Professor Jerzy Kochanowski

February - August 2018
e-mail j.p.kochanowski@uw.edu.pl

Jerzy Kochanowski (born 1960, Warsaw) received his PhD in 1991 and postdoctoral degree in 2001 from the University of Warsaw From 2000 - 2005 he was a research fellow at the German Historical Institute in Warsaw. In 2005 he became a university professor and in 2012 a full professor at the Institute of History at the University of Warsaw. From 2006 - 2007 he was a research fellow at the Munk Centre of International Studies at the University of Toronto and in 2007 has been a visiting professor at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. He previously held an Imre Kertész Kolleg fellowship from 2011 - 2012.

Research project at the Kolleg

Zakopane and Tatra Mountains Region 1956-1989 as a "Room for Maneuver in State Socialism"

The conclusion of the state commission addressed in 1972 to Zakopane was: "in Zakopane, the state is in a position worse than in capitalism. It has been reduced to the role of not even a night-watchman, but of an unpaid street-sweeper". The peculiar "autonomy" of Podhale (Tatra Region) was affect by historical, social, cultural and geographical conditions that are usually mentioned, on the other hand the state was also an important actor and nowise ambiguous. The tendency to take a strict (or at least closer) supervision of sectors decisive for the image and the importance of Zakopane and the Tatra region - tourism and sport, existed at the central level since the 60s to the 80s, but at the regional level, the policy encountered very strong limitations. On the one hand, the reason for that was the emergence of specific social networks linking the private sector with the structures of local government, state and party, or even with the police and judicatory, on the other only thanks to them it was possible - under the organizational inefficiency of the state - to fulfil the modernizing society needs for leisure and related services, that were instantly growing after 1956. The stability of such structures was proven by the failure of two attempts (in the mid-70s and early 80s) of a top-down "ordering" of the situation in Zakopane and enhancing the role of the state as the (re)distributor of tourist services. In the 70s the socialist state was able to provide a relatively rational program, thanks to being an influential factor for modernization mostly thanks to still being in disposal of material resources. However in the period of disintegration of the system, in the '80s, state's program was no longer a barrier and alternative for the social actors. Indeed there was their distinct generational and gender change. As far as at the turn of the 60s and 70s the narrative of Zakopane "autonomy" had a distinctly masculine character, later it became noticeably feminized. Both the previous researches and the ongoing ones allow for a broad, interdisciplinary analysis of the functioning of Zakopane and Podhale region as a unique area (probably in the whole Soviet bloc), but also ambiguous. It also allows to avoid the mythologized view, inducing (too) simple categorization and ratings.

Main areas of research

The social history of Poland and Eastern Europe in the 20th Century
Poland during the WW II
Polish-German relations in the 20th Century.

Positions and memberships

Since 2015 Member of the Editorial Board of the Quarterly "Zeitschricht für Ostmitteleuropa-Forschung"
Since 2014 Member of the Steering Committee of the Centre for Historical Research of Polish Academy of Sciences In Berlin
Since 2013 Editor-in-Chef of the Quarterly "Przeglad Historyczny"
2008-2010 and 2013-2015 Member of the Steering Committee of the Jewish Historical Institute, Warsaw
Since 2008 Member of the Steering Committee of "KARTA"-Foundation, Warsaw.
Since 2006 Member of the Steering Committe of the House of the Meeting with History, Warsaw
Since 2003 Member of the Editorial Board of the Quartely "Przegląd Historyczny"

Monograph

Jerzy Kochanowski , Rewolucja międzypaździernikowa. Polska 1956-1957 [An Inter-October-Revolution. Poland 1956-1957], (Kraków: Znak, 2017).

Jerzy Kochanowski , Trough the Back Door. Black Market in Poland, 1944-1989, (Frankfurt/Main-New York: Peter Lang, 2017).

Jerzy Kochanowski, Jenseits der Planwirtschaft. Der Schwarzmarkt in Polen 1944-1989, (Göttingen: Wallstein, 2013).

Jerzy Kochanowski, O jaką wojnę walczyliśmy? Teksty z lat 1984-2013 [What war did we fight for? Articles 1984-2013], (Gdańsk-Zakrzewo: Muzeum II Wojny, Replika, 2013).

Jerzy Kochanowski, Tylnymi drzwiami. "Czarny rynek" w Polsce 1944-1989 (Trough the Back Door. The Black Market in Poland 1944-1989, (Warszawa: Neriton, 2010; Warszawa: WAB, 2015)

Ingo Eser, Jerzy Kochanowski, Ondrej Matejka, Flucht und Vertreibung. Geschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts aus der Perspektive von drei Nachbarn, (Stuttgart-Leipzig: Klett, 2009).

