This year, for the fifth time, students from the history club prepared a spoken-and-musical performance. One of the heroines of the staging was Inka – Danuta Siedzikówna, who until 1989 was called bloodthirsty Inka or a bandit by PRL propaganda. The AK nurse was rehabilitated and posthumously awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta in 2006. The event was created by Tomisław Pranić and Przemek Kania.
“Our school has once again organized observances of the National Day of Remembrance of the ‘Cursed Soldiers,’” says Barbara Sykulska, a history teacher at the Janusz Korczak II General Secondary School in Bolesławiec. “We are passionate about contemporary history. We wanted to introduce the figures of people who were persecuted and murdered by the communist regime, but we do so comprehensively, looking at both the bright and dark sides of the soldiers of the anti-communist underground, especially this year,” the teacher adds.
In 2012, II LO prepared an exhibition entitled “Snotty Dwarfs of Reaction,” based on materials from the Institute of National Remembrance. The exhibition opening was preceded by an assembly devoted to the Cursed Soldiers. In 2014, the school organized a debate devoted to soldiers of the anti-communist underground.
“I am pleased that there are so many history enthusiasts at this school who can develop their interests under the guidance of Barbara Sykulska,” noted Mirosław Sakowski, headmaster of II LO.
The secondary-school students actively participate in initiatives commemorating historical dates because they are interested in history, particularly contemporary history. In their opinion, performances, debates and interactive events are a much better and more interesting way to learn about Poland’s history than a lecture or a regular lesson. Thanks to such meetings, they learn about history from a slightly different perspective. This is not textbook knowledge; the information is presented in a more engaging form, which allows it to reach young people more effectively.
As Barbara Sykulska assures us, this interesting historical project will certainly continue.