Exhibition panel with the kotwica, symbol of the Polish Underground (Photo: Jane Robbins)
Georgetown University, where Jan Karski taught for forty years, is the location of a new exhibit in the University’s Intercultural Center Galleria. The exhibit opening on April 12 featured a talk by Pawel Ukielski, Vice President of the Institute of National Remembrance, sponsor of the exhibit.
The Institute was founded in 1998 through an act of the Polish Parliament, the Sejm. It drew its inspiration from the Solidarity movement and was charged with the organization of archival documents left by the Communist State Security organizations, including political police agencies. Files about citizens were made available to people who were subjects of investigation, and information was made accessible for research activities about Communist officials.
This exhibit, however, concerns Poland’s history during WWII, with the subject of “Fighting Poland.” Exhibit panels show a variety of heroes of the Polish resistance, as well as a few who collaborated with the Nazis and were executed by order of the Polish Underground court. Dr. Ukieski walked through the panels with the audience, pointing out interesting items about each one. For example, the famous symbol of Polish resistance, the kotwica, which resembles and anchor and the letters W (for walcząca, meaning “fighting”) and P (for Poland), was created as a result of a contest during the war.
The Polish resistance movement, often described as a secret state because of its elaborate and diverse governmental and cultural structure, was the subject of a best-selling book by Jan Karski, “Story of a Secret State.” This book was originally issued in 1944 and re-issued by Georgetown University press in 2013.
The Polish Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Maciej Pisarski also offered brief remarks, discussing the importance of this exhibit and of remembering Poland’s history. Audience members then asked questions and one even talked about her relatives’ related experiences.
Georgetown’s Department of Slavic Languages was a co-sponsor of the exhibit. A professionally crafted catalog was made available to participants. The exhibit will remain at Georgetown until April 21, 2016.
