Beata Halicka – författare

The incorporation of German territories east of the Oder and Western Neisse rivers into Poland in 1945 was linked with the difficult process of an almost total exchange of population and involved the taking over of a region in which the Second World War had effected an enormous level of destruction. The contemporary term ‘Polish Wild West’ not only alluded to the reigning atmosphere of chaos and ‘survival of the fittest’ in the Polish–German borderland but was also associated with a new kind of freedom and the opportunity to start everything anew. The arrival in this region of Polish settlers from different parts of Poland led to Poles, Germans and Soviet soldiers temporarily coming into contact with one another. Living together in this war-damaged space was far from easy.On the basis of ego-documents, the author recreates the beginnings of the shaping of this new society, one affected by a repressive political system, internal conflicts and human tragedy. In distancing oneself from the until-recently dominant narratives concerning expellees in Germany or pioneers of the ‘Recovered Territories’ in Poland, Beata Halicka tells the story of the disintegration of a previous cultural landscape and the establishment of one which was new, in a colourful and vivid manner and encompassing different points of view.

The incorporation of German territories east of the Oder and Western Neisse rivers into Poland in 1945 was linked with the difficult process of an almost total exchange of population and involved the taking over of a region in which the Second World War had effected an enormous level of destruction. The contemporary term ‘Polish Wild West’ not only alluded to the reigning atmosphere of chaos and ‘survival of the fittest’ in the Polish–German borderland but was also associated with a new kind of freedom and the opportunity to start everything anew. The arrival in this region of Polish settlers from different parts of Poland led to Poles, Germans and Soviet soldiers temporarily coming into contact with one another. Living together in this war-damaged space was far from easy.On the basis of ego-documents, the author recreates the beginnings of the shaping of this new society, one affected by a repressive political system, internal conflicts and human tragedy. In distancing oneself from the until-recently dominant narratives concerning expellees in Germany or pioneers of the ‘Recovered Territories’ in Poland, Beata Halicka tells the story of the disintegration of a previous cultural landscape and the establishment of one which was new, in a colourful and vivid manner and encompassing different points of view.

Exploring the life and contributions of Danuta Mostwin, a Polish American social scientist, writer, and chronicler of immigrant experiences, this book traces her journey from wartime Poland through post-war exile in Britain and the United States. It highlights her intellectual achievements, interdisciplinary research, and her literary works, which focus largely on women’s experiences of displacement and cultural negotiation in twentieth-century Europe and America. Her acclaimed literary work, recognized with numerous awards, was also nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006 and 2008.The book integrates unpublished archival materials, personal correspondence, and oral interviews to provide a comprehensive portrait of Mostwin’s role in shaping Polish American identity, her pioneering contributions to social work and migration research, and her literary reflections on trauma, displacement, and identity. It offers fresh insights into post-war refugee movements, women’s intellectual history, and transnational migration.Danuta Mostwin: At Home in Exile between Europe and America (1921–2010) will be invaluable to scholars and students working in the fields of modern European history, migration studies, ethnic and diaspora studies, gender studies, political science, sociology, anthropology, borderlands studies, and Holocaust/post-Holocaust studies.