The subject of this year’s congress is “Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: History – Memory – Heritage”

The organisers aim at bringing together people interested both in the phenomenon of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth – what it was, how it was remembered in the following centuries and how its heritage continued to influence the reality of Poland and Lithuania, as well as other countries that had belonged to its sphere of influence.

During the sessions, the participants will investigate the phenomenon of the early modern Polish state in an international context and try to answer the question to what extent the Commonwealth was a unique state and to what extent its history was similar to the history of other countries. An important part of the discussion will focus on the issue of the Commonwealth’s heritage and its presence in the consciousness of nations inhabiting its territory, including Belarusians, Germans, Jews, Lithuanians, Latvians, Russians and Ukrainians.

The Congress of Foreign Scholars of Polish History takes place every five years, bringing together scholars from all over the world whose research interests focus on the history of Poland, as well as Polish culture, art and science. Hence, the congress provides a platform for the exchange of ideas and discussion on a wide range of issues related to the Polish history and heritage, facilitating contacts between researchers from Poland and abroad.