The exhibition "Under the Eyes of the Occupier. Places and People of Organic Work"

The Wroclaw University Library invites to a unique exhibition titled "Under the Eyes of the Occupiers. Places and People of Organic Work," that can be viewed from 13.03 to 28.04.2026, in the Austrian Library (level 2, Fryderyka Joliot-Curie 12 St., Wroclaw). The exhibition will be open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The exhibition demonstrates how the official perspective of the Prussian authorities at the turn of the 20th century clashes with the real, long-term impact of the actions of Polish elites in Greater Poland and the Prussian partition. "Organic work" is presented here as a form of legal conspiracy — building national strength using legal methods, an alternative to dramatic, failed uprisings.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is a announcement post displaying "arrest warrants," which — instead of criminal charges — documented "subversive acts" in the eyes of the Prussian authorities: education, the development of cooperatives, entrepreneurship, and modern agriculture. In this way, the exhibition reveals the paradox of those times — when science, work, and social cooperation became acts of civic resistance and tools for the survival of national identity.

The exhibition highlights the role of places that served as centers of national life at the time: the bazaar, people's banks, agricultural societies and associations. It was there that reading the Polish press was encouraged, local initiatives were supported, and mutual trust was fostered — the foundation of a future civic community.

For visitors will be waiting symbolic installations displaying "proofs of guilt" — everyday objects that, in the eyes of the occupying powers, symbolized rebellion and national awakening. The exhibition demonstrates that even a simple notebook, agricultural implement, or brochure could be perceived as dangerous "proof" of patriotic activity.

The exhibition "Under the Eyes of the Occupier. Places and People of Organic Work" not only tells the story of Polish perseverance and ingenuity in difficult times, but also raises timeless questions about the importance of work, education, and collective action for the common good. It demonstrates that a nation's strength is born not from rebellions, but from the daily, consistent building of a civil society.

It is also an invitation to discover the Organic Work Trail in Greater Poland – places where modern patriotism based on cooperation, education and mutual respect was shaped over a century ago.

The exhibition "Under the Eyes of the Occupier. Places and People of Organic Work" is presented in the building of the Wroclaw University Library in connection with the establishment of cooperation with the General Dąbrowski Palace in Winna Góra, where the original concept of the exhibition comes from.

Project's authors

Exhibition concept: Marek Roman
Script and coordination: Magdalena Drzazgowska
Arrangement and graphic design: Dominik Buchting
Organic Posters: Jarosław Gryguć

The project was co-financed by the Greater Poland Voivodeship Government.

Zapraszamy!

13.03.2026 – 28.04.2026
Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m.
Austrian Library (level 2)
Wroclaw University Library, Fryderyka Joliot-Curie 12 St., Wroclaw