Jerzy Kochanowski, Zanim powstała NRD. Polska wobec radzieckiej strefy okupacyjnej Niemiec 1945-1949 [Before the GDR was established. Poland against the Soviet occupation zone of Germany 1945-1949], (Wrocław: ATUT, 2008).

Pertti Ahonen, Gustavo Corni, Jerzy Kochanowski, Rainer Schulze, Tamas Stark, Barbara Stelzl-Marx (co-authors), People on the Move. Forced Population Movements in Europe in the Second World War and its Aftermath, (Oxford-New York: Berg, 2008).

Jerzy Kochanowski, In polnischer Gefangenschaft. Deutsche Kriegsgefangene in Polen 1945-1950, (Osnabrück: Fibre 2004).

Jerzy Kochanowski, Niemieccy jeńcy wojenni w Polsce 1945-1950 [In Polish captivity. The German POWs in Poland 1945-1959], (Warszawa: Neriton, 2001).

Włodzimierz Borodziej, Jerzy Kochanowski, Bernd Schäfer, Grenzen der Freundschaft: Zur Kooperation der Sicherheitsorgane der DDR und der Volksrepublik Polen zwischen 1956 und 1989, (Dresden: Hannah-Arendt-Institut für Totalitarismusforschung, 2000).

Jerzy Kochanowski, Węgry. Od ugody do ugody 1867-1990 [Hungary. From settlement to settlement 1867-1990], (Warszawa: Trio 1997).

Jerzy Kochanowski, Proces szesnastu [The "Sixteenth" Process], (Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Szkolne i Pedagogiczne, 1993).

Jerzy Kochanowski, Zapomniany prezydent... Życie i działalność Ignacego Boernera 1875-1933 [Forgotten President... Life of Ignacy Boerner 1875-1933], (Warszawa: DiG, 1993).

Edited volumes

Jerzy Kochanowski, Joachim von Puttkamer eds., 1956. (Nieco) inne spojrzenie. Eine (etwas) andere Perspektive, (Warszawa: Neriton, 2016).

Jerzy Kochanowski, Piotr Długołęcki eds., Polskie Dokumenty Dyplomatyczne 1979 [Polish Diplomatic Papers 1979], (Warszawa: Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych, 2014).

Jerzy Kochanowski, ed., Warszawiacy nie z tej ziemi. Cudzoziemscy mieszkańcy stolicy 1945-1989 [Warsaw dwellers from beyond. Foreigners settled in the Polish Capital City 1945-1989], (Warszawa: Dom Spotkań z Historią, 2013).

Włodzimierz Borodziej, Jerzy Kochanowski, Joachim von Puttkamer, eds., Schleichwege. Inoffizielle Begegnungen sozialistischer Staatsbürger zwischen 1956 und 1989, (Köln-Weimar-Wien: Böhlau, 2010).

Włodzimierz Borodziej, Jerzy Kochanowski eds., Bocznymi drogami. Nieoficjalne kontakty społeczeństw socjalistycznych 1956-1989 [Hidden Paths. Unoffcial contacts oft he socialist societies 1956-1989], (Warszawa: Trio, 2010).

Jerzy Kochanowski, Beate Kosmala eds., Deutschland, Polen und der Zweite Weltkrieg. Geschichte und Erinnerung, Potsdam-Warschau: Deutsch-Polnisches Jugenwerk, 2009 and 2013; [in Polish: Polska -Niemcy. Wojna i pamięć, Warszawa-Poczdam: Polsko-Niemeicka Współpraca Młodzieży, 2009 and 2013].

Jerzy Kochanowski, Klaus Ziemer, eds., Polska-Niemcy Wschodnie 1945-1990. Wybór dokumentów: Vol. 1: maj 1945-październik 1949 (Warszawa: Neriton, 2006);. Vol. 3: Lata 1956-1957, (Warszawa: Neriton, 2008), [Poland-Eastern Germany 1945-1990. Edition of Documents, Vol. I: 1945-1949,Vol.. 3: 1956-1957]

Jerzy Kochanowski, Maike Sach, eds., Die "Volksdeutschen" in Polen, Frankreich, Ungarn und der Tschechoslowakei. Mythos und Realitaet (Osnabrück: Fibre, 2006).

