High School for the Electrical Sciences
Włocławek, Poland
October 1, 2013
A Memory Project exhibit and workshop was held for students in Włocławek, Poland at the School for Electrical Sciences. This was an especially meaningful location, as it is Anna Jacobs and Kalman's hometown. When we see photos of the students who participated in the workshop, it's hard to comprehend that Anna was younger than they are, just barely out of childhood, when she and Kalman left the town forever. Almost 80 years ago, life as they knew it ended, and now, 80 years in the future, their lives are being re-discovered and Kalman's life revived in the same place they began.
A Letter to Anna
The students and their instructor wrote a beautiful letter about what the experience of the workshop meant to them. (Written in Polish to the right)
Dear Mrs. Anna,
We are very grateful to you for sharing your story with us and that The Memory Project has been hosted in our school. We are very sorry about not being able to meet each other personally to show you our town.
We have been learning about the story of your family with a deep feeling – the way from love and happiness through isolation, suffering and the loss to regaining the delight in life thanks to the family and art.
The life of Kalman became an inspiration for us to spun out tales also about other dramatic people’s lives. We were trying to capture them by drawing portraits, looking for the light in the spheres of shade as if we wanted to recall those who left after themselves only the remembrance.
Yours Sincerely,
Beata Cieślak-the project leader
and the students of Zespół Szkół Elektrycznych Włocławek
Szanowna Pani Anno,
bardzo dziękujemy, że podzieliła się Pani z nami swoją historią, że Projekt Pamięć zagościł w naszej szkole. Żałujemy, że nie możemy spotkać Pani osobiście i pokazać Pani naszego wspólnego miasta.
Z wielkim przejęciem poznawaliśmy historie Pani rodziny-drogę od miłości i szczęścia poprzez izolację, cierpienie i utratę do odbudowy radości życia dzięki rodzinie i sztuce.
Dzieje Kalmana stały się dla nas inspiracją do snucia opowieści także o innych dramatycznych ludzkich losach. Próbowaliśmy je utrwalić, rysując portrety, szukając światła w obszarach cienia, jakby przywołując tych, po których została tylko pamięć.
Z wyrazami szacunku
Beata Cieślak, szkolny koordynator projektu,
i uczniowie Zespołu Szkół Elektrycznych
we Włocławku