On 15 September 1944, 75 years to the day, Sleidinge was liberated by the Poles – the first Polish armoured division commanded by General Stanisław Maczek. To ensure that this historic date does not go unnoticed, the municipality of Evergem, together with local associations and in close collaboration with the Polish Institute – Cultural Service of the Polish Embassy in Brussels, is organising a series of cultural and educational events.

Sunday, September 15, highlight of the celebrations, the documentary “They came along the Polenstraat“, presenting the testimony of the inhabitants of Sleidinge who treasure in their memory the emotion and images of the moment of the liberation of their city by the Poles, will be screened. This film was made especially for the occasion by the Sleinse Filmklub of the municipality of Evergem.

Other events not to be missed include:

• an exhibition of drawings by students from schools in Sleidinge, as well as by professional and non-professional artists from the Kunst Platform in the region, on the theme of War and Peace, is presented on Place Wilfried Martens. We warmly invite you to vote for the most beautiful drawing before September 1 via the address: www.evergem.be/75jaarbevrijding 
  
  
• a folk music concert by Kapela Maliszów (PL) and the duo Damast (BE) at the Stroming Cultural Centre on September 14,
  
  
• the screening of the film “Beyond The Steppes” by Anja d’Alcantara, Flemish director, inspired by the life of her Polish grandmother who was deported with her child to the depths of Central Asia, following Russia’s invasion of Poland in 1940, at the CC Stroming cinema on 17 September.
  
  
• “Poland : First to Fight” exhibition, which which bears witness to the tragedy of the war and the effort of the Polish military to regain the country’s independence. The exhibition aims to raise awareness of the Polish citizen’s war experience and their struggle against the overwhelming forces of the aggressors and then occupiers. This exhibition is a project of the Museum of the Second World War in partnership with the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Very soon, we will communicate the full programme of events as part of the commemoration of the “75th anniversary of the liberation of Sleidinge”.