When in August 1980 strikes broke out in Poland and ‘Solidarity’ movement was created, the world public opinion realized that something important happened. For the first time behind the iron curtain a massive, independent from totalitarian state trade union organization appeared. For almost a year and a half people watched the effects of non-violent struggle of the Polish workers for the right to freedom and dignified life. It appeared possible, even if for some time only, to overcome the barrier which had divided Europe. Governments and parliaments, political, social and labor organizations, church and charity societies wanted to support ‘Solidarity’ by sending financial help, developing contacts, advising in organizational affairs. This, not really formalized and reluctantly welcomed by the communist authorities, co-operation contributed to make ‘Solidarity’ stronger. It proved that the Polish democratic movement is not alone in their struggle, what was even more important after the martial law was introduced in December 1981. In that difficult time ‘Solidarity’ could count on support and help from the whole world. Spontaneous protests and manifestations could be watched in lots of countries, various committees were created, after a few weeks sending equipment and funds was started again, this time illegally. In a smaller way the support for ‘Solidarity’ was visible in the countries of communist bloc.
This phenomenon of a wide range should be described. In the meanwhile it was not researched enough, many archives were destroyed or scattered, only few participants of the events gave their reports. In order to change the situation, even in part, the Institute of National Remembrance in Warsaw and the Institute of History of the University of Wroclaw organize the international scientific conference The World towards ‘Solidarity’ Movement 1980-1989.
The conference will be held in Wrocław at Wrocław University. The conference languages are Polish and English with simultaneous interpretation.
The conference will be open to the public. All participants without papers are asked for registration by sending the enclosed form with personal data. The conference is free of charge.
The applications should be sent to:
anna.piekarska@ipn.gov.pl
or:
Anna Piekarska
Instytut Pamięci Narodowej
Biuro Edukacji Publicznej
ul. Towarowa 28
00-839 Warszawa
POLAND
„Konferencja 2010”
fax: +48.22.431.83.80
For additional information please contact:
Anna Piekarska – anna.piekarska@ipn.gov.pl
Program
Thursday, 21 October 2010
EASTERN BLOC
9.00–9.10 – Opening of the Conference
9.10–12.30 – Session I: Soviet Union (8 papers)
Chair – Dr Łukasz Kamiński (Poland)
1. Prof. Mark Kramer (USA) – The Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact and the Polish Crisis of 1980–1981
2. Prof. Anthony Kemp-Welch (Great Britain) – The Soviet responses to “Solidarity” 1980–1989
3. Petre Iskenderov (Russia) – Influence of “Solidarity” Movement on the Soviet state and public opinion
4. PhD Miklos Mitrovits (Hungary) – Attitude of the Soviet authorities to the Polish crisis. Why Soviet Army did not intervene in Poland 1980–1981?
10.10–10.40 – discussion
10.40–11.00 – Coffee break
Chair – Dr Jarosław Syrnyk (Poland)
5. Dr Levan Berdzenishvili (Georgia) – “Solidarity” in Gulag and among dissidents
6. Doc. Natalia Minenkova (Ukraine) – ”Solidarity” and the Ukrainian dissident movement
7. Prof. Olena Shanovska (Ukraine) – Impact of opposition’s political culture in Poland and Ukraine on the result of resistance to Communist regimes
8. Zbigniew Wojnowski (Great Britain) – Beneficiaries and benefactors: Polish Solidarity and Soviet patriotism in Ukraine, 1980–1982
12.00–12.30 – discussion
12.30–14.30 – Lunch break
14.30–17.40 – Session II: Satellite states (8 papers)
Chair – Dr Alfred Reisch (Hungary)
1. Prof. Kostadin Grozev (Bulgaria) – The “Solidarity” Movement in the files of the Bulgarian Secret Services (1979–1981)
2. Dr Ion Constantin (Romania) – Romanians and “Solidarity”
3. Dr Jarosław Tarasiński (Poland) – GDR response for creating and activity of “Solidarity” Trade Union
4. Dr Bernd Schaefer (Germany) – The East German Stasi, the Catholic Church, and “Solidarity”, 1978–1989
15.30–15.50 – Coffee break
5. Dr Petr Blazek (Czech Republic) – Czechoslovakia and “Solidarity” 1980–1982
6. Dr Janos Tischler (Hungary) – Response of Hungarian authorities and opposition to “Solidarity” 1980–1982
7. Mihaela Toader (Romania) – “Solidarity” in Romanian exile press
8. Dr Marek Czerwiński (Poland) – Events in Poland 1980–1981 as seen by Soviet, Czechoslovakian and East German press
16.50–17.40 – discussion
17.40–18.00 – Coffee break
18.00–19.30 – Panel discussion on structures and organizations supporting the “Solidarity” from abroad
Adam Kiernik, Jolanta Nitosławska, Joanna Pilarska, Jakub Święcicki
Friday, 22 October 2010
WESTERN EUROPE
9.00–13.00 – Session III: Western Europe, part I, (11 papers)
Chair – Dr Peter Opris (Romania)
1. Prof. Gerhard Besier (Germany) – Dual strategy of FRG: help for “Solidarity” and political support for Jaruzelski
2. Dr Jose Maria Faraldo (Spain) – Spain and “Solidarity”: peculiarities of reception, consequences of exile
