summer cover up? - Valians International

inside
Beer on
a boat
Hot
Chilli
Poland and
France
Polish
Cinema
July 2012
Edition 93
ISSN 1898-4762
www.krakowpost.com
SUMMER COVER UP?
THE GREAT BARE BELLY DEBATE
Balice Express empty
“
…prices double in 12 months
Went the day well?
Anthony Casey
Six-pack or paunch, waxed or natural…
men going shirtless in the city have sparked
a massive debate in the local press.
As summer set in and folk began
shedding clothes to stay cool, the terraces
outside cafes and bars in the city centre
were engulfed by unclad exhibitions of the
male torso, in all its forms. The newspaper
Gazeta Krakowska opened a poll on the
subject – and immediately got a flood of
responses.
One woman, calling herself ‘Bianka’,
wrote ‘A man without a shirt in a public
place shows a simple lack of culture’.
Another, ‘Iwona’, wrote ‘This is not a
private garden plot’, and a further, writing
under the moniker ‘Disgusted’, said ‘Your
appearance betrays you and your culture.’
These views were prevalent, supported
by 41 per cent of those who took part in the
poll. Around 32 per cent said that, although
the flesh on display might not always look
great, there should be no law banning it.…
but 27 per cent defended the right to bare
arms and chests.
Many who called for men to cover up
regardless of the weather were, admittedly,
approaching the issue from a somewhat
aesthetic point of view. ‘Sylwia’ wrote
‘I would gladly gaze upon a beautifully
sculptured torso – but not the belly of a fat
old guy drenched in sweat.’
One voter in support of the bare-chested
brigade posted a comeback to the aesthetic
argument, writing simply ‘Think about
what you write – do I live in a monastery?
I’m well-built, but even if I had a tummy,
that’s my business how I look. If someone
doesn’t like it, they don’t have to
>>2
look.’
“
Red Rowing Hood
FISH SOUP FROM AN AQUARIUM “
It used to be a major attraction for tourists
and locals, where visitors could marvel at
an underwater world and come face to face
with exotic creatures. But now Krakow’s
aquarium has closed – after the owner lost
a legal battle with his landlords.
Local media in Krakow reported that
the Aquarium at ul. Sebastiana had almost
been ‘razed to the ground’ as American
owner Nathan Gendreau, who also runs
a chain of hostels, dismantled the facility
and removed aquariums and fittings ahead
of eviction on June 18.
Nasze Miasto reported that the bailiff
who attended the site to supervise the
eviction, accompanied by police, said: “I
was amazed at the level of damage. The
exhibition has been devastated.”
The newspaper Gazeta Krakowska
said the Polish Academy of Sciences,
which owns the building, asked a court
to evict Mr Gendreau, claiming that he
had damaged the premises and owed
500,000zł in rent. The newspaper also
reported that several animals – some rare
…no England fans arrested
…an ArtBoom flotilla
In business
“
Krakow aquarium in happier times (Photo: David McGirr)
or endangered - had been left unattended
in the shell of the former aquarium, and
that they were being taken care of by a
specialist firm.
Gazeta Wyborcza said that the aquarium
looked like it had been bombed
>> 2
…shake up at Lufthansa
2
www.krakowpost.com
Krakow Post | July 2012
Airport Express empty as ticket All aboard Tram 0 for a trip into
the past
prices double in 12 months
Photo: David McGirr
Anthony Casey
Passengers flying to and from Krakow’s
Balice airport are shunning the express
train service in favour of the bus – after a
price hike saw the cost of tickets almost
double in under 12 months.
A one-way ticket on the Balice Express,
between the airport and Krakow city centre,
costs 19zł compared to just 10zł less than
a year ago. A return costs 29zł – 9zł more
than previously. An intermediate price
rise, in May, increased the cost of a oneway journey to 12zł. The price of a Balice
Express ticket makes it the most expensive
rail journey in Poland.
