Dziecko w historii. Sytuacja dziecka w odrodzonym państwie polskim

Abstract

In order to commemorate the day of 11th November 1918 as a symbolic date of the independence regained by Poland, we have prepared another edition of the volume concerning a child in history which describes the fate of a child in Poland after its restoration. The significance of this project is reflected by a circle of the renowned experts of issues of the history of education. We remember that the restoration of Poland’s sovereignty after 123 years of non-existence of the country on the political maps of Europe was a lengthy process in which Poles both living home and abroad had been involved. It was mainly their perseverance and dedication that affection to the native language and national culture survived. It was “the generation of people gifted extraordinarily and placing a high priority on restoring their own country”, who earnestly appreciated the value of love of the Homeland. “In November 1918 their deep love of Poland was manifested by spontaneous demonstrations and rallies to support freedom and liberty...”. Poles were moved, jubilant and excited. From the memoirs of the then politician, who stayed in Galicia in those days – Jędrzej Moraczewski (recognized as the first prime minister of the free Republic of Poland) – it follows that “it is unlikely to report such ecstasy and outburst of joy which overcome Polish population at that time. The barriers and cordons disappeared after 120 years! They are no longer! Freedom! Unity! Unification! Our own country! For ever (...) Was there anybody not mad with joy? (...) From the morning till the evening crowds of people were gathering at the marketplace of towns: the worker, office clerk leaves their workplace, the peasant leaves his farm and run to towns to learn about, make sure of or see any unit of Polish Army, Polish letters or the Eagle [national emblem – translator’s note] on the government buildings; were touched [even – note by E.K] seeing Polish railwaymen, even at the sight of Polish policemen or other guardians of public order”. It should be kept in memory that to some extent the miracle of Poland’s independence, regained by the fifth generation of Poles would not occur at all without the will of the United States and partially the commitment of Ignacy Paderewski. As France and England “had not come to a decision on introduction of a new order in Europe and drawing of new state borders for the free and restored Poland (…)”. Prof. Jan Żaryna states that we are doing our best “to save from oblivion the Polish culture, the output of people who lived before us; we intend to educate young people so that in turn they will not forget our outputs and successes”4. For that reason in November of 2018, on appreciating and nursing the deed of achieving the national independence, we recalled the Polish education traditions, which inspired us to join in discussion over the past, present and future of the child with regard to his/her needs and sociocultural changes as well as the contemporary educational challenges. In the discussion we were led by a thought of Pope John Paul II because Karol Wojtyła’s election to the Holy See was a real breakthrough in thinking of the homeland. About the love of the home country, John Paul II wrote: “The Homeland – when I am thinking – I express myself and get rooted, this is told by my heart, as though the concealed boundary which goes out of me to other people to enclose everyone in the past, older than everyone of us: from it I emerge . when I am considering Homeland – to seal it off in myself as treasure”. Substantially the contents of the monograph was determined by the treatises introduced by their authors and presented in chronological and issue-presentation order. The work concerns multiple aspects and has got an interdisciplinary and artistic dimension as well. The work is divided into five chapters. The first chapter emphasizes The civic rights and freedoms in the Republic of Poland after its restoration. The second chapter entitled “The protection and saving from the extermination” reviews the examples of work done for the welfare of the neediest in the Republic of Poland, in the period between the first and second world war and during the Nazi occupation. The third chapter describes The inspirations to change thinking of school and education, not only throughout history. Next chapter deals with the subjectivity of a child – it is an educational and literary concept, with a specific highlight on the values in the process of education and teaching. The last section of the publication is The pictures of young people on the eve of 21st century. We hope that the book will arouse considerable interest among social sciences and humanities experts, and boards of education, teachers and parents because in the national historiography a number of research works relating to a child and his/her history throughout the centuries is still unsatisfactory.