In a series of interviews, three descendants of Polish refugees discuss what they know of their family’s migrations during and after the Second World War – and what it was like for second- and third-generation members of the Polish exile community, growing up as both Polish and British in the wake of war and displacement.
Diana’s story
‘Sculpture for me is the giving of a material gift to the being who makes (her) presence felt in my work.’Doris Salcedo – Colombian artist I wanted to tell the story of my family’s deportation from their home in eastern Poland to a Siberian labour camp at the start of World War II because it… Read More
From Poland to Scotland, with Diana and Josef
Diana Forster’s grandmother and uncle George (who wrote rude verses about Stalin on a blackboard in the Soviet labour camp where they were held). In this podcast, artist Diana Foster and academic Josef Butler discuss the story behind our new art installation, Somewhere to Stay. Diana details her mother’s forced displacement from the family home… Read More
Growing up in the Polish community in St Andrews, Fife
Mat Fahrenholz Research Assistant Dr Martyna Majewska recently interviewed artist Mateusz (Mat) Fahrenholz, who shared his memories growing up in the Polish exile community in St Andrews, Fife, as the son of Polish war-time refugees. You can listen to their conversation here. Mat’s parents were both displaced from eastern Poland (now Ukraine) as a result… Read More