Historical competition „Collective portrait of a century” 2026

December 12, 2025 – April 5, 2026

Konkurs historyczny „Zbiorowy portret stulecia” 2026

The Ośrodek KARTA Foundation is an independent non-governmental organization with public benefit status, which has been maintaining the largest social archive of the 20th century in Poland for several decades. By reaching witnesses of history in Poland and around the world, the Foundation aims to document the recent history of Poland and Central and Eastern Europe and to disseminate knowledge about it, acquiring archival materials such as photographs, documents, correspondence, diaries, audio and video recordings, as well as memorabilia and museum objects, mainly from private individuals.

On the occasion of the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Admiration and Friendship of Poles for the United States and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, with the support of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation, the Foundation announced a historical competition titled „Collective Portrait of a Century.” The Declaration of Admiration and Friendship of Poles for the United States is a unique collection of documents, over 30,000 pages long, prepared in Poland and handed over to U.S. President Calvin Coolidge at the White House in 1926. It was created as an expression of gratitude and friendship on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence. In 1926, nearly 1.3 million Polish citizens of all nationalities, professions, and religions signed the so-called „thanksgiving address.”.

Who is the competition for?

The competition is aimed at youth aged 13-19 (Secondary schools and the oldest grades of primary schools). Works carried out team (3-5 people) under the care of a tutor (teacher, librarian, cultural animator, etc.).

What is the challenge?

Research: researching and reconstructing the personal and professional lives of individuals or groups (families, school classes, town residents) whose signatures appear on „Declaration” cards.
Locality: finding signatories associated with a region, school, or family – local and often unknown heroes.
Creation telling their story in an engaging and modern format of your choice (film, podcast, virtual exhibition, comic, StoryMap, zine, and others).

NOTE: We permit the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in research and creative work, as we recognize it as a natural stage of technological development that can enrich scientific and artistic expression. However, we set boundaries regarding the treatment of historical sources, and we require transparency and adherence to ethical principles. (A Report on AI Usage, precisely describing the tools and prompts used, must be included in the Work Tally Sheet.)