6-8.03.2026 & 14.03.2026
Interdisciplinary workshop & competition “Commemoration through Arts”
Student projects for commemoration of the destroyed Jewish cemetery in Wrocław
1/16
events Programme
“Commemoration through visual arts” took the form of an interdisciplinary, participatory workshop series combined with a student competition and public presentation of projects submitted in the competition. The activity aimed at developing a concept for temporary green commemoration integrating artistic intervention at a forgotten Jewish cemetery site at Gwarna Street in Wrocław. The organizers of the event were the Urban Memory Foundation, the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, and the University of Wrocław - Institute of Sociology.
The event was preceded by an open call for students from artistic, design, humanities, social and natural science disciplines. The call invited participants from universities in Wrocław and other Polish cities to join interdisciplinary teams working on conceptual proposals for temporary commemoration. Selected participants formed mixed teams combining competences in visual arts, landscape design, urban studies, philosophy, sociology, and cultural studies.
The workshop series took place on 6–8 March, 2026 in Wrocław at the Academy of Fine Arts Eugeniusz Geppert in Wrocław where lectures, team work, and expert consultations were conducted, as well as at the project site located at Gwarna Street, the area of the destroyed Jewish cemetery in the city centre. The first day included introductory lectures, historical, ecological and cultural contextualization, and a site visit. Participants were introduced to contemporary commemorative practices, transformations in public memory discourse, and the history of the Gwarna Street location. Experts representing heritage institutions, academia, and memory organizations provided input. A guided site visit allowed participants to engage directly with the physical space and discuss constraints related to cultural sensitivity and religious law, including halachic principles concerning Jewish cemeteries.
The second and third day focused on collaborative design work supported by expert consultations. Participants worked in interdisciplinary teams to develop proposals integrating visual and performative arts, environmentally responsible design, urban context, and ethical reflection on memory. Consultations were provided by specialists in heritage studies, sociology, landscape architecture, artistic practice, and representatives of Jewish heritage protection bodies. This format encouraged dialogue between students, practitioners, and community-oriented experts, fostering a participatory environment.
The final event on 14 March 2026 consisted of public presentations of student proposals, jury deliberation, and announcement of the winning project. The jury included representatives of partner universities, organizers, heritage professionals, and representatives connected with Jewish heritage protection. Importantly, the evaluation process also involved Jewish descendants of pre-war Breslau residents from Sweden and the United States, whose participation introduced a transnational and intergenerational perspective on the commemorative proposals. Their presence contributed to discussions on historical sensitivity, authenticity, and the ethical dimensions of memorializing the former Jewish cemetery site. Presentations created a forum for dialogue between participants, organizers, and invited audiences, including heritage professionals, students, and activists.
Photos: Wojciech Chrupasik, Aga Jabłońska, Karolina Szymanowska.
