The exhibition entitled “History Regained – Jewish Life in Wrocław and Lower Silesia” was first presented on May 6, 2010, in the newly renovated White Stork Synagogue in Wrocław. The opening of the exhibition was part of the events marking the completion of the first phase of the project to restore the synagogue building to the Wrocław community as a Center for Jewish Education and Culture.

The exhibition, presented in a classic, static format (panels, catalog, website), illustrates the nearly 900-year history of Jews in this part of Europe. It documents their lives from the time of medieval Wrocław, through the German-Jewish Enlightenment and the total annihilation under the Nazi regime, the post-war communist era, to the present day in democratic Poland. It is the history of the Jewish community and its prominent members, which had a significant impact on the region and the world. “The Recovered History” has been on display since May 6, 2010, from the inauguration of the restored White Stork Synagogue to the present day. It is a permanent element of many exhibitions. Thanks to the exhibition, the restored synagogue has become a symbol of rebirth and hope for the future. 

Times and circumstances change. The time and circumstances for presenting the exhibition – in such a historically significant location – are also coming to an end. New technologies are encouraging us to change the format of the presentation, while simultaneously making it significantly easier for the public to access our shared European heritage and giving the exhibition a universally accessible character, thereby strengthening its educational functions. 

The revamped Recovered History project is a multimedia journey through archives presenting events and figures. It is a chronological record of the history of the Jewish community in Lower Silesia, presenting it without an intrusive political or ideological narrative. It is a factual account of our shared European heritage with digital access to archives, photographs, studies, and podcasts. It is a kind of history and social studies lesson for all of us.

History Recovered consists of 10 sections defined by the Bente Kahan Foundation, each representing a historical period, supplemented by two chapters: CHARACTERS and EVENTS. They show how the history of a social group is intertwined with the history of the region, and how much it means for its development and prosperity. Even the darker chapters of history cannot overshadow this. The exhibition teaches us that we can be proud of our heritage, while also being critical of the darker chapters of our shared history and the tragic current events. It can help us to have a calm conversation and solve problems for “…a better future.”

The implementers of the “HISTORY RECOVERED” project.

The implementers of the “HISTORY RECOVERED” project.

Project Manager:

Marek Mielczarek

Selection of materials, texts:

Łukasz Migniewicz

Editing materials:

Beata Mazurek, Jolanta Wróblewska

Editorial board:

Bente Kahan (Chair of the Committee), Agnieszka Imiela-Sikora, Beata Mazurek, Marek Mielczarek, Jolanta Wróblewska, Aleksander Gleichgewicht.

Website design and architecture:

Aleksandra Lubos-Zadroż and Patrycja Wojda (Vidifilm)

Website development:

Jakub Wieczorek

Materials developed by the creators of the exhibition “Historia Odzyskana,” which was presented from 2010 to 2024 at the Synagogue under the White Stork, have been used.

Project Manager: Bente Kahan

Curator: Yoav Rossano

Set designer, artistic consultant, illustrator: Helge Hoff Monsen

Scientific consultation: Marcin Wodzinski

Historians: Anna Nowak, Agata Rybińska, Bartosz Stawiarski

Text and editing: Marek Girulski, Maciej Wełyczko, Aleksander Gleichgewicht

Graphic design: Beata Oberc-Niemczyk, Tomasz Ostaszewski

Translations: Michael Bryś, Kuba Gleichgewicht, Weronika Gołębiewicz, Dahlia Luxemburg.

Ada Mitas, Ewa Pańczak, Barbara Pendzich, Barbara Royle, Robin Royle, Ole Jakob Sparre

Project assistants: Katarzyna Białończyk, Dominika Arendt-Wittchen

Coordinators: Michael Bryś, Barbara Pendzich

Website: Michael Bryś

Photographer: Mirosław Emil Koch

Administrative consultant: Grażyna Kania-Misiak

Project co-financed by the Wrocław Municipality: www.wroclaw.pl