After around 90 years, Jewish music can once again be heard in the synagogue in Międzyrzecz – albeit not that of the last German Jews here, but klezmer music. In May 2025, the synagogue is no longer a warehouse or shop, but once again a place of encounter and Jewish culture.

The area of western Poland bordering Brandenburg is the eastern end of the former Prussian province and Margraviate of Brandenburg. In Międzyrzecz in particular, it is also the area of the historical Polish-Brandenburg borderland, which was characterised by border migration and cultural exchange – not only between Germans and Poles, but also between Jews, Scots and Dutch – from the Middle Ages until it was completely taken over by Prussia at the end of the 18th century. After 1945, Lemkos who had been expelled from their villages in south-east Poland as part of ‘Aktion Weichsel’ settled here alongside Poles from various parts of the country.

What role does the material culture of German Jews in this region play today? Who takes care of the traces, the cemeteries and the memory, and why? How do we deal with memory? How do we tell a story that has not yet been written? How can this be done in the Polish-German-Jewish and European dialogue?

Lecture and discussion

• Andrzej Kirmiel, Museum of the Meseritz Land in Międzyrzecz
• Magdalena Abraham-Diefenbach, European University Viadrina / Institute for Applied History and Science in Dialogue e. V.
• Zuzanna Światowy, Research Centre for Jewish Architecture in Europe, Braunschweig
• N.N.

Moderation

• Robert Parzer, German-Polish House
• Susanne Orth, Viadrina Centre of Polish and Ukrainian Studies

Translation by

• Grzegorz Załoga

Organiser

• German-Polish House
• Institute for Applied History – Society and Science in Dialogue e.V.
• Viadrina Centre of Polish and Ukrainian Studies

Supported by the Brandenburg State Centre for Political Education.