Opening Of The Exhibition Jerzy Giedroyc: The Game For Poland At The Senate Of The Republic Of Poland
On Wednesday, 22 July 2026, the exhibition Jerzy Giedroyc: The Game for Poland, prepared by the National Library of Poland, opened at the seat of the Senate of the Republic of Poland. The exhibition was officially inaugurated by Marshal of the Senate Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, Deputy Marshal of the Senate Rafał Grupiński and Director of the National Library of Poland Dr Tomasz Makowski.
The exhibition introduces visitors to Jerzy Giedroyc – editor, publisher and founder of the Literary Institute – whose work had a profound impact on Polish culture and literature, as well as on the political and historical debate of the twentieth century.
“Giedroyc was an exceptional figure: an outstanding editor, journalist, publisher and political thinker, as well as an independent and uncompromising intellectual. This is why the Senate of the Republic of Poland designated him as the patron of 2026. By adopting this resolution, we paid tribute to a man who helped lay the foundations of a free Poland, despite spending most of his life working beyond its borders. The ‘game’ referred to in the title of the exhibition was not a game for personal success or influence, but for the future of Poland as a sovereign and independent state, conscious of its roots,” said Marshal of the Senate Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska at the opening of the exhibition Jerzy Giedroyc: The Game for Poland.
The opening forms part of the celebrations of the Year of Jerzy Giedroyc, established by the Senate of the Republic of Poland to mark the 120th anniversary of the Editor’s birth and the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Literary Institute.
“Jerzy Giedroyc shaped the future of two worlds. The first was the world of culture, as he brought together the finest writers around the Literary Institute’s publishing programme. The second was the world of politics, where he sought, as Juliusz Mieroszewski put it, to follow a one-way road – straight into the future,” said Deputy Marshal of the Senate Rafał Grupiński, who initiated the exhibition.
“The National Library preserves the legacy of the past and documents that deserve to be safeguarded, ensuring that the noblest elements of our history are remembered. Thanks to our close cooperation with the Literary Institute, visitors can explore the most valuable documents of the Paris-based Kultura not only in Paris, but also in Warsaw,” emphasised the Director of the National Library of Poland.
The exhibition highlights the special role played by the Paris-based journals Kultura and Zeszyty Historyczne. It presents both the first and the final issues of the two periodicals: Kultura, published between 1947 and 2000, and Zeszyty Historyczne, published from 1962 to 2010.
One of the exhibition’s main themes is Giedroyc’s support for Polish writers. As an editor and “gardener of literature”, he encouraged them to write, published their works, funded scholarships and awards, and facilitated contacts between emigre circles, writers in Poland and the international literary community. Kultura brought together authors representing different generations, views and artistic approaches, including Czesław Miłosz, Witold Gombrowicz, Gustaw Herling-Grudziński, Jerzy Stempowski, Kazimierz Wierzyński and Józef Mackiewicz.
The exhibition presents Jerzy Giedroyc not only as a publisher and editor, but also as an organiser of intellectual life and a steadfast advocate of freedom of expression and the independence of Polish culture. Through the activities of the Literary Institute, Kultura and the Kultura Library series, he created a space for the free exchange of ideas beyond the reach of the censorship imposed in post-war Poland.
