Full Details

Wednesday, December 1

Building Autocracy: History as core element of contemporary Polish politics
Time:
9:00 am
Presenter:
Rafał Wnuk
Sponsored by:
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies and European Studies Center along with Department of History and DAAD German Academic Exchange Service
Contact:
Jan Musekamp
Contact Email:
jan.musekamp@pitt.edu

Rafał Wnuk is a professor at John Paul II Catholic University in Lublin/Poland (KUL).

In the last couple of weeks, Poland is constantly in the news for not keeping the European standards of the rule of law. However, this deformation of the country’s legal system is just one of the many issues Poles face today. The current government is also trying to implement its version of national history, silencing dissenting views and encroaching on the school and university curriculum. Professor Wnuk will discuss the role of history as a tool in building an increasingly authoritarian state.

The talk is followed by a discussion moderated by Jan Musekamp (DAAD Visiting Associate Professor, Dept of History).