Dariusz Stola, director of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw

The Copernicus Center for Polish Studies and Frankel Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan are pleased to welcome Dariusz Stola, director of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, for a lecture at the University of Michigan Museum of Art on April 20 from 5:30-6:30 PM. Standing in what was once the heart of Jewish Warsaw, the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews is a cultural and educational center featuring temporary exhibitions, and offering a wide range of cultural programs. The grand opening of the museum took place on October 28, 2014, unveiling the Core Exhibition that focuses on 1000 years of Jewish life in Poland. POLIN supports workshops, debates, and research, drawing on the expertise of scholars and museum professionals from around the world to create a vibrant place of exchange and dialogue.

Thanks to the support of the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute of Poland and donors from all over the world, the exhibitions will present a different chapter of the story of Polish Jews enabling visitors to come into intimate contact with those who lived that story through images, artifacts, first-person accounts, and interactive multimedia. The Museum was designed by the Finnish studio Lahdelma & Mahlamäki, which received several prestigious awards for its exceptional architecture.

In addition to directing the museum, Dariusz Stola is professor of history at the Institute of Political Studies at the Polish Academy of Sciences and Collegium Civitas, and a fellow at the Center for Migration Research at Warsaw University. He has published eight books and more than 100 articles on international migrations in the 20th century, the communist regime in Poland, Polish-Jewish relations, and the Holocaust, as well as on Polish debates about these pasts. He will also give a lecture on his research at U-M on April 21 at 4 pm at the International Institute, entitled, “A Country with No Exit? Migrations from Poland 1949-89.”

In 2014, the Copernicus Center for Polish Studies (CCPS) at the University of Michigan signed an official affiliation with POLIN, facilitating collaboration on research exchanges for faculty and pedagogic activities for U-M students. Professor Stola’s lecture is the first event marking this affiliation, and he will meet with faculty and students during his visit. This event is also part of an ongoing Polish-Jewish series co-sponsored by CCPS and the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies.

LOCATION: Stern Auditorium, University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State, Ann Arbor

SPONSORS: Copernicus Center for Polish Studies; Frankel Center for Judaic Studies; Center for European Studies; Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies; Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies

WEB LINKS: April 20 lecture | April 21 lecture


The Copernicus Center for Polish Studies (CCPS) at the University of Michigan supports events, courses, student fellowships, and study abroad opportunities. CCPS is housed at the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia, bringing together an outstanding permanent faculty whose primary focus is Poland. Building on 40 years of programming under the Copernicus Endowment, the University of Michigan formally recognized the Copernicus Center for Polish Studies in January, 2014. 

The Jean & Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Studies is a leader in Jewish studies, with faculty from top-tier departments throughout the University of Michigan offering an interdisciplinary curriculum. The Frankel Center offers students opportunities for in-depth study in Jewish history and culture, including unique courses in Yiddish. With the Frankel Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies, the University of Michigan houses the only scholarly program of its kind at a public university in the United States. For more information, visit lsa.umich.edu/judaic.