Football fans visiting Krakow for the
European Championships in June, as well
as regular tourists and locals flying out
from the city, have abandoned the Express
service in their droves. Buses to the airport
from the city centre are regularly packed
and make for an uncomfortable ride in
the heat of the summer. But a single ticket
by bus, using the 209, 292 or 902, costs
just 3.40zł one way. The train makes the
journey in around 20 minutes, while the bus
takes 45 minutes – though the journey can
increase to around an hour in heavy traffic.
A spokesperson for Przewozy Regionalne,
the train operator, said increasing fuel costs
and repair bills were the reasons for the
higher prices.
SUMMER COVER UP
Marek Anioł, of the Krakow city guard,
said there was no law forbidding men to
go topless in public. But that was not the
same for women, he added.
Mr Anioł told Gazeta Krakowska: “The
case is difficult because it comes down to
indecent behaviour. Men can go shirtless in
public, unless they commit any offences.
But a woman with exposed breasts can be
threatened with court, or fined 50-100zł.”
Readers had responses to this issue too.
‘Mnich’ wrote ‘I did not know that you
can punish a woman going topless. This
country is even stranger than I thought.’
The voter ‘Tur’ added ‘I think that it is
scandalous that women are penalised for
going topless in the city. We need this as
soon as possible!’
Visit www.krakowpost.com to have
your say.
A spokesman for MPK, the bus operator,
told the newspaper Gazeta Krakowska that
overcrowding was not a problem on buses.
He added: “It has never happened that
passengers could not board at any of the
stops. Of course, it is possible that there
will be lack of seating.”
In the meantime, bus and tram services in
the city will be scaled back for the next two
months, to reflect what MPK said would
be a ‘reduced stream of passengers.’ The
holiday schedule, which begins on July 2
and will continue until August 31, will see
some routes suspended or extended.
Trams 4, 10, 12, 13, and 50 will run
according to the normal academic year
timetable. Lines 19 and 22 will run only at
morning and afternoon peak times, while
numbers 18, 23, 24, 40 and 51 will be
suspended. Special holiday timetables will
be introduced for all other lines.
On the buses, lines 139, 172, 182 and
537 will operate as usual. Line 522 will be
abolished, but 503 will become permanent.
MPK plans to suspend lines 108, 118, 127,
132, 141, 148, 149, 169, 192, 409, 439
and 501. The 163 will operate only during
peak hours. Other lines will be subject to
summer timetables.
Visit mpk.krakow.pl for timetables, or
download the new application for your
Android smartphone. An Apple version
will be available soon.
AQUARIUM
when the bailiff arrived. The newspaper
reported that animals had been ‘trapped
in this hell’ of plaster, broken glass and
cables, and that its journalists had to
be guided around the site by torchlight
because there was no electricity.
The newspaper asked why Mr
Gendreau had dismantled the aquarium
before all the animals had been removed,
and reports that he had asked for more
time to renegotiate, but did not get it.
Mr Gendreau told Polish reporters that
destruction of the facility had not been his
intention. He said that he needed to move
the aquariums at short notice, so had to
dismantle them quickly.
He also said that his animals had been
well-cared for, and had been fed to prepare
them for their journey from the attraction.
Posting on the American CNN ‘citizen
Hop on board a tram on any Sunday
or public holiday from now until the
beginning of September, and you may
be forgiven for thinking that you have
stepped back in time.
For the historic ‘0’ route has reopened
for the summer, offering a chance to view
the city from on board a vintage tram. The
route begins at the Engineering Museum,
passing through Starowiślna, Plac
Wszystkich Świętych, Straszewskiego,
Basztowa, and on to Cichy Kącik. From
there, it will make the return journey to the
Museum, via Basztowa and Westerplatte.
