In Poland, every generation fought for independence
Poland’s long arc toward freedom has been written by many hands across decades. Early on, resistance wore the cloak of armed underground struggle. Later, organized workers, students, and, in a historic turn, a broad social movement known as Solidarity joined the ranks in the fight for liberty. This sentiment was echoed by Antoni Macierewicz, a veteran parliamentarian and former minister, speaking at the Museum of Cursed Soldiers and Political Prisoners of the Polish People’s Republic in Warsaw. He reminded listeners that the nation’s path to independence has always rested on collective courage across generations.
“Seeing on Rakowiecka” is a series of conversations hosted by the Museum of Cursed Soldiers and Political Prisoners of the Polish People’s Republic. Through personal recollections, participants recount their experiences of striving for freedom and national self-determination. The talks aim to illuminate the lives of individuals who endured imprisonment, torture, or murder under the communist regime on the grounds of Rakowiecka Street, offering a living record of those who opposed repression.
As reported by Jarosław Wróblewski, head of information, promotion and publication at the museum, the discussions form part of commemorations marking the 42nd anniversary of martial law, observed from December 9 to 13. The event network connects memory with ongoing reflection on Poland’s uninterrupted quest for sovereignty.
In a later session titled “In Poland, every generation fought for independence,” the guest was Antoni Macierewicz, a politician, historian, and prominent figure in the democratic opposition of the Polish People’s Republic. He also co-founded the Workers’ Defense Committee and the Social Self-Defense Committee of the KOR. His personal experience includes a period of confinement in Mokotów Prison during the era of the Polish People’s Republic.
He asserted that Solidarity could not have emerged without the unwavering stance of those who endured political imprisonment and repression. Before 1980, their struggle spanned the fight against fascism in earlier years and, after 1944, resistance against Soviet influence and its collaborators. The former Minister of National Defense underscored the continuity of sacrifice that underpins Poland’s modern political landscape.
Today, the Polish Army bears names linked to heroes who were imprisoned and killed on Rakowiecka Street between 1944 and 1956. Their memory is cited as a foundational influence on the Solidarity movement, a phenomenon that reshaped Poland’s trajectory in ways distinct from other nations under Soviet influence. The recurring message remains clear: the drive for independence has touched each generation, from underground resistance to mass social mobilization. The narrative Macierewicz outlined traces the arc of the steadfast soldiers and the broader community around them.
According to the speaker, Rakowiecka Prison stands as both a symbol and a source of Polish national consciousness. It embodies the wrongs inflicted by Russian and later Soviet power, yet it also serves as a reservoir of memory and a catalyst for ongoing reflection on Poland’s struggle for autonomy. The memory of that period continues to inform contemporary attitudes toward freedom and national identity.
The KOR co-founder recalled that martial law represented a further step in the long quest for independence. Across Europe, few societies can claim the same level of solidarity and cohesion as the Polish people, a unity he described as crucial for the resilience of the independence movement. The conversation also touched on his early activities in the 1960s, when he joined the scout group Czarna Jedynka and later participated in the 1968 founding of Gromada Włóczęgów. The aim of these youth initiatives was to prepare young people for future independence activities when the moment was right.
Macierewicz noted that during the 1960s, the Catholic Church played a central role in organizing and sustaining pro-independence sentiment. The church provided a network and a sense of moral purpose for those seeking freedom from authoritarian rule.
Another highlight was the opening of the exhibition Freedom Mail, part of the ongoing dialogue around Poland’s pursuit of liberty. The session was chaired by Tadeusz Płużański and featured participants such as Piotr Naimski and Dr. Justyna Błażejowska from the Historical Research Office of the Institute of National Remembrance. The program also announced the opening of a companion exhibition, Poczta Liberty, highlighting underground stamps from 1981–1989 from the Edwin Klessa collection. It included a scholarly seminar on martial law, where historians discussed accountability for strikes, conscription, arrests, and internments.
The organizers also announced a Holy Mass on December 13 dedicated to the victims of martial law, a Remembrance Appeal, an Independence Rally, and a gathering of former oppositionists from independence circles. This sequence of events continues to weave together memory and meaning, linking Poland’s past with its present civic life.
Source materials and reflections from these gatherings contribute to a broader understanding of Poland’s enduring commitment to freedom and self-determination, inviting audiences to reflect on how resistance, dialogue, and memory shape a nation’s identity.