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08.03.2019

Information on the number 35 of "Memory and Justice" (sending articles by June 15, 2019)

In 2020, the fortieth anniversary of the birth of the Solidarity, which played a decisive role in the process of Poland and Central and Eastern Europe going out of communism. Inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe, who as a result of the Yalta divisions found themselves in the zone of Soviet influence, sought to break the yoke from it, organizing various forms of resistance and opposition to the system.

Poles opposed communism many times. The mass protests in 1956, 1968, 1970 and 1976 did not bring any results, apart from the tactical concessions of successive leaders of communist party. However, the resistance of the society caused that in Poland, as the only country in the Soviet bloc, it was not possible to collectivise agriculture, and the Catholic Church remained independent. In the mid-1970s, the economic crisis was growing, and the shortcomings of basic products were slowly becoming every day. The change of the constitution, undertaken at the turn of 1975 and 1976, led to the revival of opposition circles. After the workers' protests of June 1976, numerous opposition organizations began to emerge, among which the Workers' Defense Committee, the Human Rights and Citizens' Defense Movement, Student Solidarity Committees, the Scientific Courses Society, Free Trade Unions, peasant committees, the Young Poland Movement, the Confederation Polish Independence and others played a leading role.

The birth of Solidarity in August 1980 was a turning point in the recent history of Poland. Poles have been waiting for these moments of the national uprising since the end of World War II. Solidarity was not only the hope of improving economic existence. It awakened the longing of freedom for years, a sense of honor, restored Christian elements to public life, brought about moral renewal.

This movement also inspired the inhabitants of other Central and Eastern European countries to take up opposition and consequently led to the collapse of the system.

Taking this into account, the editors of the "Memory and Justice" semicolon recognized that the 35th issue of the journal should be devoted to issues related to the anti-communist opposition in the PRL and other countries of Central and Eastern Europe in 1956-1989. We are particularly interested in texts on the following issues and areas of activity of the anti-communist opposition:

  • Opposition and social resistance in Poland in the years 1956-1989 in comparison with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe
  • Opposition and social resistance in Central and Eastern Europe in 1956-1989
  • Strategy of the opposition
  • Political thought of opposition circles
  • Society and the opposition
  • Churches and the opposition
  • Different trends of opposition and social resistance
  • Symptoms and forms of social resistance of the central and regional range
  • Opposition initiatives undertaken in the countryside
  • Cooperation of the opposition in Poland with the opposition in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe
  • The government's policy towards the opposition
  • Activities of communist secret services against opposition milieus
  • Reactions of Western European countries to the activity of the opposition in Poland and the countries behind the Iron Curtain
  • Biographies of opposition leaders andactivists

The editors of "Pamięć i Sprawiedliwość" invites you to submit articles falling within the framework of the above-mentioned issues. We wait for the texts until June 15, 2019. Publication number 35 of the journal is planned for the first half of 2020.

We publish articles in Polish and in congress languages: English, Italian and French.

Papers and possible questions, please contact: rafal.latka@ipn.gov.pl or redakcja.pis@ipn.gov.pl

 


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