The Berlin Office of the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) and the Centre for Historical Research Berlin of the Polish Academy of Sciences cordially invite you to a high-level expert discussion:

Solidarność - Poland's Turning Point, Europe's Consequences
The International Dimension of the Polish Crisis, 1980-1982

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Thursday, 3 December 2026
18:00–20:30
Polish Institute of International Affairs, Berlin Office
Marienstraße 26, 10117 Berlin
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On 13 December 1981, Poland’s communist authorities imposed martial law. This marked a turning point in Poland’s recent history, with political and social repercussions that extended far beyond its borders. The emergence and rise of the Solidarność movement shaped political developments in Poland, drew widespread international attention and influenced how developments in Central and Eastern Europe were understood abroad.

Forty-five years after the imposition of martial law, the discussion will revisit the historical significance of Solidarność and the international dimensions of the Polish crisis of 1980–1982. It will focus on the movement’s international ties, the political and diplomatic responses to events in Poland, and their impact on relations across Europe and on the continent’s subsequent political development.

The discussion marks the publication by PISM of the volumes covering 1980–1982 in its Polskie Dokumenty Dyplomatyczne (Polish Diplomatic Documents) series. These diplomatic records shed light on the international context of the Polish crisis, how policymakers assessed events at the time and what options were open to them.

Programme

Welcome

• Małgorzata Gemen, Executive Director, PISM Berlin Office

Panel discussion

• Markus Meckel, Former Foreign Minister of the GDR
• Cornelia Pieper, Former Consul General, German Federal Foreign Office
• Piotr Długołęcki, Editor-in-Chief of the Polskie Dokumenty Dyplomatyczne series, Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM)

Moderator

• Prof. Igor Kąkolewski, Executive Director, Centre for Historical Research Berlin of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Participation is by invitation only. Simultaneous interpretation between German and Polish will be provided. Chatham House Rules.