Poland in Iceland

The event was jointly organized by the Polish Embassy in Reykjavik, Jewish Center of Iceland and the University of Iceland. 

The speakers included : 

Anette Stahl – teaching assistant, lecturer in “Survivors Group”, descendant of Holocaust survivors, member of Jewish Community of Gothenburg, Sweden

Gunnþórunn Guðmundsdóttir - professor of comparative literature and a specialist in memory studies from the School of Humanities of the University of Iceland

Jacek Chodorowicz - Plenipotentiary for Jewish diaspora contacts, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, ambassador of Poland to the State of Israel (2012-2018)

Karl Blöndal, journalist, editor of Morgunblaðið

 

The discussion was moderated by Erla Hulda Halldórsdóttir – historian, associate professor at the University of Iceland.

Participants included descendants of Holocaust survivors, members of the Icelandic Jewish community, diplomatic corps, deputy chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Comittee of Alþingi Rósa Björk Brynjólfsdóttir, journalists, scholars and youth. Attendees received copies of the Raczyński note, signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Raczyński regarding the extermination of the Jews in German-occupied Poland. It was the first official report on the Holocaust, informing the Western public about these crimes. It was also the first official speech of one of the governments in defense of all Jews persecuted by Nazi-Germany – not only citizens of their country.

The event included a musical performance by a violonist Nikodem Frach who played a few famous pieces of Jewish music.

 

Photos © Krzysztof Stefańczyk