There is a very special moment when you touch a document in an archive that hasn’t been held by anyone for decades. For me, the work on Clio and Quill is much more than just verifying facts – it is a deeply emotional journey into the past.

Of course, it carries a lot of responsibility to double-check every date and every street corner in Warsaw or Łódź. But it is also incredibly exciting and moving to leaf through old photo books and read handwritten letters. It feels as if I am rebuilding a world, brick by brick, that remained hidden for a long time.
This research is the foundation of Clio and Quill. Together with the many conversations I’ve been privileged to have, a picture emerges that goes far beyond mere numbers. It is the restoration of a story that deserves to be told with the utmost care. In the process, I’m not only learning about my ancestors but also about how precious it is to preserve one's own traces.

I am truly looking forward to opening this world for you, piece by piece – and sharing with you what has grown from these traces.

Viviane A. Grabik