Sugihara's List

Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat and spy, issued thousands of transit visas to Jewish refugees in Kaunas, Lithuania, in the summer of 1940, enabling them to escape via Japan to safety elsewhere in the world. This extraordinary and still little-known story, told by Zofia Hartman, a researcher and member of the Hillel community in Krakow, shows how rescue came from the most unexpected direction. The event will be an opportunity to look at Sugihara not only as a hero, but also as a figure whose reception still raises questions today.

A young researcher, activist, cultural animator, and oboist. She specializes in the study of Chiune Sugihara and the history associated with him. In 2024, her book Sugihara's List was published, for which she was honored with the Przegląd Wschodni Award (Eastern Review Award) in 2025. She is currently pursuing a doctorate at the University of Łódź, focusing on the post-war history of the former Sobibór extermination camp.She completed a five-year cultural studies program at the Faculty of Polish Studies at Jagiellonian University in Kraków. In 2020, she also completed over a decade of classical music education, culminating in studies at the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Kraków, where she specialized in instrumental performance.Her interests include Jewish culture and history, music, and literature. She regularly performs as an oboist in Poland and abroad. She combines her academic research with cultural event organization, primarily concerts and literary meetings. She is the main character of the film "Hidden Heritage" directed by Sławomir Grünberg.