By Becky Malewitz | March 26, 2025
Discussions about World War II may immediately conjure names such as Hitler, Churchill, Roosevelt, Patton or Stalin, but what about the names that we don’t know, the people who lived through the turmoil?
War affects more than just the people named in history books.
“Textbooks and the History Channel typically depict a clean narrative of World War II,” Julia Schneider, German language and literature librarian, said. “In reality, there are a lot of different people involved, a lot of pieces and parts.”
To show that reality, Schneider, Natasha Lyandres, Russian and East European studies librarian, and Jean McManus, Catholic studies librarian, have worked together to curate the latest Rare Books and Special Collections exhibit, Tragedies of War: Images of WWII in Print Visual Culture. The exhibit gives visitors a glimpse into the Second World War from the perspective of the everyday Europeans who lived alongside it.
“We wanted to tell a story about the experiences and tragedies of ordinary people during World War II,” Lyandres said. “It’s not just a history of battles, it's not just the history of winners and losers, it's a deeply and profoundly tragic human story.”
The exhibit — currently on display in Rare Books and Special Collections at the Hesburgh Library — honors the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II by showcasing more than 40 pieces of printed materials.
“It's a full European war experience and the content was mostly created by average citizens for average citizens,” Schneider said. “It gives people the opportunity to better understand that the individuals who experienced and survived the war had different ways of expressing their feelings about it.”
Amidst the items on display are illustrations created by Olena Wityk Wojtowycz depicting daily life inside Ravensbrück women’s concentration camp. A prisoner inside the camp where she was forced to perform slave labor, Wojtowycz — an artist who immigrated to the United States in 1949 — created the images to share her experience and raise money in support of political prisoners.
Also, among the printed materials, visitors will see memoirs, photographs, sketches and pieces of propaganda.
“Images can communicate what words have trouble describing,” Lyandres said. “These are not just historical artifacts. They are tangible connections to the past. Seeing these materials up close makes history deeply personal and helps us better understand the relevance of World War II and make connections to the world we live in today.”
In addition to the printed materials, the exhibit features a video — from the University Archives — captured by James J. Norris, then the European Director for Catholic Relief Services. Originally filmed on 8mm, the clips capture the remaining destruction in British-occupied Germany four years after the war had ended.
“In 1949, there were still vast areas of destruction,” McManus said. “You see piles of rubble, you see people going about their business, but in the background, buildings are still destroyed. It's a visceral look at the destruction. It drives home how long it took to recover from the war.”
Materials in the exhibit demonstrate a variety of languages and age demographics.
“We hope that people will spend some time thinking about who these materials were made for and what they are trying to influence,” McManus said. She points out that it is also important to ask those questions regarding even straightforward items such as the maps displayed in the exhibit.
“In a way, maps are not neutral,” she said. “Who made the maps? What was the purpose? And what do they tell you about power structures?”
The items on display represent a number of newer acquisitions, which are only a small portion of the University’s overall collection.
“For all the materials that we've displayed in the exhibit, there are a lot of outtakes,” McManus said. “We are already thinking about bringing additional materials out for classes that visit the exhibit.”
Lyandres, McManus and Schneider invite anyone who comes to visit the exhibit — which is free and open to the public — to take the time to reflect on what each of these pieces of history really shows.
“I would like people to leave with one personal story from this exhibit,” McManus said. “There are a lot of smaller stories here that allow viewers to reflect on the experiences of the people who lived through these historic events.”
“It makes these historical events more relevant, personal and understandable for us,” Lyandres said. “It allows us to get a glimpse of how this war was experienced by people just like us.”
“I hope that people seeing this exhibit will understand that these events happened,” Schneider said. “It happened to real people like them, and it could happen again.”
Tragedies of War: Images of WWII in Print Visual Culture is generously supported by the McBrien Special Collections Endowment. The exhibition is open to the public and will remain on display in 102 Hesburgh Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, through July 2025. Several events will be held in conjunction with the exhibit. Visit the Hesburgh Libraries events page to learn more.