The permanent exhibition at the Silesian Centre for Freedom and Solidarity in Katowice, opened on the 40th anniversary of the pacification of the “Wujek" coal mine, presents the history of the December 1981 strike and the resistance of Poles against the communist system in the 1980s.
The permanent exhibition at the Silesian Centre for Freedom and Solidarity in Katowice, opened on the 40th anniversary of the pacification of the “Wujek" coal mine, presents the history of the December 1981 strike and the resistance of Poles against the communist system in the 1980s. The exhibition also offers a broad historical context for those events. It spans three levels of the historic former clothing warehouse building, providing a modern, multimedia presentation across more than 1,100 square metres.
WHAT DOES THE EXHIBITION LOOK LIKE?
Level –1
Level –1 presents the political background of Europe after World War II, the situation of the Eastern Bloc countries, and the origins of the ‘Solidarity’ movement.
Level 0
Level 0 focuses on the events related to the pacification of the “Wujek" coal mine on 16 December 1981, presenting, among other things, the T-55 tank and the ramp from which the shots were fired.
Level +1
Level +1 presents the history of Poland in the 1980s, the growing social resistance against the communist authorities, the role of the Catholic Church, as well as the background of the Round Table talks and the first free elections.