This seminar will raise important new questions about the intersection of general criminality and anti-Semitic violence in the late Russian Empire. Historians Artur Markowski and Joachim Popek have compiled a unique dataset of murders, beatings, thefts, and property destruction in the Kingdom of Poland, and integrated spatial methods into their analysis of the archival record. Their research challenges us to recognize the significance of individual (in addition to collective) acts of violence and makes a major contribution to the literature on the geography of violence.
Artur Markowski is Associate Professor of History at the University of Warsaw, where he serves as Head of the Department of 19th-Century History in the Faculty of History. His research focuses on the social history of the Russian Empire and the history of Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe.
He is the principal investigator of several research projects examining anti-Jewish violence and the legal status of Jews in the territories of the former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth during the 19th and 20th centuries. His work combines archival investigation with spatial and quantitative methodologies, contributing to a deeper understanding of interethnic relations, minority policies, and the long-term social dynamics of antisemitism.
Joachim Popek holds the position of Assistant Professor at the University of Rzeszów. He is the head of the Environmental History Laboratory at the Faculty of Humanities. His research focuses on the energy transition in Enlightenment-era Central and Eastern Europe, particularly on the issue of sustainability in forestry and traditional forms of forest utilization.
He is currently leading a research project funded by the Poland's National Science Centre on social conflicts over forest commons in the northern Carpathians in the 18th and 19th centuries. He specializes in digital humanities, particularly Historical Geographic Information Systems (HGIS). In addition, he is a member of several international research teams and networks, working within the framework of EU-COST Action and the International Visegrad Fund.
Accessibility
The Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact us at 617-495-4037 or daviscenter@fas.harvard.edu in advance of your participation or visit. Requests for Sign Language interpreters and/or CART providers should be made at least two weeks in advance if possible. Please note that the Davis Center will make every effort to secure services but that services are subject to availability.
