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Call for Papers – National Academic Conference “The Year 1945 in Pomerania…”

The Gdańsk Branch of the Institute of National Remembrance and the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo – German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1939–1945) invite you to participate in the National Academic Conference: “The Year 1945 in Pomerania. The End of German Occupation and the Beginnings of Postwar Reality: A Perspective 80 Years After the End of World War II.” The conference will take place on May 8, 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europeand the liberation of the last prisoners of the German concentration camp Stutthof.

"Grafika promująca ogólnopolską konferencję naukową zatytułowaną: 'Rok 1945 na Pomorzu. Kres okupacji niemieckiej i obrazy początków pomorskiej rzeczywistości powojennej: spojrzenie z perspektywy 80 lat od zakończenia II wojny światowej.' W tle widnieje stylizowane zdjęcie przedstawiające zrujnowane miasto oraz profil mężczyzny patrzącego w kierunku ruin. Na dole umieszczono informacje o miejscu i terminie wydarzenia: 'Gdańsk, 8 maja 2025 r.' oraz termin zgłoszeń: '20 kwietnia 2025 r.' Logo organizatorów: Instytutu Pamięci Narodowej, Oddział w Gdańsku, oraz Muzeum Stutthof w Sztutowie, z dopiskiem 'Niemiecki nazistowski obóz koncentracyjny i zagłady (1939-1945)'."

The Second World War, initiated by Germany’s aggression against Poland, was one of the most tragic armed conflicts in human history. In Gdańsk Pomerania, German occupation was particularly brutal and lasted somewhat longer than in other areas of occupied Poland. It ended only with the arrival of the Red Army, which, however, did not bring freedom but instead marked the beginning of the installation of a new communist regime. The end of the war also led to significant population shifts. Displaced Germans were replaced by Poles—both those seeking new opportunities in the region and those forcibly removed from their homes in the Eastern Borderlands. All of them found themselves in a completely new reality.

Conference Goals

The academic conference, organized by the Gdańsk Branch of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) and the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo, aims to:

  • Summarize the current state of research on the transformative impact of 1945 on Pomerania
  • Present new findings and sources documenting the transition from occupation and war to peace, which marked the beginning of a new communist reality
  • Foster academic exchange between researchers from various fields, including history, medicine, law, psychology, and sociology

The conference will provide a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue on this pivotal period in Pomerania’s history.

Detailed Topics:

  • The final stages of German extermination of Poles in Pomerania
  • The reality of underground resistance in the face of the war’s end and the changes of 1945
  • German and Soviet military operations in Pomerania in 1945
  • Soviet repressions in Pomerania in 1945
  • The foundations of the communist regime in Pomerania in 1945
  • Soviet military administration in 1945
  • Soviet policies toward industry, agriculture, and Polish property
  • Soviet crimes in Pomerania in 1945
  • The independence underground in Pomerania in 1945
  • The specifics of postwar social attitudes in Pomerania
  • Demographic, economic, statistical, and legal aspects of changes in Pomerania
  • The situation of Germans in Pomerania in 1945
  • The reconstruction of Pomerania after World War II
  • German, Soviet, and Polish administrations in 1945: case studies and comparisons
  • The first documentation of German war crimes from the occupation period
  • Communist propaganda efforts in 1945
  • Society, culture, and politics in response to the postwar transition
  • Pomerania in mourning: funerals and other forms of commemoration of occupation victims in 1945
  • Pomerania in comparison to other Polish regions after the end of German occupation
  • Verification and rehabilitation of the Pomeranian population after World War II

Conference Details:

Location: Gdańsk
Language: Polish
Presentation Time: 20 minutes (laptop and multimedia projector available). Presenters are requested to submit their multimedia presentations in advance.

Submission Deadline: April 20, 2025
Notification of Acceptance: April 25, 2025

Publication:

Accepted papers will be published in the volume “Gdańsk Pomerania under German Occupation 1939–1945”.

The organizers reserve the right to select papers from submitted proposals. Accepted presenters will be notified via email. Applications should be submitted using the attached form.

Conference Fees & Logistics:

  • No conference fee
  • Free accommodation & meals for speakers
  • Reimbursement of travel expenses
  • IPN employees will account for participation as part of official business travel.

Submissions and inquiries: daniel.czerwinski@ipn.gov.pl

Application Form