XIII Scientific Conference of UWr in the Southern Greater Poland
XIII Polish Scientific Conference “Local Ethnic-Religious Communities” took place on the 20th of November in Ostrów Wielkopolski. The event was organised by the Research Centre on Jewish History and Culture from the Southern Greater Poland and the Scientific Society together with the Culture Centre in Ostrów Wielkopolski. It is an effect of more than thirteen years of academic and local government cooperation, which has brought many initiatives and projects. These were accomplished by the Research Centre instituted by the Rector of the University of Wrocław and the President of Ostrów Wielkopolski on the 14th of May 2013.
In recent years, the Research Centre has established cooperation with many scientific and cultural institutions located in the Southern Greater Poland, for instance, in Kępno, Krotoszyn, Pleszew, Raszków, and Odolanów. Since its establishment, the Centre has performed advisory and substantive functions in this area; and tried as much as possible to expand knowledge on local ethnic-religious communities, their impact on shaping these towns, and the mutual interpenetration of different cultures.
The role of the Centre in the promotion of the University of Wrocław in the region was emphasized during the conference. The University is not only physically present, but its employees also undertake different initiatives, scientific and educational events, and actively involve local environments – scientific ones as well as those connected to the University of the Third Age and secondary schools.
It is also worth emphasizing that dr Krzysztof Morta, the head of the Centre, was appointed this year the chairman of the Scientific Society in Ostrów, which gathers scientists from the Southern Greater Poland. His appointment to this reputable position by the scientists, mainly from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, may bring good cooperation between the representatives of both universities in this area. Dr Morta, in his speech, indicated that the conference organised by the Centre of UWr – the 13th one in this cycle – constitutes evidence on how interdisciplinary studies on ethnic-religious communities (historical and contemporary ones) are needed. In a world full of migrations, identity tensions, and the constant redefining of the concept of togetherness, the reflection on the coexistence of different groups acquires awesome currency.
Dr Morta also encouraged young people at school age to engage in academic life and emphasized the rich educational and scientific offer of the University of Wrocław, including the unique library with the richest collection of manuscripts in Central Europe. Łukasz Krzyszczuk spoke more about the collections of the Library of the University of Wrocław and its history in his appearance devoted to handwritten examples of Judaica from Wrocław.
Prof. dr hab. Artur Błażejewski, the Vice-Rector for Scientific Research at the University, opened the conference with his inaugural lecture Społeczności dorzecza Baryczy w okresie rzymskim. Osadnictwo – migracje – handel. The lecture put forward interesting hypotheses from the archaeological perspective on who the inhabitants of the Barycz basin areas in the late Antiquity were. It also sparked a large interest among the gathered young people from secondary schools, as some artefacts were discovered on the lands of today’s Ostrowski district.
As annually, the performance of artists from the Southern Greater Poland graced the inauguration of the conference. This time, the participants gathered in a synagogue in Ostrów could listen to Hebrew cantos and pieces in the Yiddish language performed by the Male Choir “Echo” of the Culture Centre in Ostrów under the management of prof. Andrzej Ryłko. The repertoire preparation was also an effect of cooperation with the Institute of Classical, Mediterranean and Oriental Studies, which provided substantive support in the scope of proper phonetics.
The conference was noticed by the local television station TV Proart (see https://tvproart.pl/material/wydarzenia—2025-11-20-9340 from 14 minutes 18 seconds)
Text: mgr Łukasz Krzyszczuk
The photographs come from the archives of dr Krzysztof Morta.
Translated by Kinga Krzywonos (student of English Studies at the University of Wrocław) as part of the translation practice.
Date of publication: 24.11.2025
Added by: M.K.
