We will tell you about these incidents. Solidarity 1980 - 1989 in Stalowa Wola.

Location: Square in front of the Ballada Cinema, ul. Staszica 14

Open 24 hours, illuminated at night. Free admission.

The exhibition brings closer the Solidarity movement in Stalowa Wola from 1980 to 1989 through photographs, documents, illegal prints, and stamps from that time. The photographs depict events related to the founding of Solidarity in Stalowa Wola, through the martial law period, underground activities, repression, strikes of 1988, and up to the elections in 1989. Concise descriptions and quotes from popular songs and poems of the time provide a verbal commentary. Large-format photographs show the residents of Stalowa Wola who were active in Solidarity during those years, first legally and then underground, risking serious reprisals. The exhibition highlights the significant contribution that Stalowa Wola made to the process of democratic transformation in Poland, Europe, and the world.

This is the first large exhibition in Stalowa Wola dedicated to this theme, and for the first time, this topic can be viewed outdoors. In the 1980s, Stalowa Wola was one of the important centers of social resistance in Poland. People who were active in underground structures or supported the illegal Solidarity appear in the photographs shown in the exhibition. One can recognize themselves, their friends, neighbors, and colleagues from work. If it weren’t for the strong resonance of Solidarity ideals within the community of the Steelworks and the city, Stalowa Wola would not have played a significant role in systemic transformations. Not everything and not everyone could be showcased because not every event was captured in photographs. However, the exhibition pays tribute to all those who contributed to the activities of that time, regardless of the threats of repression.

The exhibition is dedicated to “the young residents of Stalowa Wola, who were children then and later.”

The inauguration of the exhibition will take place on June 4 at 6 PM. During the opening, visitors will be able to hear songs and hymns from the 1980s performed by several bands from Stalowa Wola, and even sing together. This is an open meeting, and all residents of Stalowa Wola are invited.

The exhibition features collections of documents and photographs from Ewa Kubera and Dionizy Garbacz.

Educational Offer Related to the Exhibition

To better familiarize young people with the atmosphere of those times, the Museum is also organizing history workshops for schools titled “In the Underground Print Shop,” where students will meet with a printer from the underground press of the 1980s and learn how leaflets and magazines were created, and then try to produce such prints themselves.

To draw attention to local history in the context of the anniversaries in 2009, a historical-journalistic competition is being organized for middle and high school students, jointly by the Regional Museum in Stalowa Wola and the KEN High School in Stalowa Wola. The competition involves collecting and presenting accounts related to the history of Stalowa Wola in the years 1939 or 1989 in the form of a video, audio, or written recording.

The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2009. Attractive prizes await the winners. As part of the competition promotion, the Museum invites participants to journalistic workshops titled “How to Conduct a Good Historical Interview.” Detailed information about the competition and workshops is available on the website www.muzeum.stalowawola.pl.

The exhibition is part of the project “Dream of Victory,” which combines two anniversaries in 2009: the 20th anniversary of June 1989 and the 70th anniversary of September 1939, viewed through the lens of what happened during those times in Stalowa Wola.