Platformy wolnej myśli. Rzecz o roli polskich instytucji naukowych na wychodźstwie

Abstract

The Polish historiography gives prominence to the Polish cultural and scientific institutions operating abroad, which represent free thinking of those Poles who were forced or chose to live in the diaspora. Such institutions – shaping Polish tradition, identity and cultural spirit – acted as substitutes for the educational and cultural system imposed on Poles in the 19th century during the Partitions, and after 1945 by the oppressive rule of the Soviet Union. With the grassroots of Polish institutions (notably those popularizing science) in the “free” world, and without the cultivation memory behind the Iron Curtain, the contemporary Poland – growing up from such roots – would not be possible.