“Post-war dilemmas” educational workshops - Instytut Pileckiego

On 12–13 October 2021, educators from the Pilecki Institute visited schools in Augustów and conducted workshops for students based on the game “Post-war dilemmas”, developed and published by the Institute.

Should soldiers remain in the underground following the dissolution of the Home Army, or should they emigrate or return to civilian life? What to do in the face of the growing wave of repression? Was it possible to engage in the reconstruction of a new, Communist-ruled Poland? High school students from Augustów asked themselves these and many other questions thanks to the educational workshops of the Pilecki Institute.

“Post-war dilemmas” is a decision-based game played in groups, allowing participants to learn the problems and history of people from the generation affected by the Second World War, who in 1945 tried to find their place in the new, complicated reality of post-war Poland. The cards lead the players through the life of the protagonist, whose biography is based on a real life figure from the period. They have to face the dilemmas and decisions which their hero had to face. The fate of the character depends on the decisions made by the players. Each choice has irreversible consequences.

The workshop attracted a lot of interest from young people.

I really enjoyed the workshops organized by the Pilecki Institute at our school. In particular, I remembered the game ‘Post-war dilemmas’, which made us aware of how dramatic the everyday life of Poles during the Second World War was in a very clear and accessible way.

Amelia Iwanowicz, Class 3 CG, G. Piramowicz High School No. 1 in Augustów

An interesting game that helps you to understand what exemplary choices and their consequences people had to face during the Second World War.

Kaja Granacka, Class 3 C, G. Piramowicz High School No. I in Augustów

Participating in the workshop was definitely an interesting experience. (…) I don’t think I’ve ever had the opportunity to get to know the real problems of people from that period in such detail, and thanks to the game I understood better what people had to deal with on a daily basis.

Kinga Piotrowska, Class 3 CG, G. Piramowicz High School No. I in Augustów