Sources: Andrew Rajcher, Asia Sidorowicz

On Wednesday 4th November 2026, the Częstochowa City Museum held an evening dedicated to the memory of the great friend of our World Society, the Prof. Dr. hab. Jerzy Mizgalski, who passed away almost exactly six months ago.

It was an appropriate venue for this event as the late Professor had, for many years, served as Chairman of the Museum Council.

It was the Professor who, with resources provided by our late World Society President Sigmund Rolat z”l, created the exhibition “The Jews of Częstochowa”, which was displayed, not only in Częstochowa and Warsaw, but also travelled to many cities around the world.

It was through his efforts that our exhibition finally found a permanent home. It is now the Częstochowa Jewish Museum, a part of the Częstochowa City Museum, housed in a beautiful building at ul. Katedralna 8, which also serves as the permanent home of the Częstochowa branch of the TSKŻ (The Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland).

Between 1990 and 2022, he held many senior positions at the Jan Długosz University of Częstochowa, including Deputy Director of the Institute of Philosophy and History, Deputy Dean for Student Affairs at the Faculty of Philology and History, and Deputy-Rector for Teaching and Education. He was a renowned historian and political scientist. He was one of the initiators of the Polish-Jewish dialogue, co-organising the international meetings of Częstochowa Jews in the city.

The Częstochowa City Museum auditorium was filled for the event, which was moderated by Katarzyna Ozimek, Częstochowa Museum Director. Among those present were Dr. Ryszard Stefaniak, Deputy Mayor of the Częstochowa, Tadeusz Wrona, former Mayor of Częstochowa, Professor Dariusz Złotkowski, recently elected Chair of the Częstochowa Museum Council, Museum Council members Dr. Hab. Jakub Jakubowski, Professor of Jan Długosz University, and Krzysztof Kasprzak,; as well as Tadeusz Piersiak, former Director of the Częstochowa Museum.

The audience also included representatives of local government, Jan Długosz University, the Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland (TSKŻ), members of the Częstochowa Jewish community, cultural and academic leaders, friends, colleagues and members of Professor Mizgalski’s family.

Speakers included:

Professor Janusz Berdowski, reflected on Professor Mizgalski’s academic achievements, research projects, and longstanding collaboration with the World Society of Częstochowa Jews and Their Descendants and the Association of Częstochowa Jews in Israel. Selected poems written by Professor Mizgalski were read by Professor Elżbieta Hurnik, while Bogdan Knop, President of the Literary Gallery Association, spoke about the publication of Professor Mizgalski’s final co-authored book, State–Nation, Nation–State: Essays on Nation-Building Practices in Eastern Galicia (2025). Professor Antoni Sawicki highlighted his public service and work on the Częstochowa City Council.

In conversation, about the late Professor, with Katarzyna Ozimek were:

Above left: Bogdan Knop

Above right: Professor Elżbieta Hurnik