Życie towarzyskie w Centralnym Okręgu Przemysłowym
20.05-16.07.2017,
Social life in the Central Industrial District
FREE ADMISSION
The interwar years are mainly associated with successful currency reform, the construction of the Central Industrial District and the port of Gdynia. These successes were possible thanks to the great commitment of President Ignacy Moscicki, the government, especially Minister Kwiatkowski, military authorities, factory directors, civil servants and engineers. We have repeatedly highlighted their contribution to the economic powerhouse at exhibitions and in publications.
However, this was a period of not only hard work in rebuilding the country. Economic development and technical progress were followed by a flourishing cultural and social life, the development of sports and tourism.
The current of these transformations was also followed by the elite of Copa’s establishments. In addition to professional and business contacts, they were eager to establish private relationships, and even though the settlements near the plants were relatively young, they integrated and carried out joint initiatives.
It is precisely these aspects of the lives of the Copov staff that, in the 80th anniversary year of the COP, are the main subject of the exhibition. The vibrant social and cultural life will be shown mainly on the example of the Stalowa Wola community. Presentation of various forms of leisure activities at the same time will allow us to recreate the mood and atmosphere of the late 1930s. Visitors will also have the opportunity to taste the cultural life of the era, meet the stars of cinema, cabaret, theater and selected artists of the twentieth century. This theme will continue with sports and tourism, including fashionable Polish resorts and spas.
A special meeting place for the elite of the time were the casinos, both clerical and military. It was here, outside of work or barracks and the family home, that most time was spent. On the territory of the CID there were more than a dozen such facilities, including in Stalowa Wola, Pionki, Dęba, Rzeszów, Łańcut, Mościce and Lublin.
An extremely attractive part of the exhibition will be the theme of the Southern Works ball, which was held at the Stalowa Wola casino. The personal aspect of the exhibition will also be important, so photos and information about the people who organized the ball and participated in it. In the improvised areas of the pre-war casino, the theme of material culture will also play an important role – it is there that the viewer will learn about Polish handicrafts in the then fashionable art déco style. Unique casino and kitchen militaria are also likely to attract attention.
An unquestionable attraction of the exhibition will be the original objects displayed against a background of modern graphic form, so they have a chance to appeal to both the young and the older generation. Numerous old photographs, movie posters, music from the 1930s and excerpts from archival films will undoubtedly enliven the space and the stories they tell.
The epilogue of the exhibition will be the tragic year 1939, an invitation to the last ball at the Stalowa Wola casino on August 26, 1939, and the schedule of theatrical performances planned for September, which, as we know, have already failed to materialize.
Curator of the exhibition: Aneta Garanty
Exhibition design: ASC STUDIO