There is also an option to take an
extended route – the Wanda Loop – all the
way to Nowa Huta. This journey, which
takes almost an hour, also starts at the
Engineering Museum. From Basztowa,
it goes to Lubicz, Rondo Mogilska, Aleja
Jana Pawła II, Aleja Solidarności, and on
to Kopiec Wanda, before returning to
the museum. But passengers can alight
at Wanda to explore the mound, and
will also get information about the areas
through which they pass, from a guide.
And best of all? A ticket for line ‘0’
costs... the same as any other tram or
bus ticket in the city. It will run until
September 2.
Hospice Memorial at Auschwitz
A new hospice for the care of terminally
ill patients has been opened, in tribute
to the former prisoners of Auschwitz
concentration camp.
The hospice will be home to 20 people,
and has been designed to be what the
German Minister of Health Daniel Bahr
described as an innovative way to draw
lessons from history.
Speaking at the opening ceremony,
Mr Bahr said: “This place, symbolising
the most terrible crimes of Germany, is a
journalist’ iReport site, Mr Gendreau
wrote on June 4 that almost 1,000 animals
needed new homes, due to a ‘long-running
dispute.’
He added that there had been an
agreement that he could used the premises
as an aquarium, that no rent was due and
that the claim that the building had been
‘devastated’ was ‘an extreme lie.’
Mr Gendreau wrote that he had spent
5 million zł on the aquarium since 2007,
and that 30 people employed there would
lose their jobs.
He added: “Taking away the aquarium
from the people of Poland is criminal to
say the least… This is a completely unique
project in Poland and there is nothing
like it. When it is gone the children will
lose the most; Krakow is not a very
family friendly city, with very few
options on a rainy day to entertain your
children.”
Anthony Casey
visible sign of respect for life, and a sign of
proper treatment of people at the last stage
of their earthly existence.”
Mr Bahr was joined at the opening
ceremony by his Polish counterpart,
Bartosz Arłukowicz. The guest of honour
was former Auschwitz prisoner, August
Kowałczyk.
Up to 22 patients will live at the
hospice, cared for by a dedicated team
using equipment funded by international
donations.
Krakow Post is a monthly
publication published by
Lifeboat Ltd.
ISSN: 1898-4762
www.krakowpost.com
Marta Firlet-Bradshaw, Publisher
[email protected]
Jamie Stokes, Managing Editor
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Krakow Post | July 2012 3
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OPINION
Where was the hate?
Thomas Crestodina
The Euro 2012 tournament is over, and
Poland is looking back on the enormous
logistical undertaking that it involved with
deserved satisfaction. The impressions left
on audiences abroad may, however, be less
positive because of the manner in which the
images and stories were filtered through the
world’s press.
It is, of course, the nature of journalism to
report the shocking. When BBC journalist
Chris Rogers came to Poland and the
Ukraine to film the documentary Stadiums
of Hate, his team recorded material that
fit the category. The terrifying images it
contained set the tone for the coverage for
weeks to come. Among the foreign press
corps, the anticipation of race-related trouble
was the topic of much excited discussion.
For most viewers at home, nothing would
be reported to dispel those disturbing
images. The subject bubbled to the surface
when the Dutch side was taunted by a group
of Euro opponents at their first open training
session. In a frenzy to make an incident that
was certainly offensive and tasteless into
a major scandal, the international press
convened around Krakow’s many bars and
developed a version of the story that was to
prevail, despite being largely false.
The version of events that was related
stated that Poland fans from Krakow were
protesting the omission of the city as a venue
for matches. In fact, the opposite was true.
The ‘ultras’ of every major club in Poland
viewed the international tournament as a
playground of the elites, and had called for
a general boycott.
The handful of Wisła Krakow fans that
turned up that day were protesting against
the use of their stadium in conjunction with
the tournament, and spent the bulk of their
time there chanting “F*** Euro,” which is
also the colourful name of their nationwide
campaign of contempt for international
football and the casual fans that enjoy
it. Reporters could easily have learned
this from local people, or from the many
web sites where these organisations have
expressed their views.
