The ordeal of Polish Army officers, policemen, prison and forest guards, intelligence and counter-intelligence agents as well as Polish administrative staff in the Easter Borderlands began on 17 September 1939. It was then that the Red Army invaded Poland, belatedly implementing the arrangements of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 23 August 1939. Soviet captivity awaited around…
On 6 February 1989, the Round Table discussions began. During those negotiations, representatives of the Communist authorities and the Solidarity opposition sought common ground for further action. In large part, they discussed political issues, but not only: they talked as well about the economy, administring justice, ecology, even housing policy. This agreement became possible thanks…
Our knowledge of December ‘70 will not be complete without access to the post-Soviet archives. However, we may never know the truth, because there are many indications that in the early ‘90s some of the KGB resources were destroyed, just as the archives of the Security Service were decimated in Poland – says Prof. Antoni…
Unexpected high price rises announced by the communist authorities of the Polish People’s Republic in December 1970 led to an outbreak of social discontent and street protests. The authorities did not enter into talks and proceeded to brutally suppress the strike. by Piotr Abryszeński Rails are growing cheaper! For Władysław Gomułka, the final month…
On the occasion of subsequent papal conclaves, photo agencies would compete to catch cardinals electing the successor of Saint Peter. Even after the reforms of Vatican II, the garments of Church dignitaries and the ceremonies accompanying the new pope’s assumption of office remain baroque in style. In 1978, however, greatest interest was generated by quite…
When it comes to the relationship between the Bolsheviks and monarchs, the arrest and subsequent murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his family quickly come to mind. However, in other communist-occupied countries, such as Bulgaria and Romania, monarchs were allowed to abdicate and secretly go abroad. What was it like in Poland? by Wojciech Stanisławski…
