1. Workshop on Archiving the History of Polish Exile in Great Britain University of Manchester 22 nd February 2013 The Kresy-Siberia Virtual Museum http://www.kresy-siberia.org http://www.kresy-siberia.org George Neisser University of Manchester

2. The Kresy-Siberia Virtual Museum in Context Digitalisation – Digital communications – ‘Community Interfaces’ The KS Virtual Museum Some issues – Construction – Collective memories

3. Digitisation, Transformation, Representation Digital Archive Books, diaries, Documents, minutes Photographs, images, audio, video Testimonies, interviews Communications media Community Interfaces Websites/Virtual/Museums/Facebook/NewTechnologies

4. Objectives Of The KS Virtual Museum To tell the unknown story of Polish Post War Forced exile – Deportations to Siberia – Deportations to Germany – Polish contributions to victory in World War II – Yalta, Soviet hegemony over Poland, loss of sovereignty – The obligation to remain in exile – Development of the worldwide Polish Diaspora To establish a ‘virtual’ place of remembrance

5. Implementation of Objectives Create narratives Selection of materials from existing archives – Sikorski Institute – Hoover Institute Oral testimonies Uploading of individual family histories: letters, diaries, photographs, etc….

6. Museum Design Museum galleries Survivor testimonies Wall of names Hall of memories Special exhibitions Reference centre

8. Museum Galleries

11. Survivor Testimonies

16. A fully completed Biographical Profile Life before WWII Deportation Military Service Life after WWII

21. Some Issues What does a Virtual Museum represent? – Many oral histories – Different regions, countries, viewpoints and perspectives – Different identities and collective memories?