A personal story of a Jewish woman who survived the Shoah, Gizela Fudem, became an inspiration to a project connecting two Polish cities: Tarnów and Wrocław. The project was conducted by the Education Department of the Galicia Jewish Museum in cooperation with Centropa, a long-time partner of the museum, the Zespół Szkół Ekonomiczno-Ogrodniczych school in Tarnów, and the Jakub Jasiński High School No. 5 in Wrocław. This project was made possible thanks to the financial support from the Local.History program led by EVZ “Remembrance, Responsibility, and Future” Foundation.
Two cities from the personal story of Gizela Fudem have two completely different histories. But there is a personal connection. In her memoirs, Gizela Fudem described a lively image of the Jewish community of prewar Tarnów, told the story of its annihilation during the Shoah, and of the tragic fate of her own family. After the war, she managed to rebuild her life and – as many Holocaust survivors in Poland of that time – settled in Lower Silesia, where she studied, worked, and started a family.
The teenagers from Tarnów and Wrocław get to know the story of Gizela Fudem and connect it to the landmarks in the space of their cities. As part of the project, workshops and study visits in both places will be held. Also, an exhibition devoted to Gizela Fudem and her places in Wrocław and Tarnów will be created by the students. The exhibition will be presented at the end of 2025 at the Galicia Jewish Museum as well as in both schools. The finale of the project will be marked by a summarizing publication.
The exhibition dedicated to Gizela Fudem, prepared by students from Wrocław and Tarnów, is available here – download the pdf file.
Learn more about Gizela Fudem’s story with Centropa resources:
https://www.centropa.org/en/biography/gizela-fudem
https://trans-history.centropa.org/pl/wywiady/gizela-fudem/
Download the publication summarizing the project: click here.
Access project materials: click here.
Use our educational materials: click here.
Download the exhibition: click here.
