Participation of Dr Tomasz Szczepański in the Academic Conference “Dar i dziedzictwo. Rola rodzinnych pamiątek w zachowaniu pamięci o ofiarach II wojny światowej”
On 24–25 September 2026, the Museum of Independence Traditions in Łódź hosted the national academic conference “Dar i dziedzictwo. Rola rodzinnych pamiątek w zachowaniu pamięci o ofiarach II wojny światowej” (in English: Gifts and Heritage: The Role of Family Mementoes in Preserving the Memory of the Victims of the Second World War). The event brought together historians, museum professionals, archivists and representatives of memorial institutions from across Poland. The conference focused on the role of family archives and mementoes in preserving the memory of the victims of the Second World War, as well as on cooperation between museums and families and the importance of privately donated items as part of a shared heritage.
The Katyn Museum was represented by Dr Tomasz Szczepański, who delivered a paper “Archival Materials from Private Donations in the Collection of the Katyn Museum as a Source Base for Biographical Research on the Victims of the Katyn Massacre”. His presentation focused on the significance of archival materials donated to the Katyn Museum by the families of the victims. Documents, photographs, correspondence and personal mementoes provide valuable information about the lives, service and fate of the victims of the Katyn massacre. They also make it possible to supplement and verify existing biographical knowledge and to restore an individual dimension to the memory of the prisoners of war and detainees murdered by the Soviet authorities in the spring of 1940. The Katyn Museum, referred to by the victims’ families as the Home of Katyn Mementoes, is a place where family mementoes can retain their value not only for their immediate relatives but also for generations to come. Every donated document, photograph or object associated with a victim—even a single surviving memento—is significant both as a valuable element of the museum collection and as a testimony to an individual history. Incorporating such mementoes into the Museum’s collection helps preserve the memory of those who were murdered and ensure that it remains part of the public sphere.
The conference was followed by the opening of the outdoor exhibition “The Prisoners of Radogoszcz and Their Families”, presenting the findings of research conducted as part of the “Radogoszcz 2026: From Family Memory to Shared Heritage” project.
