Jewish Soldiers Experiences: Richmond Faculty Presents

Dr Lucia Morawska and Dr Catherine Dille took part in two academic events in Kraków and Warsaw, presenting new research on identity and the experiences of Jewish soldiers in the Polish Army in exile.

At the CEMORY: Forgotten Voices conference at Jagiellonian University, they delivered their keynote, “Margins of Identity: Jewish Soldiers in the Polish Army in Britain – Prejudice, Belonging, and the Struggle for Recognition.” The talk explored the often-overlooked experiences of Jewish servicemen in the Polish Armed Forces in the West during the Second World War, focusing on the tension between their contribution to the war effort and the prejudice they encountered. It highlighted how questions of identity and belonging shaped their everyday lives.

The following week, Dr Morawska and Dr Dille delivered a second keynote at the Institute of Slavic Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, as part of the seminar “The Impossibility of Change? A Critique of Culture (and Science).” This event brought together academics and researchers for an in-depth discussion of cultural critique and the complexities of historical interpretation. Their lecture, “Jewish Agency and Resistance in the Polish Army in Exile (1940–1945),” presented findings of the project currently partially funded by the European Research Holocaust Infrastructure (EHRI). These will also be shared as part of the Research at Richmond seminar series on 15 April, continuing the conversation within the university community.

Across both events, Dr Morawska and Dr Dille highlighted the value of interdisciplinary research in reshaping how we understand the past. By bringing forward often overlooked voices, they restore visibility to Jewish soldiers whose experiences have long been sidelined. Their work not only deepens our understanding of the Second World War but also prompts reflection on questions of belonging and recognition that remain highly relevant today.

Congratulations to Dr Morawska and Dr Dille.