Ukraine–Poland–Europe: The Challenge of a Common Textbook - Instytut Pileckiego

We will discuss the process of developing teaching materials for history lessons, with a particular focus on Polish–Ukrainian relations. These materials are intended to serve as the basis for a future joint Polish–Ukrainian textbook.

“Ukraine–Poland–Europe: The Challenge of a Common Textbook”

We will discuss the process of developing teaching materials for history lessons, with a particular focus on Polish–Ukrainian relations. These materials are intended to serve as the basis for a future joint Polish–Ukrainian textbook. Emphasising the European dimension of our countries’ history is essential in order to counteract the so-called Westernisation of the narrative. 

The structure will draw on the model used in the Polish–German textbook Europe. Our History, applying the principle of multiperspectivity. Another important insight gained from work on that textbook was the approach of writing each chapter in tandem. Authors are encouraged to focus both on what is common and on what is asymmetrical, drawing inspiration from Andrii Portnov’s book Poland–Ukraine: A Shared History and Asymmetrical Memory.

The event is dedicated to the memory and legacy of Jerzy Giedroyć, the legendary editor of the journal Kultura and a key political thinker whose ideas profoundly shaped Poland’s approach to its eastern neighbours.

Panelists: Prof. Igor Kakolewski (Director, Centre for Historical Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Berlin); Maryna Kaftan (Content Expert, NUS Implementation Office, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine); Prof. Andrii Portnov (historian and author); Jacek Staniszewski (history teacher, Pilecki Institute, Warsaw).

Moderation: Natalia Latecka (Pilecki Institute Berlin).