By decision of an institution subordinate to Donald Tusk’s government, a key portal containing a vast amount of historical material – Niepodlegla.gov.pl – has ceased to operate. Tasks previously carried out by the “Niepodległa” Office, dissolved shortly after the government takeover, are being marginalised.
In 2024, the then Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz, shortly after assuming office, announced that the “Niepodległa” Office would be merged with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. The date of “Niepodległa’s” dissolution was symbolic – May 1.
Changes and Abandoned Projects
The Adam Mickiewicz Institute was meant to take over the responsibilities and staff of the Office. In practice, as Niezależna.pl editorial office has learned, the office’s previous tasks are not being fully carried out, and personnel have also changed. This was inevitable: IAM focuses on promoting Polish culture abroad, while Niepodległa dealt with historical projects within Poland. The aim, among other things, was to get rid of inconvenient directors and employees.
Following the changes, key projects collapsed as well. For example, all activities related to the construction of the Monument commemorating the Battle of Warsaw of 1920 were suspended. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute withdrew the selection of the general contractor for the construction works and cancelled the tender. Previously, between 2021 and 2024, 1.7 million PLN had been spent from the state budget on the investment.
The act of destruction was completed in August, when the Niepodlegla.gov.pl portal, managed by the dissolved office, ceased to function.
It had served as the central communication point for the “Niepodległa” Multiannual Program, an initiative of the previous government aimed at coordinating anniversaries related to Poland regaining sovereignty. The site played a key role in informing the public about grant programs, providing educational materials, and promoting cultural and commemorative events nationwide.
The “Niepodległa” Multiannual Program itself has not been abolished. It was transformed into a permanent mechanism for financing and coordinating commemorative activities. Subsequent editions of grant programs took place in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
The dissolved portal had been a platform for distributing innovative educational and didactic materials on history. Detailed resources included, among others, materials about the heroes of independence. Naturally, these cannot be found on the Adam Mickiewicz Institute’s website.
Former Minister of Culture Piotr Gliński has openly expressed outrage at the website’s closure. He points to the government’s deliberate actions undermining historical policy:
“I am not surprised. Poland is being governed by troglodytes, people operating on the verge of national betrayal. Museums, cultural institutions that dealt with Polish heritage and identity, are being systematically destroyed. The Ministry of Culture has destroyed dozens of institutions, unlawfully dismissed nearly 40 directors mid-term. ‘Niepodległa’ as an office has been destroyed. This is a deliberate plan to destroy Polish culture and identity,”
Gliński told Niezalezna.pl.
Niezależna.pl editorial office asked the Adam Mickiewicz Institute’s press office about the reasons for shutting down Niepodlegla.gov.pl. They only received a brief reply stating that it was the result of the office’s incorporation. Further details, they were told, will be provided by email.