Round Table 22.04.2021
On 22 April was held online meeting of a new edition of Round Table debate Addressing Poland's "Lucky Jew" phenomenon.
On 22 April at 9:30 a.m., a Zoom online meeting of a new edition of Round Table debate Addressing Poland's "Lucky Jew"phenomenon was held.
It was the third discussion of the debate series concerning the so-called "difficult heritage", and above all, the phenomenon of Chasid figurines holding a coin, studied by anthropologists and sociologists. The controversial souvenir originating from Krakow's Emaus Fair has made its way to the souvenir industry and became universally available. The figurines are showcased at shops and souvenir stands; they might be mass-produced or crafted using traditional methods. Their popularity grows with magical and symbolical properties they are attributed.
However, the researchers of this phenomenon agree the figurines are not just harmless items. Instead, they carry a specific meaning. They impact the Polish-Jewish relations, as well as the image of Krakow itself. Polish-Jewish relations specialists, non-governmental organisations, art experts and art environments, parliament members, and even tourists outraged by the presence of such items in public space urged recently to take decisive actions against the "Lucky Jew" phenomenon. Although such initiatives only focus on one phenomenon, they indicate a far more complex and multilayered issue: the presence of the so-called "difficult heritage" in the urban space and how to handle it.
During the meeting, the invited guests – representatives of cultural institutions, local government, non-governmental organisations, Krakow's City Hall, scientific and Jewish environments, and entrepreneurs – discussed how institutions might cooperate to inform, sensitise, and possibly fight the phenomenon which is perceived by the community to which it applies as offensive, harmful, and incomprehensible.
The event is organised by the Villa Decius Institute for Culture and the City od Krakow.
It was the third discussion of the debate series concerning the so-called "difficult heritage", and above all, the phenomenon of Chasid figurines holding a coin, studied by anthropologists and sociologists. The controversial souvenir originating from Krakow's Emaus Fair has made its way to the souvenir industry and became universally available. The figurines are showcased at shops and souvenir stands; they might be mass-produced or crafted using traditional methods. Their popularity grows with magical and symbolical properties they are attributed.
However, the researchers of this phenomenon agree the figurines are not just harmless items. Instead, they carry a specific meaning. They impact the Polish-Jewish relations, as well as the image of Krakow itself. Polish-Jewish relations specialists, non-governmental organisations, art experts and art environments, parliament members, and even tourists outraged by the presence of such items in public space urged recently to take decisive actions against the "Lucky Jew" phenomenon. Although such initiatives only focus on one phenomenon, they indicate a far more complex and multilayered issue: the presence of the so-called "difficult heritage" in the urban space and how to handle it.
During the meeting, the invited guests – representatives of cultural institutions, local government, non-governmental organisations, Krakow's City Hall, scientific and Jewish environments, and entrepreneurs – discussed how institutions might cooperate to inform, sensitise, and possibly fight the phenomenon which is perceived by the community to which it applies as offensive, harmful, and incomprehensible.
The event is organised by the Villa Decius Institute for Culture and the City od Krakow.