Poland 1979-1989 (panel discussion)
Poland 1979-1989
Living through Poland’s Extraordinary Decade
Memories from Members of Our Community
On April 22, 2018 the Wisconsin Polish American Congress sponsored an extraordinary panel discussion that focused on the period between two electrifying events – the extraordinary first visit of the newly elected Pope, John Paul II, to his native land in June 1979 and the incredible victory of the Solidarity movement in the parliamentary election of June 4, 1989. In between came ten immensely difficult and stressful years for the courageous Polish people.
In the panel discussion at the beautiful Polish Center of Wisconsin, six residents of the Milwaukee community recounted and shared their varying experiences of that momentous time. Four – Irena Frączek, Derek Zarzeczny, Katarzyna Murawska, and Jarek Mielczarek lived through those years as citizens of Poland. Two – Poland-born Jadwiga (Heddy) Moskaluk and Milwaukee native, attorney Eugene Kaluzny were active in southeast Wisconsin working on behalf of Poland’s people. Moskaluk labored to ship parcels of food, clothing and medical supplies to families of Milwaukee Poles and Polish Americans who were enduring great hardships in Poland. Kaluzny, then president of the Wisconsin Polish American Congress, was deeply involved in sending needed goods to Poland through the auspices of the Polish American Congress Charitable Foundation and Catholic Charities.
Their comments drew many questions from the audience in the Q & A that followed.
Below are two more photos of the event, along with a most impressive slide show presentation of the Polish crisis of the time that Mr. Zarzeczny presented (to the right).
This program is just the most recent of the many the Wisconsin Division of Polish American Congress continually organizes to inform the public about Poland and its People’s experience – in cooperation with the Polish Center of Wisconsin, other Polish American organizations, and the Polish Studies Committee of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Text provided by the panel moderator, Dr. Donald Pienkos, Professor Emeritus and Chair of the Polish Studies Committee, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Photos courtesy of Diane Holytz from the Polish Center of Wisconsin.
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- 2024 Polish Constitution Day in Wisconsin
- 2023 Merry Christmas
- 2023 Lighting the Light of Freedom on Dec 13 at 7:30pm
- Independence Day and Veteran Day invitation
- 2023 Wianki Festival
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- 2022 Polish Constitution Day, Polish Flag Day and the Day of Polonia
- 2022 March Bulletin
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- 2022 PAC-WI State Division Letters to WI Senators and Representatives
- 2021 Polish Christmas Carols
- 2021 Panel Discussion: Martial Law in Poland 1981-1983 (REPORT)
- 2021 Panel Discussion: Martial Law. Poland 1981-1983 (invitation)
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- 2021 Polish Independence Day and Veterans Day
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- 2021 Prof. Pienkos lecture: Polish Vote in US Presidential Elections
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- 2020 Help Enact Resolution commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Katyn Massacre
- 2020 Independence And Veterans Day
- 2020 Remembering Paderewski
- 2020 POLISH HERITAGE MONTH
- 2020 Solidarity born 40 years ago
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- Flavor of Poland (Update 3)
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- 2020 Flavor of Poland (Update 2)
- 2020 People and Events of the Year
- 2019 Holidays
- 2019 December Medley
- 2019 Independence Celebration
- 2019 Independence Invitation
- 2019 WI Study in Poland Reports
- Lecture: Poland’s Entry Into the NATO
- August 2019 anniversaries
- 2019 Polish Fest
- Celebrating Polish Constitution and Ignacy Paderewski
- WSIP 2018 Reports (Wisconsin Study in Poland)
- 2018 Christmas Carols
- 2018 Polish Independence and Veterans Day
- November 2018 events
- October 2018 Events
- 2018 Kashube Lecture Notes
- September 2018 events
- 2018 Polish Fest Report
- Upcoming 2018 Polish Fest
- Celebrating Polish Constitution Day
- Poland 1979-1989 (panel discussion)
- Protest the Passage of S.447 in the U.S. House of Representatives
- STOP H.R.1226
- 2018 People and Events
- 2017 Polish Christmas Carols
- 2017 The Christmas Tradition of “Kraków Szopka”
- 2017 Dr. Mazurkiewicz lecture notes
- 2017 Polish Independence and Veterans Day
- 2017 Dr. Mazurkiewicz lecture
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- Mark Pienkos Named Polish American of the Year
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- 2017 POLISH DECLARATIONS of 1926
- 2017 Polish Fest
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- 2017 Annual and Election Meeting
- 2017 March/April events
- 2017 Kościuszko Lecture
- Reports of WSIP-2016 recipients
- 2017 Wisconsin Study in Poland
- 2016 Merry Christmas
- 2016 Independence Day Luncheon
- 2016 Polonia Forum
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- CHRISTMAS GET-TOGETHER & GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING Saturday, December 12, 2015 Agenda
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- 2015 Elected Officers and Directors
- 2014 Congressman Clement Zablocki Civic Achievement Award Recipients
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- 2015 Congressman Clement Zablocki” Civic Achievement Award”
- Civic Achievement Award
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- Medal of Paderewski
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- Thank you so much for coming and making the premiere of 1920 a great success!!!