The exhibition on German-Polish understanding will be accompanied by a church service, lectures, and organ concerts
The traveling exhibition "Reconciliation for Europe" will be on display at St. Ludwig's Church in Darmstadt from October 25 to November 8. The exhibition focuses on the 1965 letter from Polish Catholic bishops to their German counterparts, which states: "We forgive and ask for forgiveness.".
Twenty years after the end of the Second World War, the letter became a milestone in German-Polish reconciliation. Six display panels illuminate its historical background and its significance for European understanding. The exhibition was conceived by the Zajezdnia History Centre in Wrocław.
It will open on Sunday, October 25th, at 11 a.m. with a German-Polish church service. Afterwards, Olga Kolany from the History Centre will introduce the exhibition.
Accompanying program for the exhibition
On Monday, October 26, at 7 p.m., Prof. Dr. Krzysztof Ruchniewicz will speak at the German Polish Institute, Residenzschloss 1, about “Reconciliation with long-term effects. The correspondence between the Polish and German bishops and its relevance today”.
Two organ concerts at St. Ludwig's Church will address this theme: On Wednesday, November 4, at 12:05 p.m., regional cantor Jorin Sandau will perform works by composers including Feliks Nowowiejski, Arnold Mendelssohn, and Frédéric Chopin under the title "We Forgive and Ask for Forgiveness." On Saturday, November 7, at 6:00 p.m., Krzysztof Ostrowski will present a "Reconciliation Symphony" featuring Polish and German organ works as well as improvisations.
The exhibition is organized by the Academy of the Diocese of Mainz, Darmstadt branch, the Catholic Pastoral Area Darmstadt-Mitte and the Polish Community of Darmstadt.
Opening hours: October 25 to November 8, 2026, daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the exhibition is free.
www.bistummainz.de/bildung/akademie
(MAINZ – RED/PM/Dr. Annette Wiesenheu)
Featured image: Centrum Historii Zajezdnia
