From 1844 to 1944: Workers and Revolutions in Poland

The aim of this chapter is twofold. The first is to present against the historical background the representation of strikes and protests in the period of the 1905 Revolution, the first one on the territory of partitioned Poland where the demands to restore autonomy for the Poles were accompanied by calls for better working and living conditions of the workers. For the first time working men and women became the actors and not spectators of the historical events. The revolution (or the uprising) was shown on contemporary photographs, press illustrations and also inspired artists such as Fabijański, Masłowski and, last but not least Lentz. The Workers’ Revolt by Kollwitz was inspired by the mass protests of abused and impoverished workers in Silesia. She concentrates on the effects of dire situation of workers and the effects of the strikes, but at the same time reminds us of the circle of violence. The second aim is to reflect on the relation between one of the renown The Strike by Stanisław Lentz (1910), and The Manifesto by Wojciech Weiss (1950), when the status of workers changed from the group fighting for their rights to the privileged heroes of the new socialistic regime. The coming decades will bring yet another perspective on the strikes in the 1970s and 1980s, but the theme is beyond the framework of the chapter.