Fall 2014 - Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, DC

Embassy of the Republic of Poland Newsletter, Fall Review, 2014
From the Ambassador
Dear Readers,
Autumn is upon us as the trees around our Embassy begin
to lose their leaves and crisp weather descends upon
Washington, D.C. This time of year the capital gets
particularly busy, however it is always good to take a step
back and look at all that has occurred in the past few
months.
As you have certainly heard by now, the former Prime
Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk has been elected to the
Presidency of the European Council. The nomination of
Donald Tusk reflects Poland’s standing in Europe. EU
leaders unanimously backed Tusk’s candidacy because they
want new, charismatic leadership in the European Council.
Due to this change in EU leadership, Poland also
experienced a government reshuffling. Our new Prime
Minister is now Ewa Kopacz, and our new Foreign Minister
is Grzegorz Schetyna. Our former Foreign Minister, Radek
Sikorski is now the Speaker of the Sejm.
I just recently returned from Warsaw where I attended the
opening of the core exhibit of the Polin Museum of the
History of Polish Jews. This museums, which recounts the
1000 years of Polish-Jewish relations, will greatly enhance
awareness and understanding of this rich history. For, as
President Komorowski stated in his remarks during the
opening of Polin, there is no history of Jews without
Poland, and there is no history of Poland without Jews.
And lastly I wish to congratulate all of our Polish athletes
on their recent accomplishments, especially our Men’s
Volleyball team who were crowned World Champions!
Pictured above are the newly opened European
Solidarity Center in Gdansk (top), as well as Polin,
the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in
Warsaw. These are but the latest examples of what
Poland has done with its 25 years of freedom.
#PolskaFree25
Follow Us!
Kind regards,
Ryszard Schnepf
Tusk elected President of European Council
“Poland’s legacy and experience can become a very
important source of energy, which the EU needs and is
going to need in the future more than ever before,” Prime
Minister Donald Tusk said after his choice as new
President of the European Council. He will take up his
position on 1 December.
“I come to Brussels from a country that deeply believes in
the sense of a united Europe. Eighty percent of my country
people have a deep faith that there is point to the European
Union, and they look for no alternative,” he underscored.
“Each day we must keep answering the question: given the
confrontation in Ukraine, and the situation in Syria and
Libya, who are we? How can we respond together to this
challenge?” said the Prime Minister.
The new chief of the European Council is prime minister
of a country that has weathered the global economic crisis
the best of any EU member state. Poland was the only
Community country not to slip into recession in 2008-11.
She is generally held up as a model of economic success.
“We will help Ukraine, we will help our neighbors in the
south only if we are able to form a common and
unequivocal point of view. We must be at once courageous
and responsible. Imagination and common sense have to
go hand-in-hand, especially given the challenges that are
so dramatic in the EU neighborhood,” emphasized Prime
Minister Tusk.
Announced
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) of
which Poland has been a member since 1999 held a
summit on September 4-5 in Wales, United Kingdom.
During working sessions, meetings and discussions,
world leaders addressed issues which threaten NATO
countries’ national security.
The five priorities for the summit were:
 Crisis in Ukraine and our relationship with
Russia
 Afghanistan’s future
 Tackling new threats
 Strengthening support for our Armed Forces
 Strengthening partnerships
“My experience as the prime minister of the Polish
government shows that reconciling two challenges – fiscal
discipline and growth – is possible. Since I became
Poland’s prime minister seven years ago, we’ve recorded a
total growth of close on 20 percent, while keeping the
financial discipline,” pointed out Prime Minister Tusk. He
added that the Union will be looking for an effective way
to make sure these two objectives support one another.
“What I’m offering is good will, a bit of imagination,
interesting Eastern European experience, and above all the
faith that there is and will be point to Europe,” he stressed.
“What we saw today is a huge success of the Polish
charge,” said Poland’s President Bronisław Komorowski,
commenting on the choice of Donald Tusk as European
Council chief. “This not only means great recognition for
Poland’s position, but also enhances Polish opportunities,”
stressed the Polish leader. “The post of the Council
President we’ve won on the international arena is not only
prestigious but also very important, which not only means
great recognition for Poland’s achievements and position
in the European world, the Western world, but also
enhances Polish opportunities,” noted Bronisław
Komorowski.
