The “Ślady – historie radomskie” (Traces – Radom Stories) Foundation, whose president and co-founder is Tomasz Staniszewski, was formally registered at the end of 2025. Its establishment was the culmination of earlier activities carried out for several years by an informal group of people engaged in promoting the multicultural heritage of Radom – with particular emphasis on the history of the Jewish community.
In his activities, Tomasz Staniszewski focuses, among other things, on restoring the memory of Radom’s former inhabitants and protecting the material traces of their presence. In recent years he has been particularly active in efforts to recover and return to the Jewish cemetery in Radom the matzevot (Jewish gravestones) that were removed from the site during the Second World War. He is also the author of exhibitions and publications devoted to the history of Radom’s industry.
Since the summer of 2024, the profile „ŚLADY – historia radomskich Żydów” on Facebook has been active. Several times a week it publishes materials recalling the centuries-long presence of the Jewish community in Radom and its contribution to the development of the city. These activities also include establishing contacts with descendants of former Jewish residents of Radom and acquiring memorabilia, documents and artifacts connected with the history of local communities.
Educational and cultural events are also organized as part of these activities. In the autumn of 2024 the team cooperated on an educational project of the Forum for Dialogue, devoted to the outstanding photographer from Radom, Bernard Gotfryd – three lectures and a recital were prepared for the occasion. In the winter of 2025 the meeting “ŚLADY. Radom Ben Zion Golda” took place, devoted to the rabbi and author of memoirs about Radom, combined with a concert. In August 2025 – on the anniversary of the liquidation of the Radom ghetto – an outdoor exhibition was prepared, and in the autumn of the same year a lecture at the Radom History Museum presented the life and work of Jakub Zucker, a painter from Radom associated with the École de Paris.
In the autumn of 2025 the community gathered around the future foundation also participated in preparing the Radom episode of the documentary series “Through Memory and Oblivion” for TVP World. In February 2026 – already as the “Ślady – historie radomskie” Foundation – a screening of the Polish version of the film was organized, together with a meeting with its director and the concert “Jewish Impressions.”
Another project is planned for May – a concert in the Evangelical parish church in Radom to mark the 200th anniversary of the parish.
The foundation is formed by residents of Radom who have long been involved in the cultural and historical life of the city. In addition to Tomasz Staniszewski, those engaged in the foundation’s activities include graphic artist and vice-dean of the Faculty of Art at the University of Radom, Mariusz Dański, as well as historian and regional researcher Renata Metzger, long-time director of the “Resursa Obywatelska” Culture and Arts Centre and initiator of the Jewish Culture Meetings “Ślad.”
Today, the “Ślady – historie radomskie” Foundation is the only local non-governmental organization in Radom that systematically recalls and promotes the history and heritage of the city’s multicultural past.