Greater Poland Uprising 1918/1919 Remembrance Society

Continuation of the memory of history of the Greater Poland Uprising, its tradition and meaning.

Stefan Barłóg

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They make a contribution, among other things, in the form of so far undiscovered events and trivia, thus being a starting point for researchers and scientific studies devoted to the problems of the history of the Greater Poland Uprising.

The Main Board of the Society for the Memory of the Greater Poland Uprising and the Raczyński Library are co-organisers of three exhibitions of books related to the Greater Poland Uprising, presenting their publications in this regard.

The last exhibition took place in the year 2013 and at that time, 200 publications devoted to the independence effort of the Greater Poland residents in the years 1918-1919 were presented. The oldest presented publication was a book by Karol Rzepecki from the year 1919 entitled: “Powstanie grudniowe w Wielkopolsce”. Wojciech Speleniak, the then director of the Raczyński Library said: “Currently there are about 6000 publications of various natures, regarding the Greater Poland Uprising.”

While organising the exhibition, the objective was set to present selected publications - the oldest ones in the library collections, and also those which were of particular importance in the post-war period. It must also be mentioned that plenty of regional publications have appeared in recent years, contributing to the enrichment of the historical literature about the Greater Poland Uprising 1918-1919. The opening of the aforementioned exhibition was accompanied by a meeting of the authors of books, historians and regionalists, at which, during a debate - sometimes  polemic, the current achievements were discussed. Attention was also paid to deficiencies in certain thematic areas and literary forms. Also the social need to prepare and publish an Encyclopaedia of the Greater Poland Uprising was emphasised.

The Society also takes care of the material commemoration of the Greater Poland Uprising 1918-1919. Its organisational units, in cooperation with local councils, have been the initiators of the renovation and establishment of a number of new memorial sites dedicated to insurgents, monuments, obelisks, memorial plaques etc. in the recent years. Here are some of them.

Among others, one of the oldest monuments in Bydgoszcz – The Tomb of the Unknown Greater Poland Insurgent was renovated. An unknown insurgent, killed on 16 April 1919 in the battle of Murowaniec, lies within.

 

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Also, the monuments in Czerniejewo, Kramsk and Środa Wielkopolska were renovated.

A new monument, of particular importance - The Monument of the Drummer of the Greater Poland Uprising - was unveiled on 19 December 2013 in Zielona Góra; it was erected on Powstańców Wielkopolskich Square in the city centre. The Zielona Góra drummer is slightly different from “his brother” in Śrem in that the sticks which he holds are raised, however, it represents the same ideals. It was built by Romuald Wiśniewski and the artistic inspiration for him was the work of Paulina Gąsiorowska from Sulechów - the winner of a student contest regarding the subject of the Greater Poland Uprising, entitled “The Drummer of the Uprising”. The monument is devoted to the Greater Poland Uprising, and at the same time, to the young people who  participated in the fight for independence. The monument of the Drummer was unveiled, during a ceremony, by children, adults and representatives of the authorities.

This monument is also a symbol which connects the traditions of the Lubusz province with Greater Poland, the ideals of the Society for the Memory of the Greater Poland Uprising and the values of the Greater Poland Uprising. Furthermore, new monuments and obelisks, also with great ideological and patriotic values, were erected in many other towns, related especially to insurgent events, i.e.: Budzyń, Czerniejewo, Janikowo, Kruszewo, Kargowa, Krosno Odrzańskie, Krobia, Kruszewo, Mrocza, Mieleszyn, Piła, Rzywno near Łabiszyn, Strzelno, Szamocin, Sulechów, Szubin, Trzemeszno, Wolsztyn, Wysoka – Walachówka, Złotniki Kujawskie and Żagań.

Meanwhile, memorial plaques were placed in Buk, Dopiewo, Dębno, Gniezno, Inowrocław, Kalisz, Koźmin Wlkp., Międzychód, Powidz, Piła, Skoki, Wolsztyn and Żnin.

Another precious initiative is that of naming streets and squares after heroes of the Greater Poland Uprising, e.g.:

- gen. Józefa Dowbora-Muśnickiego Square in Szczecin

- płk Stanisława Siudy Square in Błonnice near Przemęt

- Władysława Rybakowskiego Square– a Greater Poland insurgent from Krotoszyn

- Wincentego i Jana Wierzejewskich Square  in Poznań.

 

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It is also necessary to mention another initiative of the Greater Poland Board of the Society for the Memory of the Greater Poland Uprising and the Poznań Municipal Office as well as the circle of the Society for the Memory of the Greater Poland Uprising in Wronki – that is, the marking of the tombs of Greater Poland Insurgents on cemeteries with commemorative notices about the person who rests in the tomb “Greater Poland Insurgent 1918-1919”.

At present this initiative is implemented by many circles of the Society for the Memory of the Greater Poland Uprising together with local councils.

The examples given, perhaps incomplete, represent the range of the activities of the Society for the material commemoration of the Greater Poland Uprising and its participants, and the achievements in this area are significant.

It is also worth observing that the plans for the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Greater Poland Uprising also take into account other initiatives.

The Society places great emphasis in its activities on the patriotic-educational work among the school youth, popularising the knowledge and tradition of the Greater Poland Uprising 1918-1919 in different forms.

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