At the close of the summit, President Bronislaw
Komorowoski announced that the next NATO
conference in 2016 would be held in Warsaw.
MFA Press Office
2
s
President Komorowski visits
the United States
President Bronisław Komorowski’s visit to the United
States of America in late September centered around the
69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
held in New York City. The President used his address
before the General Assembly to urge for reform of the
United Nations Security Council which, the President
noted, proved ineffective in the face of conflicts in
Ukraine and other regions. "Today the situation is
particularly worrying, as we can observe symptoms of
events that once led to the fall of the League of Nations.
Today we are facing a revival of imperial attitudes, a
return to thinking in terms of geopolitical spheres of
influence which once already led the international
community astray into hatred, confrontation and conflict,"
the President warned. President Komorowski also took
part in a dinner hosted by President Barack Obama where
the two had an opportunity to speak about the situation in
Ukraine.
“We want to share Poland’s success with others” declared
President Komorowski during his remarks at Columbia
University on the topic of Poland’s 25 Years of Freedom.
The President’s visit to Columbia University was within
the framework of the World Leaders Forum, a series of
lectures and meetings between world leaders and members
of the academic student community. During the course of
his visit to Columbia University, the President,
accompanied by First Lady Anna Komorowska, met with
top University officials, students, members of the Polish
Student Society and with the Polish Studies Department
headed by Dr. Malgorzata Mazurek. Additionally, while in
New York, President Komorowski presented state awards
and decorations at the Polish Consulate General in New
York to American citizens and Poles residing in the
United States of America. Most notably, President
Komorowski presented Polish-born photographer Ryszard
Horowitz with the Commander's Cross of the Order of
Polonia Restituta.
During his visit the United States President Komorowski
also traveled to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. There he met
with American special forces commanders, Polish and
American soldiers taking part in joint exercise, and took
part in a special briefing organized by the United States
Army Special Operations Command, Joint Special
Operations Command and the Polish Special Forces
Inspector.
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3
Introducing Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz
Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz represents the government,
makes decisions concerning its composition and manages
its works. She coordinates and supervises the work of the
ministers. She ensures the implementation of the policy of
the Council of Ministers.
She was born in 1956 in Skaryszew in the Radom region.
She is a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine of the
Medical Academy in Lublin. She has the second degree
of specialisation in pediatrics and specialization in family
medicine. Until 2001 she was in charge of the Health
Care Centre in Szydłowiec. In the years 1998-2001, she
held the position of a Mazovian Regional Assembly
councillor.
Since 2001 Ms Kopacz has been a member of Civic
Platform. On behalf of this party she was an MP of Sejm's
4th term, representing the Radom constituency. She was
subsequently elected MP for Sejm's 5th term, in which
she held the position of the Health Committee's chair.
Since 10 October 2010 she has been Civic Platform's
deputy chair. In the 2007 parliamentary election, she
obtained the MP's mandate for the third time, and on 16
November 2007 was appointed Minister of Health.
In the 2011 election, she became an MP of Sejm's 7th
term. On 8 November 2011, she was elected Sejm's
Speaker.
Her daughter Katarzyna is a doctor, a graduate of the
Medical Academy in Gdańsk.
Fragments from Prime Minister Kopacz’s expose:
“Usually a change in government occurs after lost
elections or due to a serious political crisis. Today that is
not the case. Today our government changes due to a
great success of our nation, the election of Donald Tusk
to the Presidency of the European Council. 25 years ago
we dreamed that Poland would find itself in a united
Europe. Today, Donald Tusk has become its President.”
Have you seen the latest spot for the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs? Click on the image below!
Poland: Where the unbelievable happens.
4
Grzegorz Schetyna: Poland’s New Foreign Minister
President of the Republic of Poland Bronisław
Komorowski has appointed Grzegorz Schetyna minister
of foreign affairs as of 22 September. During a ceremony
at the Presidential Palace, the President of the Republic
of Poland appointed a new Prime Minister and members
of the Council of Ministers.
After the ceremony the office and seals of the Minister
of Foreign Affairs were officially handed over to the new
Minister Grzegorz Schetyna at the MFA headquarters.
“Poland’s international standing has been steadily
improving, and our achievements of the past years
include the European budget, the recent decisions by
NATO, the choice of Donald Tusk as chief of the
European Council, the Eastern Partnership, and the
signing of association agreements with Georgia,
Moldova, and Ukraine. I want to thank everyone with
whom we have confronted these challenges and worked
to attain these successes,” emphasized Minister
Radosław Sikorski.
When handing over the office to Minister Grzegorz
Schetyna, the outgoing minister said: “Minister, I’m
leaving you a ministry which is the most modern public
office in Poland and one of the most modern ones in
Europe. You are going to be in the hands of patriotic,
efficient and ambitious professionals, who act according
to the motto we’ve chosen in a competition: to serve
Poland, to build Europe, to understand the world.”
Grzegorz Schetyna (1963 – ) became Chairman of the
Foreign Affairs Committee at the Polish Sejm in 2011.
In 2010-11 he served as Sejm Marshal, and before that
as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior
and Administration. The initiator of, among others, the
National Program of Local Roads Reconstruction, he
was also responsible for the last stage of Poland’s
accession to the Schengen Area. Schetyna’s supervision
of the introduction of a modern system of biometric
passports in Poland enabled visa-free travel between
Poland and Canada.
“Minister, you have built a great project – a modern
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of an ambitious country that
is capable of fighting and winning. Minister, Dear
Radek, you have done a good job. I hope that when you
enter a somewhat different, but equally interesting world
on Wednesday, you will be able to work equally hard
and well for Poland and that you will find this new work
rewarding. I also hope that one day, when we are no
longer here, the name Radosław Sikorski will be
mentioned along with the names of other great Polish
foreign ministers,” said Minister Grzegorz Schetyna,
who also presented Minister Radosław Sikorski with a
diplomatic sword on behalf of the Foreign Service.
In 2009-10, Grzegorz Schetyna was Chairman of the
Parliamentary Club of the Civic Platform. He was one
of the Civic Platform’s co-founders in 2001.
Deputy to the Polish Sejm during its 3rd, 4th, 5th and
6th terms of office. Sejm Marshal from July 2010 to
November 2011. Until 6 August 2010, i.e. the swearingin of Bronisław Komorowski, he served as Poland’s
acting President.
Foreign Service Director Mirosław Gajewski thanked
Minister Radosław Sikorski on behalf of all MFA
employees for the seven years of working together and
assured him that they are ready to fully cooperate with
the new minister in implementing his intended goals.
Between 1986 and 1989 he led the Independent
Students’ Union at the University of Wroclaw, and in
1988 he was also elected leader of the Inter-University
Strike Committee of the Independent Students’ Union.
Moreover, he co-founded the underground publishing
house Universitas.
MFA Press Office
5
Polin: A Museum of Life
Warsaw’s Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews,
which opened its doors on 28 October 2014, shows Poland
as a meeting point of different cultures, languages and
religions. The museum is seated in what is today the
Warsaw district of Muranów, right in the middle of what
was once the Jewish North District and then the Warsaw
Ghetto.
Polin, the Hebrew word to describe Poland brings back
connotations of a legend which became the central theme
of “The Forest” gallery opened to the public as the first
part of the main exhibition. Computer animations of plants
and animals are shown on several glass screens. Thus, they
bring visitors to a Medieval forest which served Jews as a
shelter once they had been expelled from Spain, Portugal
and German countries in 1492. As one version of the
legend has it, Jews understood the name of the country as
“Polin” meaning “rest here.”
The museum’s underground section hosts the core
exhibition about the history of Polish Jews from the
Middle Ages until today. It is not a traditional set of
exhibits displayed in glass cases. The historical part of the
exhibition begins with a 12th century coin with Hebrew
inscriptions. It shows that Jewish merchants were already
present in Poland in the early Middle Ages. The replica of
a 17th century wooden synagogue ceiling is a spectacular
exhibit. It is covered with colorful paintings that represent
Jewish zodiac signs, scenes from the Torah as well as
floral and animal motifs. The synagogue was located in
the town of Hvizdets (today’s Ukraine). It burned down
during World War I, but the ceiling has been reconstructed
based on 19th century drawings and photographs. The
museum abounds in such interesting exhibits. The
remaining floors accommodate temporary exhibition
rooms, a multi-purpose auditorium with 480 seats, an
education and information centre, children’s area, a café
and a museum kiosk.
The Museum of the History of Polish Jews is Poland’s
first public-private institution. The museum’s opening in
April 2013, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, saw crowds of visitors flocking
to the building. The museum’s initiators say the project
testifies to a breakthrough that is taking place in PolishJewish relations. They underscore that the institution
serves not only as a source of information about Polish
Jews, but also as a meeting place for cultures. The
museum regularly hosts lectures, shows and meetings
about the history of Polish Jews. It also focuses on
promoting tolerance, openness and variety – it is by
referring to these values that the Museum’s creators want
to show Poland’s cultural diversity over the past centuries.
Together with the gallery, the museum launched the
“Stories of Polin” internet platform which will bring
together accounts of people from all over the world
talking about their links to Hebrew culture. For more,
please visit storiesofpolin.com
Source: www.Polska.pl Photo: Mariusz Cieszewski/www.Polska.pl
Photo: M. Starowieyska_D.Golik_W.Krysnki/Muzeum Historii Zydow
Polskich Polin
6
Warsaw Uprising Commemorated
On Wednesday, September 3, 2014 The Polish Embassy
together with the American University Polish Student
Organization hosted a commemoration of the Waraw
Uprising. The audience, which included students, PolishAmericans, and members of the press among others,
learned about the history of the Warsaw Uprising
through a screening of "Warsaw Will Not Forget." The
film was followed with a lecture delivered by Dr.
Jadwiga Biskupska, fellow as the United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum, who spoke about the
historical context of the Rising. Afterwards Uprising
veteran Ms. Barbara Syska shared her memories of the
wartime years and her experiences during the Uprising.
She recalled, "The Uprising broke out on a Tuesday.
That Sunday we celebrated Mass and afterwards my
commander approached me and asked, 'how does it feel
to be in free Poland.’” The official program was
concluded by a lively Q&A discussion. The event was
held in the School of International Service Founder's
Room at American University.
On August 1, Ambassador Ryszard Schnepf
commemorated the 70th Anniversary of the Warsaw
Uprising at the Consulate General of the Republic of
Poland in Chicago. The Ambassador was the guest of
honor at a ceremony which also featured Wiesław
Chodorowski, President of the AK Foundation; Brigadier
General Daniel M. Krumrei, Illinois National Guard; as
well as Bishop Andrew Wypych.
They are among us…
At times known, often anonymous, heroes of the past.
They live among us. In their modesty they do not
always share their recollections. But it is they, Veterans
of the Warsaw Uprising, who took up arms against the
Nazi occupiers in a beautiful act of patriotism and
bravery. Today, on the 70th Anniversary of the Warsaw
Uprising, let us recall our relatives and neighbors, our
friends and those unknown to us, who on August 1st,
1944 rose to battle for us, for our future and our
freedom.
On this occasion I wish to pay tribute to the Veterans of
the Warsaw Uprising, thank them for all their sacrifice,
their bravery and lastly thank them that they are still
among us, serving as an unequaled model of virtue.
Ryszard Schnepf
Ambassador
The Department of Oral History at the United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum is conducting video and audio
interviews of non-Jewish survivors of Nazi persecution – as
well as witnesses to it – who currently live in the United
States and Canada, but who once lived in Nazi Germany or
the countries she occupied. The museum is looking for
eyewitnesses to deportations, to the confiscation, looting
and/or sale of Jewish property as well as those who can speak
about similar treatment of other people targeted by the Nazis.
If you have a story to tell, or know somebody who does,
please contact Ina Navazelskis, Program Coordinator, at
[email protected].
7
Defense News
Charity Team “Semper Fi”
Armed Forces Day
Ambassador Ryszard Schnepf and Defense Attaché
Brigadier General Jarosław Stróżyk were the hosts of the
September 9 celebration of Polish Armed Forces Day,
which featured the decoration of three American
Generals with the Polish Armed Forces Medal. The
medal, awarded by the Polish Minister of National
Defense for the recipients’ support of Polish-American
military cooperation, was presented to Major General
William D. Cobetto, Major General Dennis Celletti (Ret.)
and Major General Daniel M. Krumrei. Speaking on
behalf of the awarded officers, General Krumrei (38th
Adjutant General of the State of Illinois) expressed his
gratitude for the recognition saying, “Poland and the
Polish people can always and in all circumstances count
on soldiers from Illinois.”
The Polish Charity Team “Semper Fi” headed by Ret.
Major General Roman Polko (former Commander of
Polish special forces unit GROM) visited Washington,
D.C. to participate in the 39th Marine Corps Marathon.
Team “Semper Fi” ran to raise awareness and support for
children of fallen Polish servicemen who paid the highest
price while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. On October
24, our Embassy held a press conference for the team.
On hand to support Team "Semper Fi" were Rick Nealis,
director of the Marine Corps Marathon, as well as
Washington Wizards starting center Marcin Gortat, a
strong supporter of Polish veterans. Polish Defense
Attaché Brigadier General Jarosław Stróżyk was the host
of the event.
Team “Semper Fi” is part of the Grow With Us
Foundation. The funds they gather during their mission
will be used to support the educational needs of children
of Polish soldiers killed in action in Iraq and
Afghanistan. You can learn more about the team and
their cause by visiting http://www.en.misjasemperfi.org/
8
In Remembrance
Jan Karski
Henryk Slawik
Henryk Sławik – a Hero of Three Nations – rescued
thousands of Polish refugees, both Jews and gentiles,
from Nazi oppression during World War II. This year we
commemorate the 120th Anniversary of his birth. To
mark this occasion, Ambassador Ryszard Schnepf visited
the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on
October 24, where together with museum director Sara
Bloomfield, they honored Sławik's memory. Henryk
Sławik, who headed the Citizen Committee for Polish
Refugees in Hungary, helped 30,000 Poles, including
5,000 Jews survive the war by issuing false
documentation and providing other aid. He helped
establish and maintain an orphanage for Jewish children
in Vac, Hungary, which was operated under the facade of
a Catholic institution while continuing to educate the
children in their Jewish faith. Arrested and tortured after
the Nazi invasion of Hungary in 1944, Sławik was
murdered in Mauthausen concentration camp on August
23, 1944. Sławik was posthumously honored as
Righteous Among the Nations in 1990 by the Yad
Vashem institute, and he received Poland’s highest state
honor – The Order of the White Eagle – in 2010. “Let us
remember the “Polish Wallenberg” for his courage and
his selfless sacrifice which offered so many others
another chance at life."
"The second original sin had been committed by
humanity. This sin will haunt humanity till the end of
time. It does haunt me. And I want it to be so." The
words of Jan Karski echoed throughout the elegant
Members Room of the Library of Congress where a
conference was held celebrating the memory and legacy
of Jan Karski, whose centennial we celebrate this year.
Numerous speakers shared their memories of Karski,
spoke about the Holocaust and the need to remember
Karski's mission to stop it. The conference, organized by
the Jan Karski Institute for Tolerance and Dialogue and
the Embassy of the Republic of Poland was held on
Thursday, October 23. ABC News’ Chief White House
Correspondent Jonathan Karl served as MC, while those
who spoke at the conference included Ambassador
Ryszard Schnepf; the founder of the Jan Karski Institute,
Kaja Mirecki Ploss; the director of the United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum, Sara Bloomfield;
Professor Andrzej Zbikowski, author Thomas Wood, Dr.
Michael Berenbaum and Joshua Muravchik. "Although
the year of Jan Karski is coming to a close, it does not
mean that we are allowed to forget about what he did"
asserted Ambassador Schnepf.
9
Visa Waiver Program
#FreedomApples
Poland is the world’s largest exporter of apples actually, it was. The Russian Federation, Poland’s largest
non-EU market announced a ban in late July on most
fruit and vegetable imports from Poland. In response
Poles took to social media to show their support for
Polish fresh produce with the #eatapple campaign. We
here at the Embassy also joined in this broader campaign
to promote Polish produce, but more importantly we
immediately took concrete steps to support our exporters
by initiating a conversation and process which will
hopefully eventually allow Polish fresh fruits and
vegetables to be imported to the United States. At present
the US market is closed to Polish produce because the
United States and Poland do not share a free trade
agreement (TTiP – a trade agreement between the
European Union and the US is currently being
negotiated). Thus in addition to providing technical
support - which included the Ambassador meetings with
Michael T. Scuse, the Under Secretary for Farm and
Foreign Agricultural Services as well as with Kevin Shea,
Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service - our Embassy has also undertaken the task of
creating in the United States an atmosphere of political
and public support for the import of products from
Poland. The embassy’s campaign entitled “#Freedom
Apples” has garnered great interest due to our social
media campaign as well as the involvement of
recognizable individuals such as the Washington Wizards
starting center Marcin Gortat. Click on the images below
to watch our videos.
The Heritage Foundation hosted an event entitled, “Visa
Waiver Program and the Safety of America" which
focused around the costs and threats surrounding the
Visa Waiver Program (VWP). During the discussion which featured among others the former Secretary of
Homeland Security M. Chertoff as well as other experts
specializing in security, immigration and tourism - the
panelists unanimously supported the VWP which enables
citizens from 38 states to visit the United States without
necessarily possessing a visa. Invoking economic data
(individuals visiting the United States for tourist and
business purposes spend 180 billion dollars annually) as
well as security considerations (fruitful cooperation
between border services of the partner states belonging to
VWP, effective functioning of the ESTA system) it was
emphasized that the current VWP ought to be maintained
and further expanded to include other countries, most
notably Poland. Ambassador Ryszard Schnepf offered
closing remarks in which he declared that his dream, as
Ambassador of Poland to the United States, was to get
Poland into the VWP. The Ambassador reaffirmed,
“despite not being in the VWP, Poland has fulfilled all
the legal requirements demanded by the program.”
Click below to watch the entire event:
“Visa Waiver Program and the Safety of America"
10
On the Road
Central Connecticut State University
Gainesville, Florida
On October 20 Ambassador Ryszard Schnepf was the
guest of honor at the 40th Anniversary Gala celebrating
this great milestone of the Polish Studies Program at
Central Connecticut State University. In his remarks
Ambassador Schnepf described both the establishment
of a Polish Studies Program at CCSU as well as the
accomplishments of the Polish-American community in
Connecticut. Speaking to current and future students of
the Polish Studies Program, he emphasized, “With its
mix of centuries of history with a thriving student
culture, a semester or two spent in Poland will stay with
you for a lifetime.”
Over the course of the past few months Ambassador
Schnepf has made several trips to attend important
events around the United States. In early September
Ambassador Schnepf traveled to Gainesville, Florida
where together with city officials from Rzeszow and the
Podkarpackie Voivodeship, they inaugurated “Polish
Business and Culture Week” observances throughout
the greater Gainesville area. This weeklong series of
events was organized to further develop economic,
cultural and educational ties between Gainesville and
Rzeszow. Numerous events were held including a
business summit organized by the local chamber of
commerce, meetings with university officials from FSU
and Santa Fe College, as well as with officials from the
local airport and an incubator of biotechnology. On the
basis of an understanding signed on February 2013,
Rzeszow and Gainesville are international sister cities.
During the course of the gala, Ambassador Schnepf
presented Professor Mieczyslaw Biskupski, the
Stanislaus A. Blejwas Endowed Chair in Polish and
Polish American Studies, with the Amicus Poloniae
award, given “to the entire program in recognition of its
unrivaled success in promoting Poland for the past forty
years.” The gala was also an opportunity to thank those
who especially dedicated themselves to developing and
maintain the program: Michal Peszke, Nicholas
Pettinico, Regina Rudewicz and Alex Rudewicz were
presented with “Bene Merito” awards from the Minister
of Foreign Affairs.
The Polish Studies Program at CCSU was established
thanks to the generosity of American Polonia in 1974.
The program’s first director was Dr. Stanislaw Blejwas,
in whose name the Polish and Polish-American studies
chair was established in 1996. In addition to organizing
lectures, cultural events, exhibitions, concerts and
literary evenings, the CCSU library holds the Polish
Heritage Collection which numbers over 31,000
catalogued books and periodicals, supplementing course
offerings.
Save the Date
The American Polish Advisory Council wish to announce
their upcoming conference at Yale University on December 7,
2014. For more information please visit apacouncil.info
11
New York Avenue Sculpture Project:
Magdalena Abakanowicz
Grazyna Auguscik
Grazyna Auguscik wowed guests on October 16 at the
Bethesda Blues & Jazz Club where she performed the
songs of Nick Drake, whose music continues to enthrall
audiences. Although Drake passed away in 1974,
Auguscik, accompanied by her band "The Grazyna
Auguscik Group" brought his music to life before a
captivated audience.
The New York Avenue Sculpture Project is the only
public art space featuring changing installations of
contemporary works by women artists in Washington,
D.C. The grand opening featured remarks by Deputy
Chief of Mission Maciej Pisarski, as well as a lecture by
curator and scholar Mary Jane Jacob, a renowned
authority on Magdalena Abakanowicz. The installation is
located in front of the Women in the Arts Museum, only
feet from the White House. We invite everyone to
explore the installation which features four works by
Magdalena Abakanowicz on view in the median of New
York Avenue, NW, between 12th and 13th Streets
through September 27, 2015.
"The Sculpture Project will include a range of figurative
works by Polish artist Abakanowicz. Her monumentallyscaled sculptures of grouped human figures and birds in
flight exemplify issues universal to humankind: the
power of nature, the force of destruction and the
resiliency of hope. Abakanowicz’s art is often inspired
by her experiences and observations during World War
II and its repressive postwar climate."
Abakanowicz? Abakanowicz!
Born 1930 in Falenty near Warsaw, lives and works in
Warsaw. One of Poland's most internationally
acclaimed artists, known for works that transcend the
conventional sphere of sculpture production.
Click on the image below to read more about the life
and work of Magdalena Abakanowicz prepared by
culture.pl
Imagination is stronger than reality, it even replaces it.
12
Polish Films Compete for Oscars
Agnieszka Holland
Several Polish films are strong contenders for Academy
Awards in different categories this year. The oft
mentioned frontrunner for an Oscar in Best Foreign
Language Film is Ida, directed by Pawel Pawlikowski.
Ida had a successful run in the United States, grossing
over $3.5 million. This contemplative movie masterfully
shot in black and white film has received positive reviews
across the board. Polish films have been nominated eight
times for an Oscar in this category, but none have ever
won. We truly believe that this year will be different.
"Today, we have a truly extraordinary guest, three time
Oscar nominee, chairwoman of the European Academy of
Film, the renowned Polish artist - Agnieszka Holland.”
With these words Ambassador Ryszard Schnepf
welcomed Agnieszka Holland to his residence where a
special evening was held in her honor, featuring an
informative conversation with the Polish director about
her life, inspiration, and work, including her most recent
filming on the set of House of Cards. She will be
directing two episodes in the upcoming third season of the
hit political show. Agnieszka Holland has attained
international recognition due to her successful
undertakings including The Secret Garden, Washington
Square as well as her Oscar nominated Angry Harvest
(1985) Europa Europa (1991) and In Darkness (2011).
On the small screen, in addition to her current work on
House of Cards, she has worked on The Wire as well as a
TV miniseries remake of Rosemary’s Baby. “Why did I
become a filmmaker?” explains Agnieszka Holland,
“during communism, one could not become a
businessman, for there was no such opportunity. One
could not become a politician, unless you were a
conformist. One could, however, make films. And that it
why so many talented, ambitious people entered this
profession.”
In the field of Best Documentary Short Subject, two
films from Poland have made it to the eight film short
list. Our Curse focuses on a young couple whose child is
born with an incurable disease. Joanna portrays a
mother dying from an untreatable illness. Both these
short documentaries were screened in Washington DC
earlier this year as part of AFI Docs.
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Sports
World Champions!
The last few months have been a continuation of what
has been by and large a fantastic year for Polish athletes.
Over the summer Poles showed their cycling prowess,
with Rafal Majka winning two stages of the Tour de
France and being crowned “King of the Mountains.”
This is the first time a Pole has won two stages of the
TdF, and the first time a Pole has been awarded a jersey
during the TdF. Majka then went on to win the Tour de
Pologne. Michal Kwiatkowski continued this good
streak for Poland by winning gold in the 2014 UCI
Road World Championships and being named World
Champion! Kwiatkowski thus become the first Polish
cycling world champion, and will wear the champions
jersey for the next year.
But that wasn’t the only world championship Poland
won this summer. Poland hosted the FIVB Volleyball
Men’s World Championship in which the home team
was considered a serious contender to medal. After a
spectacular run in the group stages Poland made it to the
final against Brazil, the three time defending world
champions. In an incredible showing of drive and
determination, Poland came back from a 1-0 start to
defeat Brazil 3-1 and by the same right win the world
championship – at home – in front of thousands of
cheering Polish fans. It is moments like these that sports
fan live for.
We would be remiss if we did not mention a win of a
smaller caliber but still of historic proportions. In a
UEFA qualifying match for the 2016 European
Championships, Poland defeated its neighbor to the
west. This wouldn’t be perhaps such big news if not for
the fact that this was the first time Poland managed to
beat Germany in 93 years. And it happened at a time
when Germany was the defending world champions
having just won the World Cup in Brazil a few weeks
prior. These recent accomplishments by Polish athletes
add to what were already great performances by Poles at
the European Athletics Championships Zürich 2014 as
well as the Winter Olympics in Sochi 2014, which had
been the best winter Olympics in Poland’s history, with
4 gold medals! For reference, Poland had only two gold
medals in the winter Olympics total before this year.
Nothing left to say but thank you to all the Polish
athletes and supporters, and we look forward to what the
rest of the year and next year holds, because it’s looking
pretty bright right now. (We’re looking at you Marcin
Gortat.)
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Announcements
Social Media News and Finds
Our social media team has been working to provide our
followers with consistent and quality updates about our
Embassy and Poland related topics. Just last month our
twitter handle @PolishEmbassyUS topped 10 thousand
followers! Thank you. We are also continually adapting
to meet the needs of today’s information age society.
With that in mind our embassy launched a buzzfeed
account which we are updating periodically with
pertinent information and articles. You can find us at
buzzfeed.com/PolandinUSA. For those who prefer
visual media rather than the written word, be sure to
follow us on YouTube. Last month we were priviledged
to speak with Mr. Jerzy Glowczewski, a 92 year old
Polish Air Force veteran of World War II. Our interview
with him can be viewed by clicking on the image to the
right. We’ve also recently organized a giveaway
featuring a stamp, but not just any old stamp. It was a
stamp commemorating the 455th anniversary of the
Polish Postal Service which was recognized during the
44th International Philatelic Art Competition in Asiago
(Italy) as the most beautiful of all the stamps issued last
year in the world. One of our lucky followers received
the lovely stamp in a collector’s edition folder.
Join Us!
Internet Find!
Have you seen this picture? Vice President Joe Biden
appears in a video about the state of America’s
infrastructure system and tells to the world that Poland is
leading the world in infrastructure investment. Just
another indicator that Poland has used the past 25 years
of freedom responsibly #PolskaFree25
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