The story also broke on the day that the
England side visited Auschwitz, which
presented an irresistible temptation to
draw parallels between the nightmare of
industrialised genocide committed by the
German state, and the behaviour of a group
of Polish teenagers making ape noises at a
public event. While it was not unfair to voice
a full-throated condemnation of prejudice
in any form, there was, for me, something
unsettling about the failure to draw a clear
line between the German perpetrators of a
horrendous historical crime and the Poles,
who were among their victims.
Then the first real public disturbance
took place in Warsaw. I was working with
a British television crew on the day of
the provocative Russian march across the
Poniatowski Bridge. The temptation to
make trouble proved to be too great for some
of Warsaw’s youths – a motley union of
supporters of the city’s two largest clubs and
a handful of ultra-nationalists numbering,
by my count, no more than a hundred and
fifty individuals. This was sufficient to keep
a troop of several thousand police occupied
all afternoon and to do serious injury to a
few unfortunate Russians, who were beaten
mercilessly in front of me. The crew I was
working with diligently filmed the action.
All around us, however, fans on both sides
walked arm in arm to the stadium, and
Poles approached Russians to apologise for
the behaviour of the ‘rabble.’
The pitch of apology reached its crescendo
the following week, when Russian fans
told Sports Illustrated that they had been
approached with apologies thirty to forty
times on the day of the festive RussiaGreece match.
These two incidents constituted the
entirety of the activity from the ‘dreaded’
Polish hooligans. Despite all the hype,
there was never any real possibility of
trouble at the matches themselves. This was
largely because ticket distribution favoured
lotteries run by sponsors, and also because
hard-core club fans are sickened by the
family-friendly atmosphere at international
matches. For them, football is not about
sport. It’s about flaunting social norms.
It’s about fireworks. It’s about screaming
insults in unison at the referee. For a few of
them, it’s about fighting.
As a colleague succinctly put it, the
stadium is for them a ‘cauldron of identity.’
This is their idea of fun, and it is precisely
the reason they stayed away from the
tournament. The crowds at the matches
were dominated by the same hospitable,
good-natured, increasingly optimistic
middle class Poles that the ultras dread,
because they know that it will inevitably
extinguish the culture of their stadiums.
So where was the hate that Mr. Rogers
put on such spectacular display in his
exploitative programme? Did it really exist
as advertised? Or was the tournament just an
eclipse, with more sickeningly insensitive
behaviour to come as soon as it passes?
Truthfully, it would not be easy to find in
the form shown on Panorama in any case.
Mr. Rogers chose two derby matches
between the most virulent and violent rivals
in Poland to film, and both of them include
teams that colloquially refer to themselves
or one another as ‘the Jews,’ both as a matter
of pride and an epithet. In the confusing
storm of symbols that ensues, a picture
could be and was painted that appears more
dire than it is. I have personally been to over
a hundred sporting events in Poland, and
have never heard a racist chant.
The question of what is to come is
not a particularly sensational one, as the
international sports media giants move on to
the London Olympics and the next collection
of complimentary bars and buffets. But, for
a country that was so maligned as a hotbed
of hate, it will be fascinating to see if that
middle class is emboldened to take control
of its clubs and stadiums, and if it is able to
impose social norms of behaviour in them,
as it did during the largest party the country
has ever hosted.
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Krakow Post | July 2012
Got milk?
‘England fans behave’ shocker
A cosmopolitan England fan waves a Poland scarf (Photo: David McGirr)
David McGirr
At the height of Euro 2012 mania last
month, the Krakow Post spoke to a team
of UK police officers who were in Poland
to help local law enforcement agencies
identify potential English troublemakers.
Photo: David McGirr
The sign on the machines says: ‘Milk
straight from the cow’ – but don’t worry,
the cows remain at home on their farm in
Jędrzejów; it’s only the milk that’s inside
the machines.
