Speaker: Dr. Andrew Zalewski

 Co-sponsored by Gesher Galicia

Galicia under Habsburg rule (1772–1918) was home to the largest Jewish community in the multiethnic empire. Austrian censuses, postcards and maps, together with newspaper clippings and pamphlets, bring to life Jewish presence in cities, such as Lwów and Kraków, and other, smaller towns. Market squares, streets, and schools—situated close to synagogues and churches—provided shared spaces for Jews, Poles, and Ukrainians. Those attending will also “enter” 19th-century homes to meet Jewish inhabitants—all illustrated by Gesher Galicia’s archival collections. Reconstructing the life in former Galicia, a province of Austria-Hungary and today divided between Poland and Ukraine, brings to focus the richness of Jewish cultural heritage. The presentation will be illustrated by unique archival documents and old maps acquired by Gesher Galicia.

Andrew Zalewski is a former professor of medicine at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He
is vice president of Gesher Galicia, a non-profit organization devoted to genealogical and historical
research on Galicia, a former province of Austria-Hungary. Andrew is a frequent speaker at meetings
of Jewish genealogical societies and cultural and academic institutions in the US and abroad. Unique
archival records—population surveys, maps, and old newspapers—provide the background for his in-
depth description of Galicia.

Andrew Zalewski authored two books on Austrian Galicia: Galician Trails: The Forgotten Story of One
Family and Galician Portraits: In Search of Jewish Roots, in which he traced the story of his ancestors
in a historical context.