Where does the phenomenon of Pan Tadeusz lie? Why did the poem stir such strong emotions after its publication on 28 June 1834? Some claimed that the Master had ceased prophesying, whilst others saw a manifestation of pure genius in the work. One hundred and ninety-two years after the publication of the national epic, the Pan Tadeusz Museum presents an exhibition that takes a fresh look at these issues and their contexts.

For a month, the first floor of the permanent exhibition will be transformed into a spectacular display, focusing primarily on the original  manuscript of Pan Tadeusz from the Ossolineum, but also presenting unique items that are very rarely made available to the public. The exhibition ‘Before Pan Tadeusz Became an Epic’ is a unique opportunity to learn about the process that led to the creation of this canonical work of Polish literature. Thanks to the collaboration with Polish and foreign institutions, objects previously unseen at any exhibition will be on display in Wrocław. For the first time, the public will see, for example, a page on which Mickiewicz wrote the final version of the Invocation that was found a few years ago in the Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine in Lviv.

The exhibition route traces the successive stages of the creation of Pan Tadeusz. The narrative is enriched by items on loan from the Adam Mickiewicz Museum of Literature in Warsaw – the personal mementos of Adam Mickiewicz that accompanied the poet’s work.

Visitors are guided through the exhibition by a unique guide – the bard’s friend, Józef Bohdan Zaleski. Quotes from his memoirs concerning the writing of Pan Tadeusz introduce the visitor to the poet’s Parisian world and reveal exceptional events from the years 1832–1834.

A particularly moving element of the exhibition is the display of Adam Mickiewicz’s letters to Edward Odyniec, on loan from the collections of the Royal Castle in Warsaw, containing the famous statement: ‘So I finished it yesterday. Twelve immense songs!’.

In addition, individual pages of the Pan Tadeusz manuscript not belonging to the manuscript from the Ossolineum have been displayed, on loan from institutions such as the Polish Library in Paris, the Centre for Documentation and Study of the Pontificate of John Paul II in Rome, and the National Museum in Kraków.

The exhibition will also feature inspirations from Greater Poland, the sources from which Adam Mickiewicz drew whilst writing his ‘rural poem’, as well as profiles of friends who accompanied the bard during his creative work. It will be complemented by contemporary art inspired by its  theme.

A variety of workshops for adults and children, curator-led tours, and discussion panels will accompany the exhibition as well. A dedicated catalogue has also been prepared, containing curatorial texts and publications by authors from the collaborating institutions.