These are the first two ‘Mlekomats’
in Krakow, at Nowy Kleparz and Borek
Fałęcki. They contain milk from the
Jędrzejów herd of cows, which can be
bought, bottle and all, in minutes.
The bottles cost a złoty for the smallest,
and to fill them costs 2ł (0.5l) or 3.50zł
(1l). The milk is unpasteurised and over
four per cent fat.
A spokesman for the firm EcoDolina,
which is behind the machines, said two
more were planned for Krakow. They will
be in Kazimierz, and Wola Justowska.
Just Do It...
Hugely popular in Warsaw, the ‘Do it
in...’ series of guidebooks has expanded
to cover Krakow.
The guides’ local knowledge and tongue
in cheek manner has won it many fans
in the capital, prompting the newspaper
Gazeta Wyborcza to launch in Krakow
too.
Inside you can find the best places to
eat, drink, shop, relax and more, and
you’re guaranteed a very personal view
of what’s best in Krakow, from the people
who know it best – those who live here.
The book is published by Agora, priced
34.99zł, in partnership with Krakow City
Council, under the media patronage of
the Krakow Post’s sister title cracow-life.
com and gazeta.pl Krakow.
KP: What is your role here in Krakow?
UK police: To liaise with Polish police and
advise them on the behaviour of England
fans. To try to interpret fan behaviour for
local police. We have no powers here, but
we will intervene and speak to fans.
For example, we were out the other night
and saw a group of lads whose language
was getting a bit choice. We approached
them and gave them a bit of friendly
advice. We told them we were with the
Polish police, and that they might want
to ‘have a conversation’ if they didn’t
moderate their behaviour.
KP: The good old ‘word in the ear?’
UK police: Exactly, early intervention to
nip things in the bud. Knowing UK police
are here removes any sense of anonymity.
We can do checks back home. If you cause
problems here, you can be punished in the
system back home. You can get a football
banning order for offences committed
here.
Banning orders are a really powerful
tool. The driving force behind them was the
behaviour of fans at previous tournaments
abroad, which was embarrassing for the
country. There has been a massive effort to
curb this sort of bad behaviour.
It is now very rare that we get any
disorder at England football matches. We
have not had a football related arrest in any
of the last eight England games abroad.
KP: How do you do your job here in
Poland?
UK police: We work in two ways. We
support England fans by advising and
looking after them. A lot of time is spent
liaising with fans, advising them about
areas to avoid, trying to nip things in the
bud. The second part of the job is actively
seeking troublemakers with a view to
obtaining bans and prosecutions.
There are always three groups of fans.
Those who never cause any trouble, those
who are determined to cause trouble, and
the group in the middle – those who may
start misbehaving after a few too many
drinks. We always try to engage with these
people.
KP: Have there been any arrests or any
incident that have caused the FA to impose
sanction?
UK police: There has not been a single
arrest. England is one of the few nations
that hasn’t had anyone arrested, which is
remarkable. Long may it continue.
KP: How have you found working with
the Polish police?
UK police: The Polish police have been
very good. They deal with people in a
similar way that we would. It’s one of the
best deployments I have been on, in respect
of planning, liaison and police attitudes.
Krakow Post | July 2012 5
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ArtBoom afloat
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About 40 boats, canoes and inflatables and a handful of brave swimmers took to the waters of
the Wisła on June 22 as part of the Grolsch ArtBoom festival (Photo: David McGirr)
day
make
A
OF
IT
Little Red Rowing Hood (Cecylia Malik) and Three Men on a Lilo (Photo: David McGirr)
A mini armada invaded Krakow under
the command of local artist Cecylia
Malik – as part of the ArtBoom festival.
Canoes and inflatables splashed about
in the River Wisła next to the Dębnicki
bridge, before making a short trip to the
premiere of Malik’s film Six Rivers, on a
screen erected beneath the Grunwaldzki
bridge. Malik, with Piotr Pawlus, made
the movie about the Wisła, and the
other waterways in Krakow – Rudawa,
Prądnik, Wilga, Dłubnia and Kościelniki.