3. Dr Janina Osses-Frei (Austria) – Austrian help for “Solidarity” at the beginning of 1980ties
4. Prof. Maria Pasztor (Poland) – Italian trade union movement and “Solidarity” (August 1980 – July 1983)
5. Prof. Jacek Tebinka (Poland) – The policy of the government of Margaret Thatcher towards Poland 1980–1989
6. Marek Kunicki-Goldfinger (Poland) – Activity of the French Committee „Solidarité” France-Pologne against involvement of the French society for Poland and “Solidarity” 1980–1990
10.30–11.00 – Discussion
11.00–11.20 – Coffee break
7. Christie Miedema (Holland) – “De Polen hebben u broodnodig”: Dutch solidarity with “Solidarity” and the “Solidarity” Information Desk in Amsterdam
8. Alexandra Gerota (France) – The “Solidarity” Movement in French public opinion 1980–1989
9. Dominik Pick (Poland) – Federal Republic of Germany and “Solidarity”. Response of Social Democrats and trade unions in West Germany at the creation of “Solidarity” and the Martial law
10. Kamil Dworaczek (Poland) – Independent Students’ Association’s contacts with foreign students’ organizations 1980–1981
11. Dr Patryk Pleskot (Poland) – Powerful gestures, modest deeds. French Diplomacy towards „Solidarity” (1980–1989)
12.35–13.00 – Discussion
13.00–15.00 – Lunch break
15.00–19.30 – Session IV: Western Europe, part II (12 papers)
Chair – Dr hab. Paweł Jaworski (Poland)
1. Dr Kim Christiaens (Belgium) – Ground for cooperation? The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the World Confederation of Labour (WCL) towards the emergence, suspension and prohibition of “Solidarity” (1980–1989)
2. Prof. Idesbald Goddeeris (Belgium) – The International Labour Organization and “Solidarity”
3. Dr Bernd Rother (Germany) – Mixed feelings: West European Social Democrats' reaction to “Solidarity”
4. Dr Robert Brier (Germany) – “Communism is Fascism”: Western intellectual responses to the Polish crisis, 1981–1982
5. Prof. Klaus Misgeld (Sweden) – A complicated Solidarity: the Swedish labour movement and “Solidarity”
6. PhDr Stefan Ekecrantz (Sweden) – Understanding “Solidarity” – ideological interpretations of Swedish activists 1980–1981
16.30–17.00 – Discussion
17.00–17.20 – Coffee break
Chair – Prof. Klaus Misgeld
7. Prof. Karl Molin (Sweden) – Making sense of the Polish Crisis. Swedish diplomats and the „Solidarity” Movement 1980–1981
8. Dr hab. Paweł Jaworski (Poland) – Sweden facing the Martial Law in Poland
9. Prof. Bent Boel (Denmark) – Denmark and solidarity with “Solidarity” 1980–1989, so close and yet so far?
10. Dr Jussi Jalonen (Finland) – Solidarity, finlandization and realpolitik: the Finnish attitudes towards the Polish Labour Movement in the 1980s
11. Dr Frank Georgi (France) – Autogestion: the myth of self-managing socialism and the “French enthusiasm” for “Solidarity”
12. Dr Andrzej Grajewski (Poland) – Holy See and “Solidarity” Movement 1980–1989
18.50–19.30 – Discussion
Saturday, 23 October 2010
COUNTRIES OUTSIDE EUROPE AND POLISH IMMIGRATION
9.00–13.00 – Session V: Countries outside Europe (10 papers)
Chair – Dr Patryk Pleskot (Poland)
1. Prof. Jakub Tyszkiewicz (Polska) – American policy and Poland 1980–1989
2. Prof. Gregory Domber (USA) – The National Endowment of Democracy and American Support Networks for “Solidarity” 1984–1989
3. Marcin Frybes (France) – Americans and “Solidarity” 1980–1989. Lane Kirkland and trade union AFL-CIO, POMOST social movement and committees CSSO, KPA and president Ronald Reagan administration members – what joined them together?
4. Prof. Bernard Cook (USA) – The Catholic Church in the United States and “Solidarity”
5. Eric Chenoweth (USA) – The role of the AFL-CIO in assisting “Solidarity”: financial, moral and political
10.15–10.50 – Discussion
10.50–11.10 – Coffee break
6. Fatih Tokatli (Turkey) – “Solidarity” as seen from Turkey: democracy, state and Turkish intellectual political debate around Poland’s
7. Dr Małgorzata Bonikowska (Canada) – Social and political response at “Solidarity” in Canada
8. Prof. Rakesh Batabyal (India) – Countering hegemony: location of Polish “Solidarity” Movement in the memory of Indians
9. Przemysław Gasztold-Seń (Polska) – Arabian countries and “Solidarity”
10. Peter Vamos (Hungary) – The “Solidarity” Movement and China 1980–1989
1. Dr hab. Joanna Wojdon (Poland) – Polish Americans’ attitude to “Solidarity” 1980–1989
2. Dr Piotr Kardela (Poland) – Polish Veterans of World War II and “Solidarity”
3. PhDc Patryk Polec (Canada) – Accepting and accommodating change: The “Solidarity” Movement and Solidarity-immigrants In Canadian and Polish-Canadian society 1980–2005
4. Prof. Krzysztof Tarka (Poland) – “Polish” London facing “Solidarity” 1980–1981
16.00–16.30 – Discussion
16.30–16.50 – Coffee break
5. Dr Paweł Sowiński (Poland) – Smuggled literature. How immigration and Western World helped to create underground publication market in the time of “Solidarity”
6. Łukasz Paweł Wolak (Poland) – Polish Refugees Union in Germany facing Solidarity-immigrants
7. Dr Janusz Wróbel (Poland) / Izabela Iwanowska (USA) – Polish and American Chicago facing the phenomenon of “Solidarity” 1980–1989
