's Birth and Death - Peter Obst, La Salle University

The Other Pulaskis: How They Changed Their Names to Become Impostors - Edward Pinkowski, Poles in America Foundation

Identifying Pulaski without DNA - Charles Merbs, Arizona State University

Comment: The Audience
__________________________________________________________

Topics in Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Polish American History

Friday, January 4, 2013: 10:30 AM-12:00 PM
New Orleans Marriott, Preservation Hall, Studio 5

Chair: Maja Trochimczyk, Moonrise Press

Papers:
The Polish Museum of America: Twenty-First-Century Developments -Geraldine Balut Coleman, Polish Museum of America

The Chene Street History Project: Documenting a Lost Detroit Neighborhood - Karen Majewski, University of Michigan

Death Comes to Polonia: Mortality among Polish Immigrants in the Early Twentieth Century - John Radzilowski, University of Alaska Southeast

Comment: The Audience
__________________________________________

Polish and Polish American History in the Cold War

Friday, January 4, 2013: 2:30 PM-4:30 PM
New Orleans Marriott, Preservation Hall, Studio 5

Chair: Brian McCook, Leeds Metropolitan University

Papers:
Joe Biden: Politics in the Polish American Community in Wilmington, Delaware - Thomas Duszak, State Library of Pennsylvania

"The Little UNO" at 769 First Avenue, New York, 1956–63 - Anna Mazurkiewicz, University of Gdansk

Spies from the Embassy: Polish Counter-intelligence Structures Responsible for Surveillance of American Diplomatic Posts, 1956–89 - Patryk Pleskot, Institute of National Remembrance

The Strategic Mind of Zbigniew Brzezinski: How a Native Pole Used Afghanistan to Protect His Homeland - J. B. White, Louisiana State University

Comment: The Audience
_____________________________________________________

Topics in Nineteenth-Century Polish and Polish American History

Saturday, January 5, 2013: 9:00 AM-11:00 AM
New Orleans Marriott, Preservation Hall, Studio 5

Chair: Neal Pease, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

Papers:
The White Eagle with an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor: First Sergeant Peter Tolusciak - Annette Amerman, Marine Corps History Division

"Polish" Regiments in the U.S. Colored Troops during the American Civil War - Piotr Derengowski, University of Gdansk

Szlachcic As Model Gentleman: Poland, Partition, and the British Romantic Historical Novel - Adam Kozaczka, Syracuse University

A Portrait of New Orleans Polonia in the Mid-Nineteenth Century - James Pula, Purdue University North Central

Comment: The Audience
________________________________

Polish Diaspora in America and Europe

Saturday, January 5, 2013: 11:30 AM-1:30 PM
New Orleans Marriott, Preservation Hall, Studio 5

Chair: Theodore Zawistowski, Pennsylvania State University

Papers:
Interethnic Relations in Letters to the Editor in the Polish Language Press, 1902–69 - Anna D. Jaroszynska-Kirchmann, Eastern Connecticut State University

The Politics of Memory and Exile within the Polish Diaspora in the United Kingdom, 1945–89 - Brian McCook, Leeds Metropolitan University

Explore Your East European Roots: A Guide to Genealogical Research - Barbara Pulaski, Mount Ida College - Francis Wolenski, Boston University

The Polish Diaspora in the Wider World: Polish Settlements in Belgium and the Netherlands, 1920–30 -
Pien Versteegh, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences

Comment: The Audience
___________________________________________________________

Book Forum: Mikolaj Stanislaw Kunicki, Between the Brown and the Red


Saturday, January 5, 2013: 2:30 PM-4:30 PM
New Orleans Marriott, Preservation Hall, Studio 5

Chair: Neal Pease, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

Papers:
Between the Brown and the Red: Nationalism, Catholicism, and Communism in Twentieth-Century Poland - Mikolaj S. Kunicki, University of Notre Dame

Comment: Neal Pease, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

Call for Nominations for PAHA Awards - Due 7/15/2012

The Polish American Historical Association solicits nominations for its Annual Awards Ceremony to be held in conjunction with American Historical Association Annual Meeting in New Orleans, January 3-6, 2013.

 

The Polish American Historical Association solicits nominations of members and non-members by members and non-members.  Self-nominations are welcome.   To nominate a person or a group or an institution, please email the name of the nominee and a short rationale to the Awards Committee Chair, Stephen M. Leahy, at skilleahy@gmail.com.

 

Nominations for the Following Awards are due by July 15, 2012.

 

Mieczyslaw Haiman Award is offered annually to an American scholar for sustained contribution to the study of Polish Americans.

