A Year of Breakthrough. The Events of 1989 in Poland in School History Textbooks. A Case Study of Basic Level Curricula

Abstract

The article A Year of Breakthrough. The Events of 1989 in Poland in School History Textbooks. A Case Study of Basic Level Curricula analyzes how Polish history textbooks present the year 1989, a pivotal year for democratic transformation in Poland. The authors emphasize that this year significantly contributed to the collapse of the communist system in Central and Eastern Europe. They also discuss the need to establish the anniversary of the June 4, 1989 elections as a national holiday, highlighting the peaceful nature of the changes. Despite the pervasive technology, school history textbooks remain the primary source of knowledge about the past. Modern textbooks combine authorial texts with source materials, iconography, and exercises, meeting contemporary educational requirements. An analysis of textbooks from four publishers (Nowa Era, WSiP, GWO, Operon) shows that the events of 1989 are presented as key historical moments, preceded by a description of the economic crisis of the 1980s. The authors of the analyzed textbooks describe Poland's economic difficulties, such as shortages of goods, high inflation, and emigration, as well as unsuccessful attempts at economic reforms and government talks with the opposition that led to the Round Table and June elections. The textbook authors differently assess the compromise reached at the Round Table, highlighting the controversies related to negotiations with the communists. In the textbooks, the 1989 elections are presented as groundbreaking, even though they were not fully democratic. Additionally, they detail the election results and their consequences, such as General Jaruzelski assuming the presidency and the appointment of Tadeusz Mazowiecki's government. The year 1989 concluded with a constitutional amendment that changed the country's name to the Republic of Poland and restored the crown to the national emblem. The authors of the school texts also emphasize the impact of Polish changes on other Eastern Bloc countries, which also followed the path of democratization. Despite differences in narrative detail, the textbooks provide students with essential knowledge about the political and economic transformations that began in Poland in 1989.