A TRIP FOR JUST A SMILE! A VACATION IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF POLAND

A TRIP FOR A SMILE! VACATION IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF POLAND Temporary exhibition from the collection of Krzysztof Pukaczewski ___ During the People’s Republic of Poland, leisure time was more than just a break from work. It was an element of social policy and a symbol of the postwar return to normalcy. Vacations were intended to allow workers to recharge after a full year of work, while also fostering integration among workplace teams and their families. Vacations in the People’s Republic of Poland took various forms. People either organized them on their own or relied on assistance from the Workers’ Vacation Fund, established in 1947. However, regardless of whether they went to the mountains, the seaside, or the Masurian Lakes, Poles had one thing in common—days of preparation, bags packed to the brim, and the joy of the trip. Whether at an elegant resort or camping in a tent, regardless of the weather or season, vacationers socialized, had fun, and took a break from their daily responsibilities. The temporary exhibition “A Trip for a Smile! Vacations in the People’s Republic of Poland” will be, for some, a sentimental journey into the past, when summer was as sweet as Bambino ice cream and winter snow fell knee-deep. For others, it will be a great history lesson—not so very distant, yet so different from today’s reality. ___ OPENING: November 8, 2026, 11:30 a.m., Museum of the Wałcz Region EXHIBITION DATES: November 8, 2026 – February 21, 2027 The exhibition is accompanied by an educational program. Details are available on the website mzw.com.pl under the tab OFFER>MUSEUM LESSONS ____________________ Exhibition organizer: Museum of the Wałcz Region in Wałcz Exhibition curator: Julia Kowalewska (MZW) Exhibition Design: Julia Kowalewska (MZW) Natalia Borek (MZW) Text Authors: Julia Kowalewska (MZW) Exhibition Installation: Bartłomiej Baranowski (MZW) Leszek Bąk (MZW) Promotion: Natalia Borek (MZW) Education: Natalia Borek (MZW) Bartłomiej Baranowski (MZW) Collections: Krzysztof Pukaczewski Museum of the Wałcz Region