Lecture with Dr. Jacek Czarnecki in Greenpoint

Titled: "Jozef Pilsudski and the Second Polish Republic” with the use of the digitized photo collection of the Pilsudski Institute.

After appearing back on the map of Europe after 123 years, Poland was unable to celebrate its rise from ashes like a phoenix moment for too long as the Second World War put the country back under invasion and occupation. The ensuing Soviet dominance after the war made sure that much of historical gains and pride was smeared and repressed, especially the Interwar Years. Nazi Germany’s attempts to re-write history from their own perspective, along with much political tensions among Polish politicians and military personnel, contributed to the confusion about the history of the Second Polish Republic and its progress. However, Poland was able to make impressive gains in its military and infrastructure during those years, and the central figure of Jozef Pilsudski was more or less like the glue holding the nation together – comparable to George Washington following the American Revolution.

The Pilsudski Institute was able to recently digitalize many of the images from the Interwar Years showing not just the towering figure of Pilsduski in various roles but also a glimpse of the military and civilian life, which this lecture will examine.