This research project focuses on the management and appropriation of Jewish cultural heritage in Poland, particularly the impact of legal frameworks and political transformations since 1989. The central thesis is that legal and political changes during Poland’s post-socialist transition continue to influence how Jewish institutions, communities and other stakeholders manage former synagogues and other Jewish heritage sites. It argues that laws established in the 1990s define the scope of action available to Jewish and non-Jewish actors, both national and transnational, at local, national and international levels.

The study focuses on the legal aspects of ownership and monument protection, particularly the 1997 Act that regulates the relationship between the Polish state and Jewish religious communities, and ongoing restitution processes for Jewish properties. These legal frameworks often generate conflicts among stakeholders concerning the appropriate restoration, reuse and preservation of former synagogues. The project pays special attention to the northern and western regions of Poland — former German territories that were incorporated after World War II — where Jewish heritage is sometimes treated differently to that in the 'core' Polish regions.

Key research questions include how discourse on Jewish heritage interacted with political, economic and cultural transformations, which actors and networks influenced post-1989 legislation, why the restitution debate shifted from property issues to cultural heritage anchored in national identity, how international monument preservation standards affect local practices, and what conflicts and differing interpretations persist nearly 30 years after the relevant laws were enacted.

Methodologically, the project draws on monument protection theory, political science, law, and the history of transformation, as well as Critical Heritage Studies. Document and archival analysis, interviews with synagogue owners and users, and case studies are employed to link macro-level legal and political contexts with micro-level local practices and actors. The project also engages in dialogue with practitioners and institutions to develop actionable models for the future revitalisation and protection of Jewish heritage in Poland and the wider region.

Project Project within the DFG Priority Programme 2357 ‘Jewish Cultural Heritage’

Duration: 2025-2028

Partner institutions: German Historical Institute Warsaw, Bet Tfila: Forschungsstelle für jüdische Architektur in Europa (Braunschweig, Germany)

Project management: Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Knufinke, Prof. Dr. Ruth Leiserowitz

Team: Dr. Christhardt Henschel, Zuzanna Światowy

Cooperation partners: Prof. Dr. Jörg Hackmann (Institute of History, University of Szczecin) and PD Magdalena Waligórska-Huhle (Institute for European Ethnology, Humboldt University of Berlin)

The project is a continuation of "Appropriation and Revitalization. Negotiation Processes of the German-Jewish Cultural Heritage in Poland".