The topic of the meeting for people between 18 and 99 years old will be “the Ways of Freedom”. The project will take place in two locations: in IYMC Oświęcim and in the IYMC Krzyżowa. The history of the creation of both institutions opens up different perspectives for understanding the notion of ‘freedom’, and the 75^th anniversary of the end of world war two and the liberation of KL Auschwitz present an opportunity to, once again, consider the notion of ‘freedom’ in a historical, political and social context.

The year 1945 was a year of liberation for Poles and Germans, but the level of freedom achieved in Poland and in Eastern part of Germany largely differed from the freedom in the Western part of Germany. In the following decades there have been struggles for freedom, and the years 1956, 1968, 1975 were, for at least one of the mentioned countries, and in some cases for all three, key moments. During this project, the consideration of these moments in the context of broader social-political history in Poland and Germany from 1945, will allow the participants not only a deeper understanding of the notion of ‘freedom’, but also will help in the reflection on the state of freedom in Europe today. The aim of the meeting of the Polish and German representatives of different generations will also be creating of the space for reflection over the understanding of the notion of ‘freedom’ in the individual dimension in relation to the participants of the project. The specific programme points will be an invitation for a discussion over the role of freedom in self-realisation of individuals and in shaping interpersonal relations.