60 Years Ago in Warsaw
PAP Photographs 1947–48

16 December 2008 – 15 February 2009

Organizers: the History Meeting House (HMH) and the Polish Press Agency (PAP)
Partner: the Polish Film Library

Authors: Anna Brzezińska-Skarżyńska (PAP), Katarzyna Madoń-Mitzner (HMH)


Anna Brzezińska-Skarżyńska: “Most of the photographs are either excellent documents of major developments and exceptional situations or magnificent artistic views. Unknown authors have told us the story of those times and those people through their photographs. They have done so with great sensitivity, but also often with irony, a hint of mockery, and humour. We hope that history depicted in this way will move not only the public remembering that time but also young people for whom a negative, a print, or an analogue camera mean as much as the year 1947 or 1948.”

In addition to the photographs depicting everyday life in the Polish capital devastated by the Second World War and being rebuilt, we can also see photographs of events which dominated the lives of not only the residents of Warsaw but all Poles. There are extremely touching photographs of a city being brought to life and its residents enjoying the “normality” despite the omnipresent war damage: people living in the rubble, first crowded trams with “hanging” youngsters on their steps, a queue to a Bata shoe shop selling shoes on coupons, or the construction of a cross-town bridge. The photographs also commemorate the establishment of the paramilitary organization: “Service to Poland Mass Organization”, rally of youth organizations which founded the Polish Youth Union, and, finally, Unification Congress of the Polish Workers’ Party (PPR) and the Polish Socialist Party (PPS) which founded the Polish United Workers’ Party (PZPR).
Furthermore, we can see the trials of war criminals; next to them: the trials of Cavalry Captain Witold Pilecki or National Party leaders. The photos also depict: funeral of Cardinal August Hlond, International Congress of Intellectuals, International Conference of Working Youth, or May Day parade.
The photographs show politicians: Bolesław Bierut, Józef Cyrankiewicz, Jakub Berman, Piotr Jaroszewicz; writers: Julian Tuwim, Władysław Broniewski, Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz; and actors: Alicja Janowska and Tadeusz Fijewski. Reflection is provoked by the crowds of the faithful taking part in the Corpus Christi feat and astonishment aroused by Piotr Jaroszewicz leading Cardinal Hlond with a monstrance under a baldachin during the procession.

The exhibition was composed of some 200 photographs of different sizes organized thematically and supplemented with brief comments taken from the then press or private diaries. Fragments of newsreels and authentic sound recordings as well as witness accounts were also included in the exhibition.