Following the success of the biggest IPN event organised so far, the 2023 Congress of National Remembrance in Warsaw and its regional edition held in Rzeszów, we have organized yet another similar event. This time we invited everybody interested in history  to Poznań where The Greater Poland Congress of National Remembrance was held on 18 – 19 June 2024 at the Poznań International Fair.

"History speaks through generations” – this was the motto of the Greater Poland Congress of National Remembrance held under the honorary patronage of the Polish President Andrzej Duda. The event showed history in a modern way, through historical debates, lectures educational games, modern technologies, multimedia exhibitions, workshops, concerts, a theatre play for children and many more attractions.

Ten centuries ago, the Polish identity we cherish so much was born and shaped here. In the 20th century, the key period for the IPN, the Greater Poland people proved how much they loved their country – with, for instance, their determination in the victorious 1918-1919 Uprising – and their country understood how much it needed Greater Poland. In the interwar period, political, economic and philosophical theories evolved here, and from 1939, the Greater Poland patriots fought and suffered under German occupation, proving their loyalty to Polish values again. When the country became a Soviet colony after 1945, the region gave a voice of dissent in June 1956, said the IPN President Karol Nawrocki Ph.D. during the opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony culminated with President Nawrocki decorating former members of anti-communist opposition with Crosses of Freedom and Independence, and local people preserving the region history with the IPN Reipublicae Memoriae Meritum medals.

We presented Polish history, with particular emphasis on its local aspects. We talked about the Greater Poland Uprising and the involvement of the people from the Greater Poland region in the reconstruction of the reborn Polish state. We recalled the dramatic years of World War II and the experience of occupation and inclusion of our lands in the borders of the Third Reich. We discussed the post-war years and communist enslavement, the heroism of the workers during the June 1956 protests and the 1980s era of the Solidarity movement. The event was addressed to both older people, who remember those difficult times, and to the younger generation, who had the opportunity learn history through new technologies, and multimedia.

One of the highlights of the Greater Poland Congress of National Remembrance was the "Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom" multimedia exhibition. It presents the efforts of the Polish Armed Forces during World War II and the fate of civilians and the army of General Władysław Anders evacuated from the USSR. The exhibition portrays the heroic deeds of our airmen in the Battle of Britain, the Polish soldiers from Tobruk, Narvik or Monte Cassino. Three large screens allow us to immerse into the routes travelled by Polish soldiers and their families by land, water and air. We follow their path on the interactive globe, which is the heart of the exhibition.

Also worth mentioning is the performance of the "Odyssea" scheduled for 19 June. The cantata is a recent work by Belgian composer Henri Seroka, himself the son of a World War II veteran from the Polish 1st Armoured Division commanded by General Stanisław Maczek. The cantata was performed by Belgian countertenor Dominique Corbiau. The epic voyage described in Homer’s "Odyssey" is a fitting metaphor for Maczek's soldiers' heroic exploits and their arduous journey during and after the war.

More about the Congresss here.

The culmination of the Greater Poland Congress of National Remembrance in Poznań was spectacular.

Countertenor Dominique Corbiau, Baltic Neopolis Orchestra and Szczecin Maritime University choir performed the "Odyssea" cantata by Belgian composer Henri Seroka and under his baton. The reference to Homer is no coincidence: Mr Seroka dedicated the work to his father and his comrades, Polish 1st Armored Di¬¬vision soldiers, whose WW2 heroic exploits and journey bring to mind Homer’s epic poem.

The "Odyssea," virtuosically written, rich with expression and extraordinarily evocative, got a stirring rendition by Mr. Corbiau, with his beautiful tone and impressive color, but the Baltic Neopolis and Maritime University choir also rose to the occasion, all three masterfully guided by Mr. Seroka. Add to it a captivating background video and excellent acoustics of the Poznań International Fair Earth Hall, and you’ll get an idea of what a treat to music lovers the evening was.

The performance, organized by the IPN International Cooperation Office, was part of the IPN "Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom" project. It's an international educational-commemorative enterprise devoted to the journey of General Anders's army, evacuated from the USSR, and World War II military effort of the Polish Armed Forces, which includes the contribution of the 1st Armored. The "Trails" story, told in exhibits, performances, books, graphic novels, videos and in many other ways, has already visited over fifty countries on five continents.