Following the success of the biggest IPN event organised so far, the 2023 Congress of National Remembrance in Warsaw and its regional editions held in Rzeszów and Poznań, we have organized yet another similar event!
This time we invite everybody interested in history to Gdańsk where the Pomeranian Congress of National Remembrance, organized by the Gdansk branch of the IPN, will be held on November 20-21, 2024 at the AmberExpo Hall.
"History speaks through generations" - under this motto, the IPN created the Congress of National Remembrance - a new, cyclical event that offers enthusiasts of our history historical debates, games, exhibitions, workshops, film screenings, music concerts and many, many other attractions, carried out in a modern and often very technologically advanced way, so as to reach also the youngest.
The Pomeranian Congress of National Remembrance began on Wednesday at 10 a.m. The event was officially opened by the President of the Institute of National Remembrance, Karol Nawrocki, Ph.D., emphasizing the role of Gdańsk in the history of Poland.
- Gdańsk is a symbol of the most tragic, but also the most beautiful moments in the history of Poland and Poles in the 20th century. It was at Westerplatte that World War II, the most tragic conflict in the history of civilization, began. But Gdańsk is also a symbol of Solidarity, which teaches us that when we stand together and serve the highest values, we can succeed and even, as history has shown, overthrow the communist system.
President Nawrocki added that the Congress is a combination of the past and the future, historical truth and tradition with new technologies, with digital solutions.
- Therefore, at the Congress you will be able to take part in very serious debates on fundamental issues, take part in workshops on drawing comic books and play computer games. We must combine a commitment to values, to tradition, with what lies ahead, because we are the Institute of the National Future.
He also addressed the young people present at the Congress:
- You are among the elite who want to learn history and plan our common future, and the IPN is not offended by the changing times, but is looking for a formula on how to reach the youngest generation and how to talk about history in the 21st century.
The Congress of National Remembrance is intended to be an innovative and interesting event for visitors. We want it to become a point of reference and a model for a modern narrative about the past in the near future. We want the broadly understood sphere of education to join this trend, because only then - through our joint efforts - will we be able to touch the hearts and minds of young people and encourage subsequent generations to discover how important a part of their lives history can be.
The Pomeranian Congress of National Remembrance is the first such event in our region. We invite you to the educational and new technology zone, historical debates, multimedia exhibitions, film screenings, workshops and much more. We will talk about recent history, with particular emphasis on its local dimension. We will talk about the dramatic years of World War II and the experience of occupation and the inclusion of our lands within the borders of the Third German Reich. We will recall the post-war years and communist enslavement, the heroism of the workers during December 1970, and present the struggles of Pomeranians during the final years of the communist regime leading to the changes of 1989. All these steps will lead us to the commemoration of the people of the Solidarity movement.
The Pomeranian Congress of National Remembrance will be a story about Poland's recent history appealing to every generation: both older people, who remember well the difficult 20th century, and young people, who learn through new technologies, multimedia and fun.
The event is under the Honorary Patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda. Admission is free.
More about the details of the Congress
One of the highlights of the Congress of National Remembrance is 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.
The second day of the Pomeranian Congress of National Remembrance began with Karol Nawrocki, President of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), awarding the Reipublicae Memoriae Meritum medals. These medals honor individuals who have significantly contributed to commemorating events and figures from 20th-century Polish history.
The ceremony was followed by a recital of songs composed by Henryk Wars, a Polish composer of Jewish descent who accompanied General Anders' Polish II Corps during their World War II combat journey.
Later in the day, visitors could participate in various discussion panels and debates. Highlights included "How to Teach to Spark Interest in History Among the Younger Generation?," attended by IPN Deputy President Mateusz Szpytma, and "Pomeranian Themes in the Museum of the Cursed Soldiers and Political Prisoners of the Polish People’s Republic," featuring Deputy President Karol Polejowski.
In addition to these sessions, attractions from the previous day were also available, such as the "Trails of Hope. Odyssey of Freedom" exhibit prepared by IPN’s Office of International Cooperation or the IPN New Technology Division zone, with educational video games.
The Congress concluded with a concert of pre-war songs performed by the Warsaw Sentimental Orchestra and the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Sopot. This marked the end of the third regional Congress of National Remembrance, following events in the Subcarpathian and Greater Poland Voivodeships.