Oskar Halecki Prize recognizes an important book or monograph on the Polish experience in the United States. Eligibility is limited to works of historical and/or cultural interest, including those in the social sciences or humanities, published in the two years prior to the year of the award. 



Skalny Civic Achievement Award honors 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. 



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



Distinguished Service Award is given occasionally to a member of PAHA who has rendered valuable and sustained service to the organization.


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. 



Kulczycki Prize recognizes an important dissertation on the Polish experience in the United States offered to a graduate student or younger scholar within the first five years after awarding of the doctorate degree to assist in the publication of a book or monograph.


The following award nomination must be received by December 1, 2012. 



 

Young Scholar Award recognizes a substantial original research paper on Polish-American history and culture produced by a young scholar in the humanities or social sciences. This award includes a $1000 travel grant to present the paper at PAHA’s 2014 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. 

 

The candidate for the award must be a current student at any collegiate level, or must have left school within two years of the award deadline.  Please email the paper to the Awards Committee Chair, Stephen M. Leahy, at skilleahy@gmail.com.

PAHA in Poland - Krakow and Gdansk, May 2012

PAHA Board and members attended two conference in Poland in May and June 2012.  First, on May 28-29, 2012, several PAHA members participated in the Fifth Workshop on American Ethnicity at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow.  The photo below was taken at the University and includes German university professors who participated in the event along with Prof. Brian McCook.

The photo album from the Krakow conference is posted on Picasa Web Albums: PAHA - Krakow, May 2012. The following presentations were made by PAHA members:

Brian McCook: "Hard Coal, Hard MEn: Polish Masculinity in the Coalfields of Pennsylvania"

James Pula: "Remembering Poland, but not Polonia"

Neal Pease: "Stanley Ketchel, the 'Michigan Assassin' - The First Polish American Sports Champion"

Maja Trochimczyk: "Created by Stalin, Embraced by Emigrants: Mazowsze and Slask and the Polish Folk Dance in California"

In addition, Dr. Ewa Barczyk of the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Prof. Adam Walaszek and Prof. Dorota Praszalowicz of Jagiellonian University have chaired sessions.

The conference proceedings will be published in book format and the deadline for submission of papers is August 31, 2012. 


During a luncheon hosted by the Consulate General of the U.S. at Avanti restaurant in Krakow, Maja Trochimczyk presented the 2011 Modjeska Prize to actress Anna Dymna for her outstanding contribution  to Polish culture.  A report from this event is posted on the Modjeska Club Blog.

The attendees included the Public Affairs Officer in the US General Consulate in Krakow Benjamin Ousley Naseman, and Mrs. Maria Brzostek the Educational Adviser in the Consulate, the President of the Board of Directors of the Polish American Historical Association, Prof. Neal Pease, the President of the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in America, Prof. Mieczysław B.B. Biskupski, Prof. Dorota Praszałowicz of the Jagiellonian University, and many other scholars from several countries who participated in the Fifth Workshop on “American Ethnicity: Rethinking Old Issues, Asking New Questions” organized by Prof. Praszałowicz and her team.

Photos from the Modjeska Prize Ceremony are posted on Picasa Web Albums:  Modjeska Club - Anna Dymna's Award.  

Krakow is one of the most delightful and beautiful cities of Europe, especially if you start the day from listening to the hejnal, as I did on May 28, 2012 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1Mn7URfw14. Played from the top of the tower at Kosciol Mariacki at every hour, to the four directions of the world, the hejnal was a warning sign for the medieval city. The melody is interrupted in the exact spot where it was ended by an arrow of a Tartar invader back in the 12th century. They killed the watchman who played the melody then, but did not conquer the great city.

_______________________________________________________

East-Central Europe in Exile: Patterns of Transatlantic Migrations
University of Gdansk, May 31 to June 4, 2012

The Semi-Annual PAHA Board meeting was held on May 31 at the University of Gdansk and Board members (almost the entire Board was present, in person, including Stephen Leahy who traveled from China and Maja Trochimczyk from Los Angeles).


The Board meeting was one of the events of the extensive and exciting conference organized by the Department of History at the University of Gdansk, East-Central Europe in Exile.  Additional reports about the Conference program and participants will be posted here in the next weeks.

Anna Mazurkiewicz's album from a trip to the Emigration Museum in Gdynia:


http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.387241804673484.87022.362118833852448&type=1http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.387241804673484.87022.362118833852448&type=1

Stephen Leahy posted various pictures from the conference events and presentations:

 https://picasaweb.google.com/109785843998685536560/ECEInExileConference?locked=true&feat=content_notification

Conference Proceedings - Album by Stephen Leahy

 http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.387732124624452.87113.362118833852448&type=1http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.387732124624452.87113.362118833852448&type=1