
One of the old jokes during the Communist era in Eastern Europe was the quip that you could never predict history. Official interpretations of the past could change suddenly and radically. You had to be adept—and cynically clever—to keep up with changes in the party line. In the post-Soviet era, Ukraine has the challenges, and the opportunities, to look at its history anew. Historical figures, events, and entire communities can be retrieved and evaluated from the memory hole to which they were previously consigned. The Center for Urban History in East Central Europe, based in Lviv, has an innovative program for such retrieval. A Summer School program has been running for the last several years. This program introduces an inclusive approach to research, teaching, and learning the region in the 19th to 20th centuries. The program also significant strengthens the awareness of the importance of Jewish history and heritage as part of Ukraine’s multicultural past. The summer program this year is called “Jewish History, Common Past and Heritage: Culture, Cities, Milieus. It will explore the multicultural artistic and literary heritage of Lviv. The focus will be on Jewish milieus in a city once also known as Lemberg or Lwów. The […]