„A Ceremonial Activism”. The Days of Culture, Education, Book, and Press in the Politics of the People’s Republic of Poland Authorities in the Years 1971-1989

Abstract

The Days of Culture, Education, Book, and Press (until 1973 – the Days of Education, Book, and Press) in the years 1971-1989 was an annual campaign with goals, agenda, and forms settled by the authorities of the party and the state. Analysis of its program, including anniversaries being celebrated, indicates, that until 1989 they were planned to bring together (adequately interpreted) elements of national tradition and current political goals of the PRP authorities, their ideological, Marxist, „revolutionary” background. Relatively broad acceptance for referring to national past (was it verbal only or actual – to be settled in future research) makes programs of these Days of the 70s and 80s of the 20th century significantly different from those from the Stalinism period. Scale and forms of the events had been evolving, due to social, economic and political changes of that time. The most important and influencing concepts of the Days were: legitimizational concepts of the authorities, activities of political opposition, the „Solidarity” revolution, the martial law, and economic crisis, resulting in difficulties in the book production processes.