Schmitzler's People: Opening of the Exhibition

“Schmitzler's People”. DSH, January 13

Schmitzler’s People. Inhabitants of the Pre-war Snyatyn

The exhibition illustrates social relationships and identity issues on the cultural borderland, based on the history of Snyatyn – a town in Eastern Galicia. Before the Second World War it was inhabited by a multicultural community which included Ukrainians, Jews, Poles, Armenians and Germans. Photographs from family albums depict the past life of the town, its institutions, relationships in the neighbourhood and leisure. The majority of the photographs were taken by Ignacy Schmitzler, a Jewish photographer. People of various nationalities and positions in the social hierarchy had their photographs taken at his studio. Schmitzler – a photographic chronicler of the town – will lead the viewer along the streets of Snyatyn where its inhabitants lived and met.

The exhibition is based on memory research that uses new, Internet forms of communication, namely social networking sites and genealogical portals.