27th June, 6 PM – 8.30 PM, Polish Social and Cultural Association POSK, Hammersmith

ENTRY: FREE

Join us on a remarkable story of Poland’s interwar development, exploring themes of industry, infrastructure, community building and Polish-British co-operation, including connections and comparisons with West London.

Held as part of Polish Heritage Days, this event celebrates the centenary Gdynia and Polish State Railways.

Listen to The Founder and Director of Talking and Exploring, Joanna Dudzińska, as she explores the inter-war period when the newly independent Poland needed to develop her industries and unify what had been for over a century three separate and largely neglected parts of the partitioning powers of the Russian , Austro-Hungarian and Prussian empires. And Historical collaborator Anthony Smith as he dives into Polish- British technical co-operation.

Learn about how a fragmented country rebuilt and unified itself through infrastructure, in contrast with industrial West London.

The construction of Gdynia, a city-port built from scratch replacing the old fishing village, and the development of industry along with the provision of State Railways was a huge task that was given some financial and technical help from different Western European countries amongst whom were the British.

The discussion will cover:

• Railways, ports and industrial development
• Engineering and modern infrastructure
• The creation of Gdynia and the Central Industrial District
• Comparisons and connections between Poland and Action, Park Royal and industrial West London

Curated & presented by: Joanna Dzudzińska with Historical Collaborator Anthony Smith.

Supported by: The Polish Embassy in the UK, Association of the Polish Engineers in the United Kingdom, Golden Opportunity and Skills Development (GOSaD), Artification and ActOne Cinema.

Register here for the event: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-gdynia-to-acton-railways-industry-and-polish-british-connections-tickets-1989251366386