Program

This section contains information about the Poland in the Rockies Program.

Culture

Situated between East and West, populated by nations speaking a variety of languages and practicing a variety of faiths, Poland developed a unique culture. It is the heritage of more than just one people and ultimately so much more than just the sum of its parts.

This year, Professors Tamara Trojanowska and Bill Johnston will discuss Polish literature and drama, classical and contemporary, while Karen Majewski will talk about the literary work of Polish immigrants.

Excursions

The Poland in the Rockies program is intensive, but it is by no means restricted to lecture rooms. The town of Canmore, nestled within the Three Sisters Mountain Range, is close to some of the most spectacular sights in the Rockies. Our program allows time to visit Banff, Johnson Canyon, Sulphur Mountain, Lake Moraine and Lake Louise, and to enjoy barbecues and campfires within the National Park.

Films

Mary Skinner will present “In the Name of their Mothers,” a new documentary about Irena Sendler and the women of Żegota, the underground organization in wartime Poland dedicated to the rescue of Jews. PiTR previously hosted film makers Menachem Daum (Hiding and Seeking), Wanda Koscia (The Battle of Warsaw), and the late Aneta Naszynska and the late Jagna Wright (Forgotten Odyssey).

Documentary film maker and PiTR alumnus (2006) Eric Bednarski, will coordinate this year’s film program with documentaries and feature films from PiTR’s and his own film library.

History

An understanding of the past is essential for an understanding of contemporary social, political and economic developments, including Poland’s relations and mutual perceptions with other nations.

PiTR’s history program places an emphasis on “applied history,” which is not a simple study of the past, but the past as it affects the present and how it is interpreted in the present. We also emphasize an “integrated history,” the study of Poland not in isolation but within the context of its place in Europe and the international community..

Historian Timothy Snyder quoted in Cosmopolitan Review: “Poland would win a great victory if Polish history could be integrated in European history… Many Poles think Europeans don’t understand them, and that’s true.” Click to article.

Poland’s Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski: “Europe will only be united when all Europeans know the history of the entire continent.” He also stated that historian Norman Davies is “the first historian of united Europe.”

Identity

Are we Canadian? American? Polish? Part Polish? Or a hyphenated combination of these?

No easy answers and diverse opinions make for a lively discussion among students and speakers alike.

A complex identity? Worth exploring -- and celebrating.

Student Presentations

Got a topic you’d love to discuss? A paper you want to present? Send us your proposal.

Past topics have included topics in literature, history, Polish-Jewish relations, the status of women, and a couple of short films.