[09.06.2011 – 28.08.2011]
 

This exhibition will present a part of Upper Silesian history that is relatively rarely highlighted, that is, the presence of international arbitration troops (French, British and Italian) in the plebiscite area in the years 1920-1922. We will be shown the role of foreign armies in the process of monitoring the plebiscite and their attitude towards the Second and Third Silesian Uprising. The display focuses not only on the military structure, the formal aspects of the presence of their troops, but above all it emphasises the relationships between the soldiers and local people. This aspect has not been presented in any exhibition yet. Along with unfriendly and aggressive reactions, there were also joyful or even romantic episodes. The exhibition will present such phenomena as mutual reception of the allied soldiers and Upper Silesians; individual cases, such as the fates of soldiers or incidents like the bomb attack in Bytom or riots in Gliwice, as well as the sphere of morality.

During the exhibition, numerous photographs documenting the stay of the troops in Silesia, documents and maps from the headquarters or pieces of equipment will be displayed. The intention of the authors of the exhibition was to depict the everyday life of French, British and Italian soldiers stationed in "a foreign land" including the letters that French soldiers wrote to their families, which have not been published before.

Curator: Sebastian Rosenbaum

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