News

This year's commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the arrival of the first transport to Stalag 344 Lamsdorf commenced on 1 and 2 October with meetings with the author of the book ‘Bratny. Hamlet rozstrzelany [Bratny. Hamlet gunned down]’, Emil Marat.

In ‘Acknowledgements’ at the end of his latest book ‘Bratny. Hamlet rozstrzelany', he includes warm words to, among others, the Museum Director Dr. Violetta Rezler-Wasielewska and Elżbieta Góra, head of the Department of Collections and Conservation. Indeed, the writer has used our collections, particularly notes made by Roman Bratny (then officially known as Roman Mularczyk) in the prisoner-of-war camps at Lamsdorf and Sandbostel. As a result, the publication contains quotations abundantly taken from the captivity sheets filled with small, chaotic handwriting. This is a very valuable source, as the compilation of short stories entitled ‘Ślad [Trace]’, which - as Emil Marat put it - was a prequel to ‘Columbuses...’, was in some part based on those camp notes.

The first meeting with the author took place at the building of the Municipal Public Library in Opole - our partner in this project. The deputy director of the MPB, Paulina Bilicz, introduced the guest, and the prisoner-of-war’s episode in Bratny's life was talked about to the audience by the deputy director of the Museum, Dr. Renata Kobylarz-Buła. An opportunity to learn more about the impact of several months of captivity on the life and work of the author of ‘Columbuses...’ was provided by the Łambinowice Museum Meeting, which took place the following day.

Dr. Violetta Rezler-Wasielewska and Dr. Piotr Stanek had a conversation with Emil Marat on that occasion. There was also no shortage of questions from the audience about, among other things, the secrets of the workshop in which the publicist's pen is combined with humanistic sensitivity. Among others, Edmund Borzemski took the floor. This time not as a poet, but as an observer of the development of our institution, recalling Roman Bratny's visit to the Museum in Łambinowice. It appears that at that time the writer was not interested in obtaining documentation of his stay in captivity…

We would like to thank you sincerely for your participation in both events! We are convinced that for those who have not come across Emil Marat's works before, the meetings were an excellent incentive to read his books.