On the anniversary of the imposition of martial law, II Janusz Korczak Secondary School in Bolesławiec hosted NSZZ “Solidarity” activists: Ryszard Łoś and Zbigniew Razik. “These are people who fought for an independent Poland,” Mirosław Sakowski, the school’s headmaster, said when introducing the guests.
Moreover, the students of class II b, together with teachers Barbara Sykulska and Elwira Madeiska, prepared a historical-literary performance devoted to martial law and the absurdities of life in the Polish People’s Republic. The performance included material from the Polish Film Chronicle from that period, General Jaruzelski’s notorious speech, as well as texts by outstanding Polish poets such as Zbigniew Herbert, Stanisław Barańczak and Ewa Lipska. “We are doing this so that students do not forget these events,” Barbara Sykulska said.
After the performance, the “S” activists spoke. “When I was your age, people were imprisoned, interrogated or expelled from university for certain statements and for criticizing the authorities,” Ryszard Łoś told the II LO students. “You quoted the great poet Zbigniew Herbert, who went against the current at that time, which led to his works being banned. The same was true of Barańczak.”
“This sentence must be said here: the Polish People’s Republic was not Poland,” Ryszard Łoś continued. “Formally, our capital was Warsaw, but Moscow ruled us. Many politicians who served a foreign power during that period now pretend to be moralists. They tell us how we should behave. It is good that you are interested in history. If we do not know our own history, we will keep making the same mistakes.”
“I wanted to thank you for this performance. I thought I would come here, tell you about those times, and you would not believe me. It turns out, however, that you already know all of this,” Zbigniew Razik added. “What helped us survive? Hope, faith and the Church.”
At II LO, visitors can also see an exhibition prepared by the school’s students, “Everyday Life in the Polish People’s Republic.”
(information: ii)