Art and Politics During the Cold War by Wenderski, Michał;

Short description:

Drawing on thousands of historical documents from Polish and Dutch archives, this book explores the Cold War cultural exchange between so-called ‘smaller powers’ of this global conflict, which thus far has been predominately explored from the perspective of the two superpowers or more pivotal countries.

Long description:

Drawing on thousands of historical documents from Polish and Dutch archives, this book explores Cold War cultural exchange between so-called ‘smaller powers’ of this global conflict, which thus far has been predominately explored from the perspective of the two superpowers or more pivotal countries.

By looking at how cultural, artistic and scholarly relations were developed between Poland and the Netherlands, Michał Wenderski sheds new light on the history of the Cultural Cold War that was not always orchestrated solely by its main players. Less pivotal states – for example, Poland and the Netherlands – likewise intentionally created their international cultural policies and shaped their cultural exchange with countries from the other side of the Iron Curtain. This study reconstructs these policies and identifies the varying factors that influenced them – both official and less formal.

The book will be of interest to scholars working in art history, history of the Cold War, post-war European history, international cultural relations, Dutch studies and Polish studies.

Table of Contents:

List of Figures 

Acknowledgements 

Acronyms and Abbreviations

List of Archives and Archival Collections

Introduction 

Chapter 1: Uneasy Beginnings (1947-1956) 

“Nederland–Polen” as a Front Organisation of the Communist Authorities in Poland 

First attempts at exhibition exchange between Poland and the Netherlands 

Exhibiting Polish Folk Art in the Netherlands 

Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place 

Commemorating Mickiewicz in the Netherlands and Rembrandt in Poland 

Informal diplomacy through personal mobility 

Other Forms of International Cultural Exchange and Policy 

Chapter 2: Towards the Cultural Agreement (1956-1967) 

A gradual shift in the Dutch international cultural policy towards Poland 

Is it sheer incompetence, or is he maybe a Communist agent? 

Polish artistic invasion in the Netherlands 

Between Rembrandt and Van Gogh – exhibiting Dutch art in Poland 

Other forms of cultural exchange between Poland and the Netherlands 

Towards the Cultural Agreement 

Chapter 3: Détente, but first the Year of Revolt (1968-1979) 

1968 in Poland 

The Impact of the 1968 Events on Cultural Relations 

Polish Counter Measures 

The Delayed Implementation of the Cultural Agreement 

Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe and its impact on Polish-Dutch cultural relations  

Chapter 4: The Last Decade (1979-1989) 

Bilateral relations before 13 December 1981 

The World and The Hague react to the Polish Crisis 

Towards Normalisation 

Conclusions 

References 

Annex: Cultural Agreement between the Government of the Polish People's Republic and the Government of the Kingdom of The Netherlands 

Index