Teaching the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in Exile: Władysław Wielhorski and His History Textbooks

• In Event: Constructing Belarusian, Lithuanian, Polish and Jewish Memories: Visions of the Past in the 20th Century

Abstract

The paper analyzes the historical works of Władysław Wielhorski, a scholar and political publicist who arrived in London during World War II to work as a consultant for the Polish Government in Exile. After the war, he remained in the British capital and became one of the most active members of the Polish academic community. One of his activities included teaching at the Polish University Abroad, where he lectured on the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. This resulted in several publications that served dual purposes: functioning as textbooks and aiming to counteract the Russian-Soviet narrative on the History of Eastern Europe.

Author

• Tomasz Blaszczak, Vytautas Magnus U (Lithuania)