SPRING SEMESTER

*Please note that courses are subject to change.

The History of Poland

This course will acquaint students with the most important problems of Poland’s political and social history, from the country’s beginnings to the Third Partition. Students will gain the factual and conceptual knowledge necessary to grapple with Polish history. An important aim of this lecture is to highlight the evolution of the Polish state and society, along with the development of the national consciousness. A supplement to the image of Poland and its people in the past is provided in the history of Polish culture and its pivotal chapters (the noblemen’s democracy, national uprisings, Solidarnosc). An important role in the teaching process is played by audiovisual materials and other aids: documentary films, fragments of historical films, historical artefacts, slides, and the Internet. The final grade will be determined on the basis of the students’ activity and final recapitulation, which will check the students’ knowledge of Polish history.

Introduction to the History of Polish Culture and Civilization – Audio-Visual Lectures

This course aims to acquaint students with basic information about Poland, its history, culture, historical monuments, as well as about Polish traditions, festivals and customs. The life and works of great Poles are also outlined. Students have an opportunity to learn about the history of Poland from the time of her Christianization in 966 up to the emergence of today’s democratic Poland in 1989-1990. Classes are devoted to detailed discussions of particularly important events and processes, e.g. the conflict between Poland and the Teutonic Knights, the wars with neighbors in the 17th century, national uprisings in the 19th century, the regaining of independence and the shaping of Polish borders after the First World War, the Katyn massacre, and the Warsaw Uprising. Moreover, separate lectures are devoted to the lives of great and famous Poles, e.g. Nicolaus Copernicus, Frederic Chopin, Adam Mickiewicz and Karol Szymanowski, and to a presentation of their works. Discussions of the most popular Polish festivals and customs, e.g. Christmas, Easter, St. Andrew’s Day, or Palm Sunday, is accompanied by documentary films and excerpts from feature films illustrating how a particular holiday or custom is celebrated. These lectures provide an introduction to the special meetings at the Ethnographic Museum, where students participate in the Museum’s specially organized celebrations of St Andrew’s Day, Christmas and Easter. Presentations of selected Polish cities, e.g. Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk, Częstochowa and Kazimierz Dolny, and their monuments are also a part of the lecture series introducing foreigners to Polish culture. All the lectures have a non-specialized nature, and each semester closes with a multiple-choice test examination.

Polish History and Literature on the Silver Screen

This film-oriented course has a different character. The topic of lectures are films based on historical events relating to Poland, or cinematic adaptations of Polish literary works. Many topics are closely connected to those discussed in the lectures in the course entitled “Introduction to the History of Polish Culture and Civilization,” e.g. the Battle of Grunwald, the 17th-century wars with Sweden and Turkey, the Chmielnicki Uprising in Ukraine, the Warsaw Uprising, workers’ protests and the strikes of the 1970s and 80s. Among the films viewed and discussed during classes are: Krzyzacy, Ogniem i mieczem, Pan Wołodyjowski, Zemsta, Pan Tadeusz, Szwadron, Chlopi, Lalka, Ziemia obiecana, Wesele, Przedwiosnie, Brzezina, Panny z Wilka, Dwa księzyce, Samson, Kanal, Kolumbowie, Popol i diament, Krajobraz po bitwie, Przesluchanie, Czlowiek z marmuru, Czlowiek z zelaza. Each event and literary work, as well as their historical context, are presented in the lectures. Students receive from the lecturer a specially prepared written commentary introducing the film (in Polish andEnglish). Each film is shown with English subtitles, therefore this very popular lecture series is invariably appreciated by all students, even those who do not know Polish very well yet. The lecture series closes with a written, multiple-choice examination that gauges knowledge of the contents of the films shown and the material contained in the commentaries.

Polish Culture for Foreigners: Krzysztof Kieslowski and His Films

This course consists of workshops devoted to Krzysztof Kieslowski. During these classes, chosen films from his oeuvre are discussed and analyzed. Students view documentary films on Kieslowski and several feature films (in their entirety or chosen scenes) which he directed. The main aim of this series is to discuss the qualities specific to Kieslowski’s work, the timeless, universal messages his films convey (with a special emphasis on Decalogue and Three Colors), and the reasons for the unflagging interest in the life and work of the great Polish director. To receive a grade for this class, students are required to submit a critical essay on a film or a series of films of their choice, or an essay on a topic related to Kieslowski’s output.