On the occasion of anniversary of Warsaw Ghetto Uprising presents the renowned journalist Hanka Grupinska Her book in Center for Persecuted Arts, Wuppertaler Str. 160, 42653 Solingen.

Four decades ago, the author began recording the voices of Jewish resistance. Her first interlocutor was Marek Edelman, the last commander of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. These and many other encounters in Poland, Israel and Canada have resulted in a deeply moving testimony.

The stories are not classic historical accounts — they are subjective, unembellished and free from false heroism. At a time when the last eyewitnesses have passed away, this volume allows their individual fates and also the contradictions of their traumatic experiences to persist.

Hanka Grupińska, author and journalist, is also an important chronicler of Poland's Jewish history. She was a co-founder of the underground magazine “Czas Kultury” and received numerous awards for her work to preserve Jewish heritage. Her books are translated into German by Andreas Volk: “Read the list. Stories about the Warsaw insurgents of the Jewish Combat Organization.” and “We were just simple soldiers. Talks with insurgents from the Warsaw Ghetto” appeared.

Jürgen Kaumkötter, the director of the Center for Persecuted Arts, will be hosting the evening.

Bernhard Hartmann, a renowned translator, will accompany the interview.

A collaboration of Polish Institute Düsseldorf with the Center for Persecuted Arts Solingen.

Admission is free.

The book:
Hanka Grupińska, “We were just simple soldiers. Conversations with insurgents from the Warsaw Ghetto “Translated from Polish by Andreas Volk, Metropol Verlag, Berlin, 2025

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