On 24 October 1956, Władysław Gomułka, the new leader of the Polish communist party, took to the Tribune of Honour to address the Polish nation.

The newly built Parade Square with the domineering Palace of Culture was the perfect backdrop for his speech which marked the beginning of a new era of Polish socialism following the cold years of Stalinism.

The Tribune of Honour is the only piece of architecture in this series of Unseen which still remains, although the system under which it was created no longer exists in Poland.

Further listening about the Palace of Culture:

• Stories From The Eastern West: PALACE
• Stories From The Eastern West: PALACE II

With thanks to:

• Czesław Bielecki, an architect, opposition activist in the 1980s, and self-styled ‘political animal’, for telling us about his family history and giving his opinion on the urban layout of Parade Square.
• The Polish National Digital Archive, for providing the original recording of Władysław Gomułka’s speech on Parade Square on 24 October 1956 (Ref: 33-T-252)
• Piotr Hummel, a historian and local guide, co-founder of WAWstep city guides.
• Alicja Baczyńska, your audio guide, for help with acoustic mapping throughout the Unseen project.