April 17 marked the conclusion of the exhibition “The Operation that Killed the City. The story of Lublin and its Jewish community in the shadow of the Holocaust based on photographs and documents from the collection of Norbert Podlesny. An exhibition in memory of the victims of Operation Reinhardt”. Since March 21, when the official opening ceremony took place, the exhibition presented in the University Library of the Catholic University of Lublin was seen by almost 400 people. Among the visitors were the Rector of the Catholic University of Lublin, Rev. Prof. Dr. Hab. Miroslaw Kalinowski, Professor Mieke Bal - a Dutch cultural critic and theorist, video artist, lecturer at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam and the University of Amsterdam, together with doctoral students of the Catholic University of Lublin, Madam Manuela Tulli – a vatican journalist, representatives of the Academy of Unobvious Photography, the Science Department of the Catholic University of Lublin and Lublin elementary schools No. 4 and 29.
The memories of mass murders from so long ago acquire new actuality today. Nothing is more depressing than this reiteration of such cruelty. Thank you for re-visibilizing it again – wrote Professor Bal in the guest book.
Exhibition addressed to the youth
As the Rev. Prof. Piotr Wisniewski, vice- rector for missions, representing the rector of the Catholic University of Lublin, stressed at the opening of the exhibition, “It would be valuable to present this collection to the youth and students of Lublin schools. The exhibition and the accompanying film are moving; they depict a city that once flourished, but was deeply wounded by the German occupation.
Interest in the exhibition among young people was evidenced by groups of visitors from schools and academic circles such as the Scientific Circle of Doctoral Students of the Catholic University of Lublin and the Lublin Academic Circle of SBP. Young residents of Lublin had the opportunity to learn about the painful history of the city and those who inhabited it during World War II. It was also an opportunity to reflect and commemorate, to lean on a place and people who are no longer there because of Nazi crimes. For the young people, it was a moment of confrontation with the tragic reality of the war and its consequences.
“We were able to learn about the tragic history of Lublin's Jewish community, watch a film prepared on the occasion of the exhibition and see previously unpresented photographs from the collection of Norbert Podlesny, depicting pre-war Jewish neighborhoods and the Lublin ghetto. We would like to thank the curator of the exhibition, Jagoda Jaźwierska, for showing us around the exhibition and for the creative dialogue with young people,” can be read in the account of the visit to the exhibition on the profile of Primary School No. 4 in Lublin.
Unique cooperation between the Catholic University of Lublin, the State Museum at Majdanek and a private collector
As part of a unique project, three different entities - the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, the State Museum at Majdanek and a private collector - joined forces to collaboratively create a moving exhibition about the painful history of Lublin. The result of this cooperation was a project combining the passion, knowledge and resources of scientific institutions with unique private collection. This partnership was the first of its kind, allowing visitors to view previously unpublished photographs and undisplayed artifacts, providing valuable testimony to tragic events. The organization of the exhibition showed how different communities can jointly contribute to nurturing historical memory and creating a space for reflection on the past.
“The Operation that Killed the City” was a joint project of the Heschel Center of the Catholic University of Lublin, the University Library and the Academy of Modern Media and Communication of the Catholic University of Lublin. As part of the initiative, Mr. Damian Bieniek of the Academy created the film. The exhibition was curated by Madam Custodian Jadwiga Jaźwierska of the University Library. Some of the photos were provided to the organizers by the State Museum at Majdanek.
We would like to thank everyone who had a part in preparation of the exhibition, as well as all the Guests who came to visit it.