Course at a Glance
Course: ENGL 388Z
Class and Credits: Kraków and Auschwitz: Polish Literature and Cultural Memory (3 credits)
Location: Kraków and Auschwitz, Poland
Format: Hybrid - online study and on-site field study
When: 19 May - 15 June 2027
On-site in Poland: 28-31 May 2027
Register By: 5 May 2027
Status: Open
Highlights:
- Auschwitz and Birkenau
- Home Army Museum
- The Eagle Pharmacy
- Ghetto Heroes Square Memorial and remnants of the ghetto wall
- Former Gestapo prison at 2 Pomorska Street
- Sites associated with Nazi occupation and Polish resistance in Kraków
- Literary study of memory, identity, and survival
Tuition and Fees:
$750.00 Undergraduate 3-credit hour tuition cost
$400.00 Field Study Additional Fee includes: (museum/ticket fees, private tours, excursions or other events organized by the faculty). Not included: meals, transportation to and from the location, and hotel accommodation. Please note that the fee is subject to change based on potential increases in ticket prices.
Not included: Meals, transportation to and from the location, and hotel accommodations.
Discover how literature and place shape our understanding of the past.
Study Polish literature and cultural memory in the places where history continues to shape everyday life. This upper-level English field study combines online coursework with guided visits in Kraków and at Auschwitz and Birkenau, connecting literary interpretation with the experience of historical sites.
Through poetry, fiction, essays, and historical readings, you will examine how Polish, Jewish, and international writers represent war, genocide, displacement, and survival. The course explores life under Nazi occupation, Polish resistance, and questions of nationalism, cultural identity, and ethnic and religious belonging.
Close reading, guided discussion, and reflective writing will help you consider how literature bears witness to trauma and how communities remember their past. Visits to museums, memorials, and sites of occupation and resistance provide opportunities to examine the relationship between history, place, and narrative, with an emphasis on ethical and respectful engagement.
Faculty member: Dr. Jessica Stock, email: jessica.stock@umgc.edu
Dr. Stock's Bio
Students should consult an academic advisor to determine how the course fits into their program.
Course Details
Before the On-Site Field Study
Begin in the online LEO classroom with assigned readings and discussions introducing Polish literature, cultural memory, and the historical context of Kraków during World War II. Review the itinerary and prepare for respectful engagement at Holocaust memorials and other sensitive historical sites.
On-Site in Kraków and Auschwitz
28-31 May, 2027
Tentative Itinerary (Final confirmed itinerary will be available in the course syllabus)
- Auschwitz and Birkenau: Connect literary accounts of imprisonment and survival with the sites of Nazi persecution and genocide.
- Home Army Museum: Examine Polish resistance during Nazi occupation.
- The Eagle Pharmacy and Ghetto Heroes Square: Explore the history and remembrance of Kraków’s Jewish ghetto.
- Remnants of the Ghetto Wall: Consider how traces of the built environment preserve the memory of persecution.
- 2 Pomorska Street: Examine the history of Nazi repression at the former Gestapo prison.
- Additional Kraków Sites: Investigate places associated with occupation, resistance, and the city’s cultural memory.
Visits and their sequence are tentative. Refer to the final course syllabus for the confirmed itinerary.
After the On-Site Field Study
Bring your readings and field observations together through analytical and reflective assignments. Coursework includes essays, reflective journals, discussions, and a final project or presentation.
Proposed project options include a creative response to Kraków’s history or a thematic memory map connecting selected places to a topic such as Jewish life, literature, or World War II. Final assignment requirements will be provided in the syllabus.
Textbooks and Course Materials
Please refer to the current course syllabus found on the online web schedule of classes for details about course materials.
Proposed readings include:
- This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen by Tadeusz Borowski
- The Rest is Memory by Lily Tuck
- The Selected works of Olga Tokarczuk (2018 Nobel Prize in Literature)
- Additional poetry, fiction, essays, and historical sources selected for the course.
Registration Details
You may register for the 1-3 credit field study course with your local program coordinator or online at MyUMGC. Tuition assistance or financial aid can be applied toward tuition costs. For more information, contact the UMGC Field Study Office at CIV +49-(0)631-534-800, or e-mail fieldstudies-europe@umgc.edu.
Before completing your travel plans, please verify with your local program coordinator or the Field Study Office at fieldstudies-europe@umgc.edu. that the course will be held as scheduled. If you drop/withdraw from a field study course after the registration deadline, you will be charged a fee of $100. A one-credit hour field study will be charged the amount equal to the pre-purchased tickets. Please see the additional field study fee.
How is a field study course different from a regular course?
A field study course packs all of the 48 contact-hours of other courses into adventure-filled days on location, so you can earn one to three credits at an accelerated pace. In addition, rather than taking place in an education center, a field study course takes place in a historical European city where the subject being studied has its roots. You will visit historical sites and museums as well as participate in lectures that bring it all together for a one-of-a-kind learning experience.
For more information, please visit the Field Study Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.
Helpful Hints
Before you leave:
- Contact your travel agency concerning insurance coverage for cancellations.
- Contact your health insurance company for information concerning coverage at your destination.
- Familiarize yourself with local laws and customs of your destination country.
- Check the weather forecast for your destination.
- Obtain city maps for your destination.
- Leave contact information with people at home who may need to reach you during the course.
- Make sure your legal affairs are in order and leave a short-term power of attorney with someone you trust.
- Make two photocopies of your passport and the contents of your wallet--leave one copy at home and bring the other with you.
For more information, please visit the Field Study Resources page.