In 1999, during his second to last pastoral trip to Poland John Paul II visited 21 localities. The Holy Father came to Poland, which after the difficult transformation period in the early 1990s was begining to feel an economic upturn and had a relatively stable democracy. A year before the Pope’s visit Poland joined NATO… Continue reading John Paul II’s Speech to the Polish Parliament
The first free election in Poland’s post-war history was held on June 4, 1989 and brought victory to the Solidarity movement and defeat to the governing camp. In fact, the election was only partly free, as – in accordance with the Round Table agreements jointly reached earlier that year by the democratic opposition and the… Continue reading Inaugural address of Premier Tadeusz Mazowiecki
The round-table discussions are one of the most important events in the modern history of Poland. Not only did they end the period of communism that started after the Second World War, establishing the framework for systemic transformation, but also laid the foundation for the modern Polish political scene and social divisions. At the same… Continue reading Round Table Agreement
A wave of strikes washed through Poland in the summer of 1980. Among others, their participants demanded the establishment of labour unions independent of the communist authorities. The protest, which affected thousands of work places, forced the communist party to concessions and to sign an agreement with the workers, including the strongest of their organisations,… Continue reading Appeal of the 1st National Congress of Delegates of Solidarity to the working people of Eastern Europe
Communism, which was imposed on Poland in 1945, elicited society’s opposition and resistance. The economic crisis that was becoming increasingly severe in Poland from the mid-1970s, coupled with the growing consolidation of opposition milieux, led to an outbreak of societal discontent in the summer of 1980. Initially, the protests were characterized by uncoordinated strikes in… Continue reading Demands of the striking crews of factory workers and the enterprises represented by the Inter-Factory Strike Committee
Alongside Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Karol Wojtyła was one of the leading figures of the Polish Catholic Church in the 1960s and 1970s. As the archbishop of Kraków and a lecturer at the Catholic University of Lublin, he enjoyed great popularity, especially among young people. His election as pope on October… Continue reading Homily of John Paul II delivered during Holy Mass at Victory Square, Warsaw
A wave of protests swept over Poland in June 1976 after the announcement of an increase in groceries’ prices. The authorities eventually resigned from price changes but introduced repression against the protesting workers. This met with a quick response from the intelligentsia, who organised financial and legal support for the repressed and soon started forming… Continue reading To the Polish people. Manifesto of the Movement for Defence of Human and Citizen’s Rights
In the communist People’s Republic of Poland (Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) the authorities had full control of the economy. They decided about the production volume, distribution manner, and retail prices. The December 1970 increase in food prices sparked social unrest. Even though it was forcedly suppressed by the government (a few dozen people were shot)… Continue reading Appeal of the Workers’ Defense Committee to Society and the Authorities of the PRL
One of the main reasons behind the durability of the communist system was the existence of an extensive apparatus of control over the society, which included – among others – the secret service, a monopoly on the media, censorship and a complex system of the communist party and its affiliate political and social organisations. Any… Continue reading The appeal of Ryszard Siwiec
Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council in 1962, its aim being adaptation of the Church to the contemporary world situation and conditions. The Polish Catholic clergy was focused at the time on a pastoral programme called the Great Novena, which was supposed to prepare Poles in the Polish People’s Republic to the 1000th… Continue reading Letter of Reconciliation of the Polish Bishops to the German Bishops
