SUMMER SCHOOL

We invite you to attend AMBER AND SOLIDARITY. GDAŃSK SUMMER SCHOOL 2020.

Workshops and lectures will take place at the Faculty of History and the Faculty of Biology in the University of Gdańsk. An integral part of the Summer School will comprise numerous meetings with practitioners and trips including “Ambermart. International Amber Fair”, exhibitions of amber, places connected with the Solidarity movement as well as historical monuments of Gdańsk. We will also present the most important works of art made of amber as well as modern designs.

All classes will be conducted in English. The recommended level of proficiency in English is B2 (corresponding to the FCE, B2 Business Vantage certificates, among others).

All interested parties are welcome to participate in the Summer School: both students as well as adults.

The framework programme:

The Natural History of Amber – lectures, workshops, sightseeing and the collection of the Museum of Inclusions in Amber.

Amber in archaeology – a lecture and a trip.

Malbork: visiting the exhibition of “Amber Contexts” and sightseeing the castle.

Amber in history and arts – a lecture and field classes.

An outline of the history of Gdańsk and selected historical monuments of Gdańsk– a lecture and field classes.

An outline of the history of Gdańsk and selected historical monuments of Gdańsk– a lecture and field classes.

Ambermart. International Amber Fair.

Mariacka Street Festival.

An outline of the history of Gdańsk – visiting Westerplatte.

 

Thematic blocks:

NATURAL HISTORY OF AMBER

Tutors: dr Elżbieta Sontag, dr hab. Jacek Szwedo, prof. UG.

During the classes Summer School participants will learn about, among others:

  • The process of Baltic amber creation;
  • Other deposits of amber and their characteristics;
  • Types of inclusions and pseudo-inclusions ;
  • The importance of inclusions in scientific research.

The activities will take forms of lectures and laboratory classes and will be held at the Faculty of Biology in the University of Gdańsk. Summer School participants will also visit the Museum of Inclusions in Amber.

AMBER IN ARCHAEOLOGY

Tutors: dr Katarzyna Ślusarska, dr Anna Strobin.

During the classes Summer School participants will learn about, among others:

  • Traditional methods of acquiring and processing amber;
  • Amber in archaeological cultures of the Stone Age;
  • The dawn of long-distance trade and the development of the Amber Route;
  • Baltic amber in the ancient Rome;
  • Amber products on Polish soil in the period of Celtic dominance and in the period of the Roman Empire.

The classes will take the form of lectures and will be held at the Faculty of History in the University of Gdańsk.

AMBER IN HISTORY AND ARTS

Tutors: dr Anna Sobecka, dr Jacek Bielak.

During the classes Summer School participants will learn about, among others:

  • Amber in history: the role of amber in the development of trade and crafts, the importance of amber in the history of southern coast of the Baltic, particularly for Gdańsk;
  • Most important works of art made of or with amber;
  • Modern amber designs.

The activities will take forms of lectures and field classes and will be held at the Faculty of History in the University of Gdańsk as well as in premises related to the topic of the classes.

AN OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY OF GDAŃSK

Tutors: Prof. dr hab. Beata Możejko, dr hab. Sławomir Kościelak, prof. UG, dr Michalina Petelska, dr Piotr Derengowski, dr hab. Arnold Kłonczyński, prof. UG.

During the classes Summer School participants will learn about, among others:

  • The medieval Gdańsk – Poland, the Teutonic Knights, the Hanza.
  • The Pearl of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
  • Under the rule of Prussia and Germany (1793-1945)
  • Why did World War II begin in Gdańsk?
  • Gdańsk in the People’s Republic of Poland: from the anti-government protests of 1970 to the Solidarity movement.

The classes will take the form of lectures and will be held at the Faculty of History in the University of Gdańsk.

SELECTED HISTORICAL MONUMENTS OF GDAŃSK

Tutors: dr Anna Sobecka, dr Jacek Bielak.

All the classes will be held in the vicinity of the Old and the Main Towns in Gdańsk.

 

A trip to Malbork. It will include sighseeing the gothic castle complex, one of the greatest castles in Europe. In the castle museum the exhibition “Amber Contexts” is held, which exhibits natural forms of amber, amber utilitarian objects and amber jewellery.

 

The Organisers reserve the right to alter the programme due to independent potential changes  in the availability of museums or cultural institutions.