HERITAGE OF THE ANTI-COMMUNIST CIVIL RESISTANCE IN THE POLISH PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF THE YEARS 1968–1989. INTRODUCTION TO THE CLASSIFICATION OF COLLECTIONS

• Main Author: Artur Michalski
• Format: Article
• Language: deu
• Published: Index Copernicus International S.A. 2018-06-01
• Series: Muzealnictwo
• Subjects: anti-communist civil resistance in Polish People’s Republic; Polish underground press; censorship; notations; second circulation; collections
• Online Access: http://muzealnictworocznik.com/gicid/01.3001.0012.1465

2018 we are commemorating the hundredth anniversary of Polish independence regained after the years of partitions of Poland. Special celebrations are on all over the country; many events are planned to be continued up to 2021 in line with, inter alia, the programme of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage named Niepodległa 2017– 2021. The article presents the results of research on the material artefacts left behind by the not easily defined historic formation of the years 1968–1989, which can be generally described as an anti-communist civil resistance in the Polish People’s Republic. The actions taken by the resistance started from the so-called March events as well as the foundation of the “Ruch” Organisation. It was followed by: the Workers’ Defence Committee, the Committee for Social Self-Defence “KOR”, the Movement for Defence of Human and Civic Rights, the Confederation of Independent Poland, the Movement of Young Poland; next came: the Independent Self-governing Labour Union “Solidarity”, the Independent Students’ Association, and many smaller organisations or parties, up to the negotiations of the so-called Round Table. The opposition to communist regime was a major factor in the process of regaining by Poland its full independence, restoration of market economy, and putting an end to censorship that had been affecting the freedom of speech. The huge amount of published prohibited materials from this historic period, the so-called second circulation, remained: books, periodicals, leaflets, photos, posters, stamps, badges, cassette tapes, as well as printing machines, duplicating machines, broadcasting equipment, and other material remains. They are presently collected by Polish museums, some of them still in the process of organisation; they are also in possession of associations and foundations as well as private owners who often create remarkable collections, e.g. Krzysztof Bronowski’s “Muzeum Wolnego Słowa” (Museum of Free Speech) containing 700 000 items that arouse interest of foreign museums. Information about the individual oppositionists, events, underground prints and organisations published in the Internet also adds to the legacy of anticommunist resistance; among the available sources are: mentioned above “Muzeum Wolnego Słowa”, Dictionary Niezależni dla Kultury 1976–1989 by the Association of Free Speech, or collection of the “Karta” Centre. The author of the article attempts to classify these collections after interviewing the representatives of relevant institutions and organisations or private owners.