A special Independence Concert will take place on 1 September 2022 in the historic BHP Hall of the Gdańsk Shipyard. The performance will tell the audience the history of Poland as seen through the prism of “hit and run” wars, confederate struggles and guerrilla fights starting from 1109 until the events of the 1980s.

The narrative of the 7th Independence Concert in Gdańsk, under the title “Forest Brothers”, will begin with a description of the “hit and run” battles waged by Bolesław Krzywousty’s warriors against invaders from Bohemia and Germany in 1109. The further story will lead the audience through the times of the Swedish Deluge, the Dzików and Bar Confederations, the subsequent National Uprisings and the Zaliwski Partisans.

According to the organisers, the guerrilla aspect of World War II and the activities of the anti-communist underground in the period 1944-1956 will also be presented. The narrative will culminate with a symbolic honouring of Józef Franczak – the last soldier of the Cursed Army, killed in 1963. The last partisan of the Republic, Lech Zondek, who fought against the Soviet Army in Afghanistan in the 1980s, will also be mentioned.

The songs in the programme will be linked to key moments in Polish history. The concert audience will hear, among others: a song of Czech soldiers in honour of Bolesław Krzywousty: Boleslaue, dux gloriosissime!; a Kurpie song from the times of the Third Northern War On Kopański Bridge (18th-19th century) and a Kurpie song from the time of the Dzików Confederation “A na boru sośnia” (XVIII c.), Song of the Bar Confederates (1843/1975), Camp March (1831), (Zaliwski) Insurgents’ Song (2019) from the poem “10 pictures from the expedition to Poland from 1833” by Michał Chodźko – Borejko, a participant in Zaliwski’s expedition), or finally “Sleep brother in the dark grave” (ca.1863 ), We, partisans of Major Hubal (1939), and Prayer of the National Armed Forces (1940). The repertoire will be complemented by contemporary instrumental pieces “Gorget (Ryngraf)” (2019) and “Insurgents” (2019). The concert will open and close with the poem ‘Wolves’ by Zbigniew Herbert.

Adrian Andrzejewski