The Copernicus Center for Polish Studies (CCPS) is pleased to announce that the exhibition, "Zakopane 1918: 100 Years of Polish Independence," will be on display at the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts in Manistee, Michigan through March 27, 2020. A reception and lecture are scheduled for Saturday, February 15. Kate Wroblewski, assistant professor of history at U-M, will give a talk at 2 PM titled "Finding the Political Zakopane: 1918 and the Possibilities of Change."

Zakopane is situated in the scenic Tatra Mountains of Poland. In the 19th century Zakopane attracted artists, writers, and intellectuals from Poland’s four corners. Together with the local inhabitants, they created a diverse and distinctive community that flourishes today. “100 Years of Polish Independence: Zakopane 1918” is an exhibition of photographs from the archives of the Tatra Museum in Zakopane. It tells the unique story of the short-lived Republic of Zakopane, which was established in the concluding weeks of the First World War.  

In 2019, CCPS curated the exhibition in collaboration with the Tatra Museum, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Warsaw, and Culture.pl as part of POLSKA 100, an international cultural program commemorating the centenary of Poland regaining Independence. It is financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland as part of the multi-year program NIEPODLEGŁA 2017-22.

The lecture and exhibition are free and open to the public. Visit the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts website for details on the February 15 event, as well as gallery hours.