After many years, we are returning to the stories of Lublin’s women. A radio feature by Katarzyna Michalak of Radio Lublin about Józefa and Władysław Kunicki reminds us how important it is to discover women’s histories and restore their presence in the collective memory of the city. The feature also includes an excerpt from an interview with Dr Kasia Zabratańska, a representative of our Foundation, who initiated herstory projects and herstory trails in Lublin more than a decade ago.
Herstories That Began with Taking a Closer Look at the City
For us, Lublin’s herstories are not merely accounts of extraordinary women. They are also part of many years of work to restore women’s presence in the history of the city. More than a decade ago, Dr Kasia Zabratańska, a representative of our Foundation, initiated herstory projects and herstory trails, encouraging people to discover Lublin from women’s perspectives.
The aim was to recognise people whose achievements had not always found a place in the widely accepted narrative of the past. Teachers, community activists, education advocates, and local government representatives helped shape the city and influenced the lives of its residents, yet many of their stories remained little known.
Today, we are pleased to see these biographies attracting renewed interest. Katarzyna Michalak’s radio feature “The Kunickis from the Moon”, produced for Radio Lublin, gives us an opportunity to revisit one such figure – Józefa Kunicka – and recall why herstories matter so much.
The feature also includes an excerpt from an interview with Dr Kasia Zabratańska. This is an important moment for us: the voice of someone who was involved in developing Lublin’s herstory initiatives years ago becomes part of a contemporary account of the women who helped shape the city’s history.
Józefa Kunicka – A Woman Who Helped Shape Lublin
Józefa Kunicka (1880–1956) was a teacher, city councillor, community activist, and education advocate. She served three terms on the Lublin City Council, represented the local government on the Lublin School Board, and worked to introduce compulsory education for all. She was also involved in the activities of the Hygiene Society.
Her work demonstrates that women were not merely observers of social change. They helped establish institutions, took part in decision-making, and worked to improve the living conditions of the local community.
Kunicka was known for her perseverance, intelligence, and independence. Her biography reminds us of the women who, despite the limitations of their time, engaged in public life and consistently pursued social goals.
These are precisely the kinds of figures we want to bring back from obscurity. Restoring their place in history is not just about telling stories of the past – it also raises the question of whom we consider important to our city today, and whether we can recognise the many different forms of civic engagement.
From Herstory Trails to Contemporary Stories
Herstory is about discovering and restoring the memory of women, their experiences, work, and achievements. It helps enrich traditional historical narratives with perspectives that have long remained on the margins.
The herstory trails in Lublin were one way of telling the city’s story differently: through women’s biographies, their workplaces, their community involvement, and traces of their presence in public spaces.
That is why it means so much to us that this subject is returning years later in a radio feature. Work on herstories does not end when a walking tour is organised or a trail is created. Its purpose also lies in ensuring that knowledge about women continues to circulate, inspires others, and reaches new audiences through different media.
“The Kunickis from the Moon” is part of this process. It combines journalistic work with the rediscovery of local history and opens up space for conversations about women whose contributions to the life of the city deserve greater recognition.
“The Kunickis from the Moon” – Listen to the Radio Feature
Katarzyna Michalak’s feature tells the story of Józefa and Władysław Kunicki while also bringing a part of Lublin’s history closer to its listeners. We particularly encourage you to listen to it in the context of the city’s herstory and the long-standing efforts to restore the memory of its women residents.
An important part of the feature is an interview with Dr Kasia Zabratańska, a representative of our Foundation. Her contribution connects earlier herstory initiatives with today’s renewed interest in women’s biographies.
On 19 September, a commemorative plaque honouring Józefa and Władysław Kunicki was unveiled at 37/39 Narutowicza Street. This is a particularly significant location: before the war, it housed the Girls’ Commercial School founded by Władysław Kunicki. The plaque is another way of making this history visible in the city’s public space.
We encourage you to listen to the feature and continue discovering Lublin’s herstories.
Listen to Katarzyna Michalak’s radio feature “The Kunickis from the Moon” on Radio Lublin (in Polish):
https://podcasty.radiolublin.pl/katarzyna-michalak-kuniccy-z-ksiezyca-reportaz-radia-lublin/
Remembering Women Is a Collective Effort
We are glad that the stories of women we have been bringing back to public attention and working to preserve in our collective memory for years are once again being heard in public spaces. The inclusion of Dr Kasia Zabratańska’s contribution in the radio feature is an important link to our earlier herstory initiatives and a reminder that this subject deserves our continued attention.
We believe that herstories help us see Lublin in a fuller light. They show that the city’s history was also shaped by women whose work, courage, and commitment contributed to its development.
Restoring the memory of women is an ongoing process. We are glad to be part of it – and that stories about the women of Lublin are now reaching new audiences.
Photo: Radio Lublin