In the second episode of the mini series "Fights for Freedom", EUROPAST podcast turns to Poland and the Baltic states in the 1980s to explore how grassroots movements challenged Soviet rule during the final decade of the USSR. Florian Peters, historian of Central and Eastern Europe at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, joins our host, Janine Funke, to discuss the Polish uprising of 1980 and examines how workers, intellectuals, and ordinary citizens mobilised to demand social and political change.

The episode also features Epp Annus, a postcolonial scholar and Associate Professor at Tallinn University, who delves into the “Singing Revolution” in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Through peaceful mass demonstrations, collective singing, and the revival of cultural expression, Baltic activists demonstrated how identity and memory could become powerful instruments of resistance.

Together, the guests reflect on how these movements reshaped the political landscape of Eastern Europe and why the legacy of nonviolent, community-driven resistance continues to matter today.

Host: Janine Funke
Guests: Florian Peters, Epp Annus
Production: Tim Schleinitz