This outdoor exhibition, 'I Always Dreamed of Europe,' is dedicated to Professor Bronisław Geremek, a key figure in Polish democracy and its path to European integration. It highlights his contributions to Poland's accession to the European Union and NATO, emphasizing his vision for a united Europe free from post-war division.
The exhibition "I Always Dreamed of Europe" commemorates Professor Bronisław Geremek, a prominent architect of Polish democracy and its integration into Western political structures. The display focuses on his significant efforts in shaping Poland's path towards membership in the European Union and NATO, aiming to overcome the post-war division of Europe symbolized by the Iron Curtain. This context is particularly relevant in 2022, designated as the Year of Bronisław Geremek, marking a generation's journey growing up in a unified Europe. The exhibition's title is a quote from Geremek's 1998 speech upon receiving the Charlemagne Prize, underscoring his belief in the power of dreams to drive political change, as seen during the Solidarity movement and Poland's subsequent embrace of freedom and European integration.
Originally inaugurated in the Senate of the Republic of Poland on March 23, 2022, the outdoor presentation commenced on June 4, 2022, coinciding with the anniversary of the 1989 parliamentary elections. This exhibition is part of a larger program by the History Meeting House (DSH) to commemorate this anniversary. Following the exhibition's opening, a guided walk exploring sites associated with Bronisław Geremek was offered, concluding at the square named in his honor. The exhibition scenario was developed by Wojciech Białożyt from the Prof. Bronisław Geremek Foundation, with the Kancelaria Senatu and the Prof. Bronisław Geremek Foundation as organizers, and the History Meeting House as a partner.