CONFERENCE

Invitation to participate in the 3rd scientific conference of the Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism: 80 years have passed. The situation of the child at the end of World War II and the first years of the post-war period (1944-1949)organized in Lodz on 20 November 2025.

The aim of the conference is to discuss the fate of children and adolescents in the final phase of the largest armed conflict in the history of mankind and the early years of the post-war period (1944-1949). The year 2025 marks the round 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The historical and cultural policy of modern Europe remains oriented toward remembering those experiences and setting signposts to avoid a large-scale conflict in the years to come. At the same time, the war taking place at Poland's borders absorbs the attention of Europeans and forces critical reflection on the historical memory of societies. Against this background, the conference  stirs up a renewed discussion on the fate of children and young people from areas occupied by the Third Reich and the USSR, for whom the end of the war was not only about regaining the desired freedom, but was also a period of new challenges related to, among other things, orphanhood, returning home, rebuilding family ties, gaining education and a profession, becoming independent, regaining a sense of security and improving health. The conference will also be a contribution to the consideration of the correlation between the problems of the youngest ones and the solutions implemented systemically by the new Polish authorities and an opportunity to assess the directions taken in connection with the change in the balance of power in post-war Europe, divided into two antagonistic blocs of states.

Anticipated subject areas.

• The last phase of the war from the perspective of children and adolescents, using examples including evacuees from orphanages and Germanisation centres, dislocated concentration camp prisoners, and forced labourers from bombed or relocated armaments factories.
• Children and youth in camps for displaced persons.
• Recovered identity – the process of revindication of Polish children.
• Difficult returns – help for children and young people returning from camps and forced labour or deportation.
• Repatriates – "returns" and settlement of the "Recovered Territories".
• The subjectivity of the child during the war conflict – the legal regulations of war time.

Applications for conferences in the form of abstracts are accepted until June 30, 2025. Application forms should be addressed to Dr. Agnieszka Fronczek-Kwarty afronczek@muzeumdziecipolskich.pl. The organizer has a limited number of seats and reserves the right to select speakers. No conference fees will be charged. The cost of accommodation and meals for speakers is covered by the organizer. A peer-reviewed publication in the form of "studies and materials" is planned. Participants of the conference are required to submit articles by March 31, 2026.