The Cabinet of Tadeusz Mazowiecki was appointed on 12 September 1989, and today we celebrate the 30th anniversary of this historical event. Mazowiecki, important figure of the democratic opposition, became the first non-communist premier of Poland after 1945. Full text of the Inaugural address of Premier Tadeusz Mazowiecki The first semi-free election in Poland’s post-war...
The idea of creating the web portal polishhistory has been part of the Polish History Museum and was established to create a broader view of the museum. Why is a website like polishhistory so needed? Robert Kostro: I believe that we are participating today – and this is a global phenomenon – in many important...
The nature of the August 1980 strikes was not unlike that of a social contract. Tens of thousands of individuals who took industrial action had agreed between themselves that society must be restored after years of enduring erosion and decay at the hands of the Communist regime. A political community could thus be re-established. According...
A brilliant strategist or a risk taker who was incurable but got lucky at a few key moments? A man of compromise, capable of coping with the greatest opponents when national interests demanded it, or an authoritative autocrat instead? A supporter of democracy, both radical and sincere, or a conservative at heart who readily found...
