Ideology, Exile and the Search for Freedom
Greek–Polish Migrations in the Twentieth Century
Inspired by our own family histories, this project explores two interconnected migration experiences: Greek political refugees who settled in Poland after the Greek Civil War and Polish emigrants who left the country during the communist period
How did the Cold War shape migration experiences in Greece and Poland, and what connections can we draw between them?
It explores a lesser-known and rarely discussed chapter of European migration history. The project aims to highlight the historical connections between the two countries and shed light on the different political and personal circumstances that shaped people’s decisions to migrate. It also encourages audiences to reflect on migration, displacement and memory.
Two directions of exile
The project compares Greek political refugees who reached Poland after the Greek Civil War with Polish emigrants whose journeys took place under communist rule. By setting the stories alongside one another, the authors show how ideas of homeland and freedom are shaped by historical circumstance.
Migration as family history
Family accounts and public records connect political events with ordinary decisions about work, language, relationships and return. Rather than treating migration as an abstract flow, the story explores its intimate consequences across generations.
A connected twentieth century
The timeline reveals different meanings of the words exile, ideology and belonging. It encourages visitors to recognise the asymmetry of the two histories while considering the human experiences that bring them into conversation.
Sources & Credits
Original project references, visual sources and creator credits are collected here in one place.
- Creator & project
Vicky Antoniou, Kacper Krzysztof Dziekan. Digital exhibition / web story, Timeline. Who Owns Memory? Digital Public Exhibition, First Cycle 2026.
Maroufof, M., 2009. Polish Immigrants in Greece. Paper prepared under the auspices of the IDEA Project. Athens: Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP).
Witkowski, R. (2019) ‘Greek refugees in Poland after 1949: People, places, memory, Heritage’, in 100 years of Greek-Polish relations. Athens: Institute of Historical Research.
Σουλτανιά, Αίκ. (1996) Η εθνική ταυτότηα των εκπατρισμένων μετά τον εμφύλιο Ελλήνων. (Το παράδειγμα της Πολωνίας) Διαδακτορική διατριβή, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών (ΕΚΠΑ). Τμήμα Παιδαγωγικό Δημοτικής Εκπαίδευσης doi:10.12681/eadd/5347.
- Visual and media material
Photographs, documents, illustrations, video and audio are attributed through the project text, captions and contributor documentation wherever that information was supplied. This exhibition page does not grant additional reuse permissions.
- Digital exhibition edition
Web presentation adapted for Who Owns Memory? (2026), with layout and language editing. The original contributors retain authorship of their research, interpretation and creative work.