The Congress of National Remembrance is coming in April – visit the New Technology Zone!

Historical debates, new technologies for learning history, a programming marathon, a historical film festival, unique exhibitions, side events and much more – all this has been prepared by the IPN for all lovers of 20th-century Polish history as part of the Congress of National Remembrance.

The whole event, scheduled for 13–15 April 2023, will be held at the “PGE Narodowy” National Stadium in Warsaw and will attract thousands of participants who want to explore the past as well as new forms of learning about history. Particular attention should be paid to the New Technology Zone – what attractions has the IPN’s New Technology Division prepared there?

Hackathon for secondary school students

The first one is something for gaming enthusiasts. The Institute of National Remembrance, or more precisely the IPN’s New Technology Division, is organising HISTHACK. This is a so-called hackathon, a programming marathon for students and teachers from all over Poland who are interested both in the future of IT and gaming and in learning about our country’s past. Creating games about history turns out to be a very effective method of learning.

In the 1st stage of the hackathon, the best teams out of 75 entries were selected, having prepared the most engaging game scenarios related to the Polish history of 1917–1990. The winners of the preliminaries will compete in the 2nd stage during the Congress of National Remembrance. The main prize at HISTHACK are VR goggles for participants and schools.

VR Zone: play the “Cyphers Game” and experience a virtual walk through the “Szybowcowa ’87 ” project

During the Congress of National Remembrance, using VR goggles, participants will be able to experience the games and teaching materials already published by the IPN, created in virtual reality technology.

One of them is the now iconic “Cyphers Game” which, by decision of the Ministry of Education and Science, entered the core curriculum as recommended content. The player can try to break Bolshevik cyphers and experience first-hand the major events of the Polish-Bolshevik War. So far, the game developed by the IPN’s New Technology Division has been completed by almost 130,000 players worldwide and is receiving very positive reviews.

Another attraction in the New Technology Zone will be the opportunity to take part in a virtual walk through “Szybowcowa ’87” For a moment, the user can feel like the opposition fighters of the People’s Republic of Poland, see what tools they used to print the underground press of Fighting Solidarity, listen to original recordings of “Fighting Solidarity” radio broadcasts or learn about the encrypted conversations of officers of the regime’s Security Service.

Immersive history education – expert panel

The New Technology Zone is not all. During the Congress of National Remembrance, you can also participate in discussions and lectures on education and history, among other things, so not only the youngest but also teachers and parents will find something for themselves.

The IPN’s recent report, entitled “Immersive history education – towards new educational pathways” is a completely new dimension in Polish teaching of history, as you will be able to find out during the expert panel with specialists and academics such as Magdalena Hajduk, Justyna Orłowska, Andrzej Horoch, Jan Pomorski and Krzysztof Zieliński. The discussion will take place on 13 April at 2:30 p.m.

The panellists will prove, using specific examples – such as the previously described VR games or hackathons – how nowadays we can use creative and innovative ways to infect young people with a passion for Polish history in the age of the digital revolution. This is a must-have for Polish educators who want to pass on knowledge about the past to younger generations even more effectively.

Congress of National Remembrance – register today

The upcoming Congress of National Remembrance is an excellent opportunity to expand one’s historical knowledge – for teachers and educators as well as for students themselves. New experiences in the form of history quizzes, VR games or substantive discussions and speeches on the future of Polish education are just some of the attractions prepared by the IPN’s New Technology Division during the Congress of National Remembrance.

Register for free here and visit PGE Narodowy from 13 to 15 April 2023!