The Mémorial de Notre-Dame-de-Lorette in Souchez near Lens, a site of great importance on the French map of historical memory, hosted the French-language version of the IPN "Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom" exhibition Apart from the museum building, the complex also consists of the largest French war cemetery, the resting place of more than 40,000 soldiers, and the Ring of Remembrance, on which the names of 580,000 fallen in northern France during World War I, including Poles, have been engraved.
The event was made possible also thanks to the support of Henri Dudzinski, a longtime Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Lille and the President of L`Institut des Civilisations et des Études Polonaises à Lens. In addition to the exhibition, some artifacts related to the battles fought by Polish soldiers during World War II in France were presented. The collection was available courtesy of Antoine Tromski. The event was complemented by a film about Wojtek the bear. Speakers at the opening of the exhibition included the Mayor of Souchez Jean-Marie Alexandre, the Mayor of Harnes Phillippe Duquesnoy and Henri Dudzinski. The Institute of National Remembrance was represented by Konrad Białecki, Ph.D., Head of the IPN Branch in Poznań. He outlined the scope of the IPN "Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom" project and introduced the audience to the crucial victories of Polish soldiers during World War II battles. The speeches were followed by a guided tour of the exhibition combined with questions and answers about the story of brave Poles.
The opening of the exhibition was attended by representatives of local authorities, historians, journalists and of the local Polish community. There are many descendants of Polish emigrants living in this formerly mining region of France. Over the next few days, lectures on the participation of Poles in both world wars, organized by L`Instutut des Civilisations et des Études Polonaises à Lens, will be held at the exhibition site. The exhibition will be open to the public until mid-April 2025, after which it will be transferred to Paris.
