European Support for the Struggle Against Apartheid - A Groundbreaking New Exhibition at Freedom Park in Pretoria
01.12.2025
On 1 December 2025 the European Union Delegation to South Africa, in conjunction with EU Member State embassies, opened the exhibition "Threads of Solidarity: European Support for the Fight Against Apartheid" at Freedom Park. The exhibition showcases the many ways in which European institutions, civil society organizations, and individuals supported South Africa's fight against apartheid.
The exhibition was officially opened by Sandra Kramer, Ambassador of the European Union to South Africa, and Zane Dangor, Director General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, in the presence of representatives of the diplomatic community, South African institutions, and civil society.
The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Pretoria was represented by Jacek Chodorowicz, Head of the Mission, and Joanna Kruze, Head of Communications and Public Diplomacy.
The exhibition offers a glimpse into the remarkable history spanning over 70 years of cooperation between European countries and South Africa. It reveals how Europe's evolving identity as a Union rooted in peace and human rights was intertwined with the fight against racial oppression in South Africa.
The Polish contribution to the exhibition includes a photograph depicting South African activists Ahmed Kathrada, Lionel Forman, and Nick Mortensen participating in the International Students' Union Conference in Warsaw in the 1950s.
The exhibition will be on display at Freedom Park until March 2026 and will then travel throughout South Africa.
Photos: European Union Delegation in Pretoria
