1905. A New Beginning. The Revolution in Wola and in Warsaw

The new exhibition at the Wola Museum of Warsaw recalls events from 120 years ago and demonstrates how much they influenced the shaping of identity of both the district and the city. The memory of the levee en masse in the early 20th century and its history was exploited by the People’s Republic propaganda but marginalized after 1989. Thanks to our exhibition, it now has the chance to resonate anew. Visitors will be able to see that the events of 1905 were a “dress rehearsal for the resurrection of Poland”* of sorts, and the beginning of the fight for freedom and fundamental civil rights which we enjoy to this day. We offer a unique experience of rediscovering a fragment of Wola’s, Warsaw’s, and Poland’s modern history that has faded from public memory.

We are bringing an incredibly important moment from the history of Wola and Warsaw out of storage. We tell the story without distortions, untouched by the politics of history. Our exhibition is a narrative of a colourful district, home to the heroes of that era—women, men, children, the elderly, the wealthy and the poor, labourers, industrialists, members of the Jewish minority, activists and even common criminals. The year 1905 marked not just a struggle against the Tsarist regime—it was a time when the interests of industrial Warsaw’s residents clashed, an era when old ideas died and new ones were born. It was a moment of change, often paid for with the lives of its initiators as well as innocent people. The exhibition encourages reflection on the universal nature of Wola at the beginning of the 20th century—a district that, for that moment, became a world in miniature.

The revolution begins in Wola

The early 20th century—a global economic crisis is underway, affecting the economy of the Russian Empire which, in 1904, also becomes embroiled in a war with Japan over influence in the Far East. As a result, the living conditions of the Tsar’s subjects deteriorate. Unrest breaks out in towns and cities across the Empire, with tensions rising also in Warsaw. The capital of the Kingdom of Poland is a crucial link in the supply chain for Moscow, producing everything from ammunition to watches. The majority of the city’s factories is located in Wola, home to one-third of Warsaw’s population. It is here, in Wola, in January 1905, that the first sparks of revolution appear. General strikes, factory occupations and student protests become part of daily life. Soon, the dissent spreads across society. Political factions become active, competing for influence. Depending on their ideological stance, they envision different paths forward—full independence, broad autonomy within the Empire, or the realisation of international anti-capitalist demands. The struggle also extends to more immediate concerns—securing fundamental labour rights (an eight-hour workday, accident insurance, social benefits and the freedom to unionize), access to independent Polish-language education, and the right to universal suffrage—including for women.

“1905. A New Beginning. The Revolution in Wola and in Warsaw exhibition illustrates how modern political consciousness and social awareness were rapidly shaped. These events undoubtedly played a significant role in the process of Poland’s regaining independence,” says the exhibition curator Konrad Schiller.

The collection

The exhibition is almost entirely based on the Museum of Warsaw’s collections, making it a truly original project. The presented iconography showcases the impressive scale of the events of that time, including images documenting a 250,000-strong patriotic march, a police raid on an underground printing press of the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania, and the so-called ‘Alfonse pogrom’ (pogrom of the pimps). Visitors to the exhibition will see original banners from demonstrations and strikes, as well as unique leaflets and political proclamations. Postcards, photographs, and graphics gathered for the occasion depict street fights, protests, and the aftermath of bomb attacks. A particularly exceptional artefact is an album created by Stefan Stattler, director of the ‘Lilpop, Rau, and Loewenstein’ leading heavy industry factory. This collection of photographs serves as a fascinating chronicle of local industry and its transformations at the onset of the 20th century.

The themes explored in the exhibition will be further developed in an accompanying programme, which will include:

• curatorial tours,
• lectures and discussions with experts in political, art, social, and economic history,
• a dedicated educational programme,
• acoustic walks illustrating the landscape of revolutionary Warsaw,
• a screening of Agnieszka Holland’s 1981 film Fever.

1905. A New Beginning. The Revolution in Wola and in Warsaw exhibition will be open from 20 February until 20 July 2025. The official opening will take place on 19 February at 6PM, admission is free. The Museum is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9AM till 6PM, on Thursdays from 11AM till 8PM and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11AM till 7PM. Ticket prices: 15PLN/10PLN, on Thursdays 1PLN.

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*  T. Nałęcz, Rewolucja 1905 roku. Próba generalna wskrzeszenia Polski.

 

kurator / curator Konrad Schiller

produkcja / production Marta Galewska

projekt architektoniczny i opracowanie graficzne / Exhibition and graphic design: Studio Robot (Krzysztof Czajka. Łukasz Wysoczyński, Zofia Janina Borysiewicz – współpraca graficzna/cooperation with graphics)

program towarzyszący / accompanying programme Konrad Schiller, Magdalena Staroszczyk, Klaudia Jaraszek

program edukacyjny / educational programme Katarzyna Żukowska

wypożyczenia z instytucji / loans from institutions Biblioteka Narodowa/National Library, Wojewódzka Biblioteka Publiczna w Lublinie/Provincial Public Library in Lublin

reprodukcje ze zbiorów / reproductions from the collections Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie/National Museum in Warsaw, Muzeum Warszawy/Museum of Warsaw, POLONA.PL

realizacja wystawy / implementation Piotr Lipiński (koordynacja/coordination), Michał Bogumił, Ksenia Góreczna, Paweł Grochowalski, Krzysztof Hernik, Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, Artur Miniewicz, Katarzyna Radecka, Tomasz Raubo, Dariusz Sałański, Leszek Sokołowski, Mariusz Stawski, Filip Wielechowski-Olszak, Adam Wrzosek

konserwacja / conservation Piotr Kaczkiełło, Julia Kłosińska, Robert Kołodziejski, Katarzyna Lesiakowska-Tofil, Igor Nowak, Karolina Nowicka, Piotr Popławski

wypożyczenia zewnętrzne / external loans Janusz Kurczak

wypożyczenia wewnętrzne / in-house loans Aleksandra Lis, Dawid Łukasiak, Małgorzata Oliwińska, Dorota Parszewska, Joanna Rykiel, Zuzanna Sieroszewska-Rolewicz, Filip Żelewski

koordynacja digitalizacji / digitisation coordinator Mikołaj Kalina

digitalizacja / digitisation Adrian Czechowski, Eliza Kowalska-Małek, Michał Matyjaszewski, Anna Sulej

redakcja i korekta tekstów / text editing and proofreading Katarzyna Głowińska (Lingventa)

tłumaczenie tekstów / translation Marcin Wawrzyńczak

projekt plakatu / poster design Joanna Bębenek

komunikacja i marketing / communications and marketing Małgorzata Czajkowska, Agata Fijałkowska, Agata Fronczyk, Wojciech Gadomski, Dagmara Jędrzejewska, Anna Ładna, Jowita Purzycka, Nela Sobieszczańska