The Institute of Media, Journalism, and Social Communication at the University of Gdańsk joins the #KoalicjaPamięci (Memory Coalition) of the Stutthof Museum.

One of the key initiatives of the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo is the creation of the #KoalicjaPamięci (Memory Coalition) – an initiative that engages individuals and institutions in the mission of preserving the memory of the victims of KL Stutthof. Today, the Institute of Media, Journalism, and Social Communication at the University of Gdańsk has joined our group of partners.

At the museum’s headquarters, in the presence of several dozen students and staff, a ceremony took place to sign an agreement between the Director of the Stutthof Museum, Piotr Tarnowski, and the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Michał Harciarek. This collaboration aims to jointly undertake activities in areas such as:

• communication and social dialogue,
• analysis and processing of digital data,
• counteracting disinformation and hate speech on social media,
• educational, exhibition, and social activities related to memorial sites and martyrdom museums

Education and reflection on memory

The participants of the event also took part in a mini-conference organized as part of the ceremony. Ewa Malinowska, in her lecture, presented the significance of memory pedagogy in today’s world, while Łukasz Kępski discussed the challenges faced by press spokespersons of memorial sites and the role of modern communication tools in shaping the discourse on memory.

The event also covered topics related to the unique collections of the Stutthof Museum. Dr. Danuta Drywa presented how archival sources help restore the memory of the camp’s prisoners, while Bogusława Tartakowska shared extraordinary stories of artifacts – testimonies of human fate – that come to the museum and remind us of the past.

History and commitment for the future

After the conference session, the participants, along with Dr. Robert Domżał and Łukasz Kępski, took part in a guided tour of the memorial site. During the tour, they had the opportunity to learn more about the history of the Stutthof camp and the tragic fate of its prisoners.

Both the discussions and plans for the future highlight the importance of collaboration between different communities in building a shared memory of the past. We thank you for wanting to co-create the #KoalicjaPamięci (Memory Coalition) with us, because it is precisely #ToMYjesteśmyPamięcią (We Are Memory).