The opening of the exhibition "Fight for the Soul of the Nation. Around the Millennium of the Church and the Polish State 1956-1966 / 1967 " took place on 24 September in Lublin.
The exhibition presents the main church ceremonies organized in Poland and abroad, their course, the involvement and interest on the part of Polish society, and the invaluable role of Primate Stefan Wyszyński. It juxtaposes these events with the "competitive" activities of the communist state apparatus aimed primarily at hindering and overshadowing religious celebrations.
The exhibition presents photos from state and church archives, press agencies, local museums and private collections. It is an outdoor exhibition consisting of 30 panels, connected into ten free-standing cubes. The exhibition has previously been presented in Częstochowa (21 May – 21 June 2021), and in Gniezno.
The exhibition was opened by the Deputy President of the Institute of National Remembrance, Karol Polejowski, Ph.D. ,D.Sc. and Adam Bab, Ph.D., the Bishop of the Lublin Archdiocese.
IPN’s Deputy President, Karol Polejowski, addressed the participants of the event with the words:
“Apart from Częstochowa, it is difficult to imagine a more appropriate place for the presentation of this exhibition than Lublin and the Catholic University of Lublin as it touches upon one of the most dangerous moments in the history of post-war Poland. This was a ten-year struggle between the communist authorities and the Church, not only for the souls of the nation, but also for its body. The year 1956, which went down in history as the year of the so-called "thaw", did not mark the end of totalitarian rule in Poland. It was, however, the moment when the armed underground and organized resistance after 1944 were already disappearing, and the democratic opposition had not yet been born. And this is where the Church and Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński came to the fore".
Bishop Adam Bab expressed the hope that this exhibition would be an opportunity for young people to reflect upon the soul of the community they belong to and whose language they speak. He further stated that the presented exhibition would provide insight into the soul of the nation.
Dr. Katarzyna Zawadka, the co-author of the exhibition, stressed the fact that it is devoted to a very special period in the history of Poland, the decade of 1956-1966, when Poland became a field of rivalry between the Catholic Church, led by Primate Stefan Wyszyński, and the state authorities under the leadership of Władysław Gomułka.
The exhibition will be on display until the end of October 2021