Lady Blanka Rosenstiel Lecture Series on Poland: Polish-Haitian Entanglements

Join the Green School for an exploration of the transnational connections between Poland and the Global South, Haiti in particular. The historical background that underpins this investigation begins with Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. From 1802 to 1805, Napoleon dispatched about 5000 Polish legionaries to Saint-Domingue, modern-day Haiti, as part of his massive effort to contain the slave rebellion that had arisen in 1791. However, a group of Polish soldiers opposed Napoleon’s efforts to subjugate the rebels. Consequently, these soldiers unwittingly took part in the creation of the world’s first black-led republic and first independent Caribbean state when it cast off French colonial control and slavery in the early 19th century.

Opening Remarks:

  • David J. Kramer
    Director, European and Eurasian Studies Program; Senior Fellow, Václav Havel
    Program for Human Rights and Diplomacy

Guest Speakers:

  • Edouard Duval Carrié
    Contemporary artist and curator based in Miami, Florida.
  • Dr. Jacek J. Kolasiński
    Founding Director of the Ratcliffe Incubator of Art + Design
    FIU College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts
    Associate Professor of Art in the Department Art + Art History

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