One of the highlights of the Congress of National Remembrance was "Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom"

During the Congress of National Remembrance, all participants had the opportunity to see the exhibitions prepared by the IPN. Each visitor was transferred to a different stage of history, and the information on the boards brought them closer to both well-known and little-known pages of Polish history. The multimedia exhibition "20-40-23" presented the great victory in the Polish-Bolshevik War of 1920 and the Katyn Massacre of 1940. The exhibition "Soldiers. Patriots. Jews” presented the profiles of Jews fighting for Poland's independence and borders in the period from 1914 to 1921. In addition, the participants of the Congress could learn about the history of one of the most distinguished Polish organisations in the USA -- the Polish Falcons of America, as well as archives and items related to the history of Poland in the 20th century -- as part of the Archives Full of Memory project. Moreover, everyone had the opportunity to get familiar with the graphics of the prisoner Maria Hiszpańska-Neumann, who presented life in KL Ravensbrück in the form of drawings.

One place, six exhibitions, including multimedia presentations, showing the history of the struggle for independence and the clash of Poles with the two totalitarianisms of the 20th century, the great victory in the Polish-Bolshevik War in 1920 and the Katyn Massacre in 1940. The tragedy of human fate, heroism and bravery, the struggle for historical truth and remembrance. Cultivating Polish identity in foreign lands. History enclosed in images and documents from the camps, kept in the families of Poles who were scattered all over the world by the turmoil of war. Because history speaks across generations. The exhibitions were presented at the Congress of National Remembrance organised by the IPN on 13–15 April 2023 at the PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw.

Exhibitions

•             "Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom":  an international educational and memorial project to commemorate the armed efforts of the Polish Armed Forces during World War II and the fate of civilians evacuated from the USSR with the army of General Anders. This is one of the main projects of the IPN. The exhibition recounts the heroic deeds of our airmen in the Battle of Britain, the Polish soldiers from Tobruk, Narvik or Monte Cassino. Part of the exhibition is a virtual globe showing the civilian, military, sea and land routes used by Poles during World War II. Through an interactive panel controlling the globe, anyone will be able to select a region of the world and learn about the history and fate of the Poles associated with it.

•             "Patriots. Soldiers. Jews": the multimedia exhibition presents profiles of Jews fighting for Poland's independence and borders in the period from 1914 to 1921 and their fate later on. Thousands of Polish Jews were soldiers and officers in the Polish Army, and most of them did not come from assimilated families. Between 1914 and 1921, they fought for Poland's independence and defended its borders against Soviet aggression. Interactive screens and voiceover narration provide an insight into the unknown fates of the heroes of the common struggle for independence.

•             "20–40–23": the exhibition depicts the great victory of 1920 in the Polish-Bolshevik war and the tragedy of 1940 – the Katyn Massacre. It is a journey through the most difficult moments of Polish history seen from the perspective of selected historical figures. The multimedia exhibition shows the fate of extraordinary heroes: Jan and Stanisław Ozimek – father and son, Lt Julian Gruner, Lt Col (Certified) Wilhelm Kasprzykiewicz and Fr Józef Skorel. You will be able to read their biographies and see photographs. The highlight of the exhibition is a touching 30-minute film, the script of which was based on the biographies of those five characters. Thanks to the unique scenography, you can be briefly transported to the Katyn forest. "Here lies the army" – wrote Józef Mackiewicz in 1943, when he stood in Katyn over the death pits into which NKVD officers had thrown Polish officers murdered on Stalin's orders in 1940.  

•             exhibition of Maria Hiszpańska-Neumann's graphic works from the concentration camp Maria Hiszpańska-Neumann, a Polish graphic designer, was imprisoned by the Germans in the Ravensbrück concentration camp. She immortalised the hellish camp life in prints that she created in secret.

•             sections of the exhibition "»Strengthen your arm – serve your homeland«. 135th anniversary of the establishment of the Polish Falcons of America" which is a collection acquired from the Polish Falcons of America. The display of original documents and artefacts is supplemented by interactive dashboards and multimedia projections. The exhibition will include, among other things: a fragment of a printing press, a banner from the Polish Falcons collection, a virtual album with photographs by Polish activist Agnieszka Wisła, and her uniform.

•             Archive Full of Remembrance – presentation of private collections of Polish families and Polish organisations, which become part of the national heritage in the IPN Archive. Visitors will be able to view a spatial installation which is formed by furniture that metaphorically alludes to an old attic, an ancestral bureau which preserves the memory of the past. We will invite the visitors to decipher the stories hidden in old documents (from the war and post-war era) with the help of multimedia and new technologies. Visitors will be able to take part in the "Archive Timeline" photo contest.

The event was held under the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda.