DOMINIKA RAFALSKA: The big test. The "Po Prostu" weekly in the nineties

The article describes an attempt to revive "Po Prostu" magazine—one of the most significant papers of the 1950s. "Po Prostu" was one of the first to start protesting against the communist system and played a significant and unique role in the days of the Polish peaceful revolution. "Po Prostu" supported the changes promised by the Polish authority in October 1956. But, in fact, the Polish October did not change many things people believed it would change. "Po Prostu" could not accept this. It kept fighting, postulating, criticising, demanding for those changes originally promised. Very soon W?adys?aw Gomu?ka decided that such an attitude was an act of 'counter revolution'. A few months later (probably over the summer 1957) he decided to terminate "Po Prostu". After the fall of communism, an attempt to revive "Po Prostu" magazine had been taken. At the beginning it looked like a good and a promising idea. Some former "Po Prostu" publicists and some new ones managed to create an interesting and opinionated socio-cultural magazine. Similarly like in the 1950s., the new "Po Prostu" was very fond of the most important subjects of public life in Poland. Yet again, it kept debating bravely. It managed to start cooperating with the best publicists of those times. Instead however after about a year and a half it, yet again, ceased publication. This time it was not terminated or eliminated by authorities. What were the reasons though? The reasons were complex. The author tries to analyze them objectively.