Jerzy Kochanowski, ed., W połowie drogi. Warszawa między Paryżem a Kijowem [Midway. Warsaw between Paris and Kiev] (Warszawa: Trio, 2006).

Włodzimierz Borodziej, Jerzy Kochanowski, eds., Kuchnia władzy. Księga pamiatkowa z okazji 70-tej rocznicy urodzin Andrzeja Garlickiego (Warszawa: Czytelnik, 2005).

Bernhard Chiari, Jerzy Kochanowski, eds., Die polnische Heimatarmee. Geschichte und Mythos der Armia Krajowa seit dem Zweiten Weltkrieg (München: Oldenbourg, 2003.

Ingo Eser, Jerzy Kochanowski, eds., Die Deutschen östlich von Oder und Neiße 1945-1950. Dokumente aus polnischen Archiven, Band 2: Zentralpolen. Wojewodschaft Schlesien (Oberschlesien) (Marburg: Herder-Institut, 2003).

Włodzimierz Borodziej, Jerzy Kochanowski, eds., PRL w oczach STASI [People's Republic of Poland in the STASI-eyes], Vol. 1-2 (Warszawa: Fakt 1995-1996).

Jerzy Kochanowski, ed., Spojrzenie na Rosję. Antologia polskojęzycznego reportażu o Rosji Sowieckiej 1919-1936 [Looking of Russia. Blick auf Russland. The Reportages from the Soviet Russia. 1919-1936] (Warszawa: Gryf, 1994).

Andrzej Garlicki, Jerzy Kochanowski, eds., Józef Piłsudski w karykaturze [Józef Piłsudski in the Caricature] (Warszawa: Interpress, 1991).

Article (journal)

Jerzy Kochanowski, 'A 'Great Change, or, the Poles' unfulfilled Daydream about having the Car (1956-7)", Acta Poloniae Historica 115 (2017): 71-95.

Jerzy Kochanowski, 'Les visages de l'occupation nazie en Pologne, 1939-1945: Les experiences des Polonais. Le destin de la population juive', Guerres Mondiales et Conflicts Contemprorains 261 (2016): 75-98.

Jerzy Kochanowski, 'Pioneers of the Free Market Economy? Unofficial Commercial Exchange between People from the Socialist Bloc Countries (1970s and 1980s)', Journal of Modern European History" 8, no 2 (2010): 196-220.

Jerzy Kochanowski, Życie adaptuje się do tego, co jest". Inteligenckie strategie przetrwania 1939-1945. Rekonesans badawczy ["Life Adapts to What in There". Survival Strategies of Intelectuals in 1939-1945. Research Reconnaisance)], Przegląd Historyczny 106, no 4 (2015): 787-814.

Article (book)

Jerzy Kochanowski, Stefan Zwicker, Volksdeutsche: Rasse, Schicksal und Verrat, in Deutsch-Polnische Erinnerungsorte, Vol. 1: Geteilt/Gemeinsam, edited by Hans Henning Hahn, Robert Traba (Paderborn: Ferdinand Schöningh, 2015): 667-688.

Jerzy Kochanowski: The Sea(side) Borderlando f Modernity: Rostock, Klaipeda and Tallinn from the 1870s tot he 1920s, in Mastery and Lost Illusions. Space and Time in the Modernization of Eastern and Central Europe, edited by. Włodzimierz Borodziej, Stanislav Holubec, Joachim von Puttkamer (München: De Gruyter, 2014): 205-222.

Jerzy Kochanowski, "Wir sind zu arm, um den Urlaub im eigenen Land zu verbringen". Massentourismus und illegaler Handel in den 1950er und 1060er Jahren in Polen, in Schleichwege. Inoffizielle Begegnungen sozialistischer Staatsbürger zwischen 1956 und 1989, edited by Włodzimierz Borodziej, Jerzy Kochanowski, Joachim von Puttkamer (Köln-Weimar-Wien: Böhlau, 2010): 135-152.

Jerzy Kochanowski, The Eastern Provinces of Poland during the "Brief" 20th Century: Changes of Borders and in Memories, in Border Changes in 20th Century Europe. Selected Case Studies, edited by Eero Medijainen, Olaf Mertelsmann, "Tartu Studies in Contemporary History" (LIT Verlag Berlin-Münster-Wien-Zürich-London: LIT Verlag, 2010: 99-111.

Jerzy Kochanowski, Zakopane 1972: enclave polacca tra Oriente e Occidente?, in Da Berlino a Samarcanda. Citta in transizione, edited by Marchia Marchi, Carla Tonini (Roma: Carocci editore, 2009): 165-184.