(Texts and Images by Sarah Tagg)
As I said in my last blog post, this trip is my first time out of the country. After 20 days of being in Poland, I think that it is safe to say that I have definitely been capturing my experience with over 3,000 pictures and counting. I also have been taking everything in as much as possible as I reflect on everything I have experienced in my travel journal.
Picture One: June 13th, Textile Museum in Łódź. Despite the large amount of content that was in the Textile Museum, from mock houses of different eras to looking microscopically at fabrics, this dress was my favorite thing to see. I loved the boldness of the piece, and I could envision the commentary on womanhood and reproductive rights. Or, it could just be a baby head plastered onto a bloody dress and I’m reading too much into it. I thought that this was an interesting piece to include in a museum exhibit considering the rough policy Poland has regarding reproductive rights.
Picture Two: June 14th, Łódź Jewish Cemetery. This picture stands out to me for many reasons, one including how the overgrowth visualizes the decline in the Jewish population following World War II. At the cemetery, a somber feeling followed me from the entrance all the way back to the hotel. From the recent tombstones to the damaged tombstones to the unmarked graves, visiting this cemetery was an extremely impactful experience for me.
Picture Three: June 16th, Warsaw. These pierogis really hit the spot after Polish language class! They were so good that I might have to fly to Warsaw anytime I want some pierogi!
Picture Four June 17th, meeting with 94 year old Janusz Waledzik (“Czarny”). I was truly honored to be able to hear his story and I am incredibly privileged to be able to tell his story, as well. Personally, this is the first time I have gotten to listen to a person with such a life story, especially from the World War II era. During this experience, I made sure to take very detailed notes to ensure that I can share as much as I can to as many people as possible.
Picture Five: June 18th, Warsaw. In very simple words, I thought that this was a pretty picture of Warsaw Old Town. It blows my mind that Warsaw was completely destroyed, and that this was rebuilt using pictures. Warsaw is truly a remarkable city.
Picture Six: June 18th, Warsaw. For the same reason as picture six, this picture stands out to me because of how insane it is that Warsaw was completely rebuilt from pictures.
Picture Seven: June 19th, Treblinka Museum. Treblinka was haunting in a way I could have never imagined. It felt wrong that nature was thriving and created such a haunting peace in a place with large-scale unthinkable tragedy. When I first laid eyes upon these stones, the first thing I could do was stop completely and just look. I will never, ever, forget being at Treblinka.
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