France-related records in the Historical Archives of the Solidarity Trade Union
LIke every month we would like to share with you examples of archival materials kept in the Historical Archives of the Solidarity Trade Union. In February you had an opportunity to have a look at selected records related to Australia, in March – to Belgium, and in April – to Denmark. This time we would like to present some of the numerous records related to France.
TFor many years the Historical Archives of the National Commission of the Solidarity Trade Union has been collecting and keeping unique documents related to international operations of the Solidarity Trade Union. Records pertaining to France are to be found in the following fonds and collections:
- Information and Coordination Office Abroad of NSZZ “Solidarność” in Paris,
- Coordinating Office Abroad of NSZZ “Solidarność” in Brussels,
- National Coordinating Committee and the National Commission of the Solidarity Trade Union in Gdańsk,
- Pennants collection of the National Commission’s Historical Archives,
- Postcard collection of the National Commission’s Historical Archives.
The presentation below includes scans of correspondence between the French Democratic Confederaion of Labor (Confédération française démocratique du travail, CFDT) and the Solidarity Trade Union. Attached are also records related to the 5th anniversary celebrations of signing the Gdansk agreements, which took place in Paris in 1985. They contain a detailed calendar of the Solidarity Trade Union operations from August 1980 to August 1985. Moreover, there are documents related to the fundraising campaign to buy milk for children in Poland, organized in Paris in May and June 1986.
Among the presented scans there are postcards with appeals: “Do not persecute and do not arrest Solidarity members!” and with a message: “The world’s opinion will never accept martial law in Poland”. There is also an interesting telegram from Paris addressed at the Solidarity’s office at 103 Grunwaldzka Street in Gdańsk.
In the reading room of the Historical Archives of the National Commission you may also refer to a great collection of books related to the Solidarity Trade Union. Among them there are some publications (in Polish) related to scans presented below:
- Magdalena Heruday-Kiełczewska, „Solidarność” nad Sekwaną. Działalność Komitetu Koordynacyjnego NSZZ „Solidarność” w Paryżu 1981-1989, Gdańsk 2016,
- Magdalena Heruday-Kiełczewska, Inicjatywy solidarnościowe Polonii i emigracji w latach 1980-1989: Francja (w:) Za naszą i waszą „Solidarność”. Inicjatywy solidarnościowe z udziałem Polonii podejmowane na świecie (1989-1989), T.2. Państwa europejskie, Warszawa 2018, s. 164-217,
- Patryk Pleskot, Kłopotliwa Panna „S”. Postawy polityczne Zachodu wobec „Solidarności” na tle stosunków z PRL (1980-1989), Warszawa 2013,
- Marcin Frybes, Amerykańscy i francuscy przyjaciele „Solidarności”. Reakcje społeczne na „Solidarność” we Francji i w Stanach Zjednoczonych w latach 1980-1989, Warszawa 2021.
In June we will present selected documents related to Japan. We would like to invite you to visit our Historical Archives!
Visit us at the in the Archives of the National Commission of the Solidarity Trade Union
If you are interested in the attached documents and in our other archival materials in the Archives of the National Commission of the Solidarity Trade Union, please contact us first by email: .
The fonds list is available online at „Szukaj w Archiwach” – “Search the Archives” (https://www.szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl/web/archiwum-komisji-krajowej-nszz-solidarnosc/zespoly).
/Łukasz Grochowski, the Archives of the National Commission of the Solidarity Trade Union,
Iwona Flis, Stanisław Flis Foundation “Pomerania Archives”/
