Across the Atlantic, we hear calls for an “America First” policy. But a similar dynamic is unfolding much closer to home, in Poland, where questions of patriotism and national identity dominate the political agenda. This lecture offers an accessible introduction to how Polish identity is increasingly framed in contrast to a broader European one – especially in the realm of history education and culture.

Focusing on some of the most heated debates of the past two decades, I will explore how the politics of history in museums and education have become battlegrounds for defining what it means to be Polish. We will look at moments when the Polish parliament erupted over the content of a museum that had not yet even opened, revealing how the very idea of “Europeanness” was cast as a threat to “Polishness.” In today’s Poland, museums are not quiet cultural institutions—they are flashpoints that ignite national debate, shape political rhetoric, and reveal the stakes of historical memory. This lecture will trace how and why these cultural spaces have become central to the country’s identity struggles.

Lecture by Ph.D. Anna Helena Alexandra Krakus, KU

Date: Thursday March 5th 2026
Time: 7-9 PM
Place: Nørregade 11-19, Rønne (Bornholms Tidende)