"Forgotten Heroes" Exhibition Opening: the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Flanders by Polish Soldiers of the 1st Polish Armoured Division
30.08.2024
The "Forgotten Heroes" exhibition was inaugurated at the Antwerp City Hall commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Flanders by Polish soldiers of the 1st Polish Armoured Division,
The exhibition showcases photographs of Polish soldiers from General Maczek's 1st Armoured Division, who liberated around 60 Flemish cities, towns, and villages from German occupation 80 years ago. Many of them could not return to Poland after the war due to repression by the communist authorities. Some chose to settle in Flanders, where they started families and became part of Belgian society. The portraits featured in the exhibition originate from the book "Vergeten Helden", co-authored by Flemish photographer Johannes Vande Voorde and Dirk Verbeke, president of the 1st Polish Armoured Division Association in Belgium. The biographies of the soldiers were prepared by students of the General Stanisław Maczek Polish School in Antwerp.
The exhibition was inaugurated at the City Hall by the Mayor of Antwerp Bart De Wever and Chargée d'Affaires a.i. Pia Libicka-Regulska. The display will be open to visitors until September 15th, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The photographs are also being exhibited in front of the Polish Embassy in Brussels, as part of an outdoor exhibition, until December 11, 2024.
Partners of the exhibition: City of Antwerp, the Polish Institute in Brussels, and the General Stanisław Maczek Polish School in Antwerp.
