'Symbols of Freedom' exhibition a self-portrait of Poles - president

The exhibition 'Symbols of Freedom' opened on Friday in Warsaw's Royal Castle. The show presents a self-portrait of Poles; it represents their history and their fight for independence, said President Andrzej Duda during his speech at the official opening.

President Duda also emphasised that the exhibition presented a new history of Poland for the youth of today. He added that 'Symbols of Freedom. The continuation of Polish national identity' will not only allow Poles to build ties to their own nation, but will also allow them to look into their nation's history.

"One can look at it (the exhibition - PAP) and observe a variety of extraordinary elements: people, not only heroes and the fathers of independence, but also ordinary people who, for us, fought for independence and freedom (...) But, quite simply, one can also just observe Poland, as it was and as it is now. One can also observe the fight - of many years, many decades - for freedom, for true independence and real sovereignty," said the president.

Duda added that Poland's history should be presented in a way that is attractive to young people. In this context he recalled the words of Marshal Józef Piłsudski, who said that "a nation that loses its memory ceases to be a nation and becomes merely a collection of people temporarily inhabiting a given territory."

"I would like young people to see this exhibition, because this exhibition is also a big lesson about our most recent history," the president emphasised.

The 'Symbols of Freedom' exhibition features 500 artworks, hundreds of documentary photographs, archival documents, films and audio pieces. The historical texts accompanying the exhibits were written by Professor Tadeusz Wolsza.