The Museum at Women's Week in Opole

Malina [Raspberry], Wirta and Pączek [Donut]. Although their insurgent code names might be associated with sweetmeats, nevertheless, they "elbowed their way through life". What is femininity? Did they use their femininity? And finally, is there such a thing as femininity?

At the Women's Week we discussed the above questions during the last event in our Opole seat. These three extraordinary heroines of the meeting: Wanda Traczyk-Stawska, alias Pączek, Barbara Lewandowska, alias Wirta, and Jadwiga Beaupré, alias Malina, who took their younger friends under their protection, in 1944, stayed in the Lamsdorf camp – a place completely unsuitable for female prisoners-of-war. Femininity could have been a burden and an asset there.

The profiles of the ladies, former participants of the Warsaw Uprising, and later accomplished professionals (Malina, as a doctor, pioneered birthing schools, Wirta, as an editor, wrote children's books, and Pączek, as a psychologist, took care of disabled children and became a social activist), were presented by Museum workers: Dr. Violetta Rezler-Wasielewska, Dr. Anna Czerner and Dr. Piotr Stanek.

Together with the audience, the hosts also reflected on what, in the case of the heroines, was it meant to "elbow their way through life", which served as the title of the event and the slogan on the Museum gadgets, also handed out at the end of the meeting as prizes in a competition. "I will have other interesting women to introduce to students in my classes", concluded the well-known Professor of history Anna Pobóg-Lenartowicz, who represented the Women's Council of Opole, which patronized the event.

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