The Marshal of the Greater Poland Voivodeship plans to inform the Minister of Education, Barbara Nowacka, about the appropriate place for the story of the Greater Poland Uprising of 1918–1919 within history books. Anna Parzyńska-Paschke, the marshal’s spokeswoman, confirmed to PAP on Wednesday that this matter is being discussed. The education authorities in Poland have begun pre-consultations on adjustments to the core curriculum for general education. The aim is to narrow the compulsory scope of knowledge, with the revised core to take effect in the 2024/2025 school year.
Under the current proposal for changes to the history curriculum taught in secondary and technical schools, the core content would include a section tracing the origins of the Greater Poland Uprising and its pivotal role in the rebirth of the Polish state and the defense of independence in 1920. The debate over how Poland’s borders were shaped would continue to address the Greater Poland Uprising, the Silesian Uprisings, and plebiscites. The broadened scope would add a point on honoring Polish heroism, following the example of the Museum of the Greater Poland Uprising 1918–1919. The expanded content would cover the phenomenon of the Greater Poland Uprising and its significance for the course of Poland’s border struggle and its independence.
For years there has been a push to strengthen national memory of the Greater Poland Uprising and to keep its triumph in the public consciousness beyond regional confines. The local community believes that the Greater Poland Independence Museum and the 1918/1919 Greater Poland Uprising Remembrance Society will respond quickly and decisively to this issue, offering support for such calls. This stance was articulated by Parzyńska-Paschke in her remarks to PAP.
The hope is that the same coalition that successfully advocated for December 27 to become a public holiday—the National Day of the Victorious Uprising of Greater Poland—will lend its voice again. Well-prepared specialists in the field are expected to provide the Ministry with robust arguments to ensure that the new core curriculum conveys comprehensive knowledge about Wielkopolska and its national achievements while educating future generations.
The spokeswoman also noted that Marshal Marek Woźniak intends to send a letter to Minister Barbara Nowacka regarding giving the Greater Poland Uprising a rightful place in school textbooks. She reminded listeners that a ceremony to lay the cornerstone for the new headquarters of the Museum of the Uprising of Greater Poland 1918–1919 will occur in Poznań on Friday. The director of the Greater Poland Independence Museum, Przemysław Terlecki, expressed cautious optimism, hoping that the proposed curricular changes are a genuine workplace adjustment rather than a policy setback.
Terlecki stressed that the region did not pursue a new public holiday merely to fund a new museum; rather, it seeks to ensure that the legacy of a major national uprising remains a living part of Polish history. He highlighted that the upcoming anniversary of the Trier Armistice, which formally ended the uprising and recognized Polish gains, will be marked with the laying of a foundation stone for the museum’s new headquarters. He urged that the celebration of national victory not be overshadowed by debates over education for young Poles about this bright and noble chapter of history.
The director of the Greater Poland Independence Museum has been among the initiators of a state holiday idea and continues to play a central role in shaping how this history is presented to the public. The new Museum of the Greater Poland Uprising, described as a modern facility with a permanent exhibition spanning about 3,000 square meters, will be built near the area of Wzgórze św. Wojciecha. It will comprise four buildings and an underground section housing the permanent display. By December 2026, interested visitors should be able to see a completed museum. The exhibit will recount not only the armed act itself but also the events leading up to it and the consequences of Greater Poland’s victory, illustrating how the story continues to resonate today.
The Greater Poland Uprising began on December 27, 1918, in Poznań and concluded on February 16, 1919, with the Trier Armistice signed by Germany and the Entente. The armistice provisions later influenced the terms of Poland’s borders and its eventual accession to what would become part of the Polish–Lithuanian state. The Treaty of Versailles, concluded on June 28, 1919, confirmed Greater Poland’s status within the Polish state. Since 2021, December 27 has been celebrated as the National Day of the Victorious Uprising in Greater Poland. The Sejm established the holiday through legislation passed on October 1, with the Senate’s full support on October 28, and President Andrzej Duda’s initiative driving this recognition. The collaborative effort involved regional authorities, historical institutions, and advocacy groups associated with the Greater Poland independence movement. The broader aim has been to preserve a living memory of this victory and its impact on Poland’s national narrative.
In this context, the community and its institutions continue to emphasize the importance of accurate and thorough education about Wielkopolska’s role in Polish history, ensuring that young readers gain a full understanding of the uprising’s significance and the broader struggle for Poland’s independence. The initiative seeks to balance regional pride with national identity, presenting a complete picture of how Greater Poland’s past shaped the modern Polish state.