Contested Histories: "Our Class" and the Jedwabne Pogrom (21st April 2025)

Explicit

Content warning: Discussions of sexual violence and graphic descriptions of antisemitic violence and killings.

In this episode - the first in the Contested Histories series - Sam and Alex explore Our Class by Tadeusz Słobodzianek, translated/adapted by Ryan Craig. Based on the controversial history of the Jedwabne pogrom, in which the Jews of the town were murdered in July 1941 by their Polish Catholic neighbours, the play looks at the stories of victims, perpetrators and survivors. The real life events on which the play is based challenged the image of Poles as solely victims in World War II, and debates continue to this day.

Sam and Alex discuss aspects including the history and investigation of the massacre; ‘responsible’ stage portrayals of violent acts; and the resonance of