Memory of Polish ‘children born of war’ in the spotlight
A new book recently published in Poland explores the living memory of Polish CBOWs, or ‘Children Born of War’.
Debrief host John Beauchamp meets Dr Jakub Gałęziowski to talk about his book ‘Understated Biographies’ which was written thanks to research on the topic of Polish children who were born as a direct result of wartime activity: whether by rape or consensus.
With Polish lands sometimes exchanging hands multiple times between occupying forces during World War II, CBOW stories are often related to either German or Soviet soldiers. But there are some surprises too…
“This part of history is not very well known in World War II studies,” Dr Gałęziowski says, adding that it is time that Polish CBOW narratives – often misunderstood or simply unknown – complete European research undertaken in Northern and Western Europe.
