Introducing Myself - Historian from Poland

Hi Steemit. I’m very excited about this new social platform – what a cool idea, to give people power over their own content!

I’ll tell you a bit about myself. My name is Kasia, I was born in the early 80s in Warsaw, Poland. This was when the country was still Communist, and was under martial law. Although I was too young to remember the tanks and soldiers on the street, I do recall having to queue for bread and getting black market meat delivered to our apartment by an old lady with a suitcase! My parents were in the underground opposition, and distributed leaflets, attended rallies, held clandestine meetings in our apartment and things, and sometimes the atmosphere was very tense.

Luckily, the Communist era ended relatively peaceful, and Poland has become one of the most successful post-Soviet states. I look at the changes I have witnessed in my life and I’m really proud of my country – even if we still have some way to go and lots of things that could be improved!

I studied Journalism at the University of Warsaw, then went to England to study Theater at the University of Royal Holloway. I had dreams of becoming an actress, but that never worked out! Here’s a picture of me trying to be cool and actress-like in my undergraduate days.

I liked England so much I decided to prolong my studies, and took a PhD in History, studying the Holocaust. It took me 3 years, but I can now call myself a Doctor (although not the useful type that who saves lives!)

Now I work in Holocaust research (currently at Jewish Historical Institute) which can be a bit depressing at times, but there are so many inspirational stories in all the darkness, and so many lost voices whose stories deserve to be told. My focus is currently on assimilated Jews in the Warsaw ghetto. These people felt Polish, but were still rounded up because of their heritage and in many cases exterminated. They found it really difficult to adjust to life in the ghetto, because they did not have any ‘Jewish’ identity, and didn't speak Yiddish.

I also do research on Displaced Persons – all the people who were in captivity in Germany or other Nazi-occupied territories at the end of the war, and who had no way to get home, or no way of even knowing if their home and and family was still there. There are real parallels with the situation in places like Syria, Afghanistan + Iraq today.

I might write some more about my research in later posts if anyone is interested in it??

My research has allowed me to travel and live in a few different countries, including England, USA, Israel and Germany. I love to experience new cultures and see new things.

I have a passion for street art; I love how it allows you to be transported for a second out of the everyday reality. It’s a really playful and accessible medium that can still say a lot and look beautiful when done properly. I will post some of my favorite examples that I have seen on my travels soon!

I also love optical illusions. There’s something wonderful about seeing what isn’t even there, playing around with perspectives and tricking your brain. Here’s an example:

I’m looking forward to connecting with some interesting people who also like history, street art, travel and so on. If this sounds like you, please let me know so I can follow you – it’s a bit overwhelming knowing who to follow at the moment!

Let the Steemit adventure begin.

@eyesofeurope xx