Malik told organisers of the fourth
Grolsch ArtBoom festival: “To sail down
the river, you do not need a driving
licence, nor do you need a registered
vehicle. You just need to be of age and
in possession of a life jacket. Anyone
can sail, and for free at that. Rivers are
a shared part of the city, they belong to
everyone. They are everyone’s and no
one’s all at the same time.”
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Krakow Post | July 2012
The case that rocked Poland
Kidnap, murder, suicide and police incompetence – Krakow journalist Robert
Socha’s overview of a decade of shocks to Poland’s criminal justice system
It was a crime that shocked and enthralled
Poland. Top justice officials were forced to
resign, and three suspects were found dead
in their prison cells.
There has been a parliamentary
commission and the prime minister has
demanded an explanation, but the crime
remains unsolved.
With its bizarre twists and turns,
prosecutors have dubbed the Olewnik
kidnapping case ‘Twin Peaks,’ after David
Lynch’s surrealistic television series.
The story began one October evening
in 2001. Włodzimierz Olewnik, a
businessman from central Poland, had
invited some local police officers to his
son’s new house for a barbecue.
They grilled kiełbasa and drank vodka.
The party came to an end at about 11pm,
when the vodka ran out. “Policemen drink
only pure vodka, because coloured alcohol
stains uniforms,” one of the officers
quipped later.
While the revellers were keeping their
uniforms clean, a criminal gang was
watching the house from a distance.
Once the guests had left, only 25-year-old
Krzysztof Olewnik, Włodzimierz’s son,
remained at the house.
The gangsters ran into the house, beat
Krzysztof, tied him up and kidnapped him.
At least this was the official version of the
story - until recently.
Ransom
Two days later, the kidnappers demanded
300,000 USD to set Krzysztof free (this
was later changed to euro). The Olewnik
family were prepared to pay. They thought
Krzysztof would be back home and their
ordeal over in a few days. They were
wrong. It was almost two years before
the gang collected the ransom. They then
murdered Krzysztof. It was another three
years before his body was discovered.
During those two years, the kidnappers
repeatedly taunted the Olewnik family.
They were extraordinarily brazen, phoning
the Olewniks dozens of times and sending
letters handwritten by Krzysztof. They
warned the family repeatedly not to contact
the police, but police were involved from
the very beginning. Their phone calls,
which featured Krzysztof’s voice speaking
about current news stories, were all
recorded by police, and their letters were
also examined. But no progress was made
in finding the Olewnik’s missing son.
Commentators have noted several
features of the case that suggest corrupt
police officers or other individuals working
in the justice system may have been
involved in the kidnapping and murder.
In 2004, a forensic psychological
statement made to the court hypothesised
that police officers could have been
involved, noting the extensive use of
police jargon and terminology in the letters
sent by the kidnappers.
There have also been a series of
coincidences that may hint at inside
knowledge. In 2004, for example, two
police officers left the Olewnik case files
unattended in an unmarked police car in
the centre of Warsaw. When they returned,
the car had disappeared. Neither the car
nor the files have been recovered.
It has also been noted that the kidnappers
chose to accept the ransom on National
Police Day, when an annual ceremony is
held to recognise extraordinary acts of
bravery or service in the ranks.
The Gang
After years of investigation, the police
announced that they had caught the
kidnappers. But, apart from the head of
the gang, Wojciech Franiewski, they were
a bunch of common criminals seemingly
ill equipped to have played such games
with the police over so many years.
Franiewski refused to speak, except to
deny any involvement in the crime. Before
he could be brought to trail, he was found
hanged and dead in his cell, one morning
in June 2007. He was being held in a
single cell under what was supposed to
be round-the-clock observation. Traces of
alcohol and amphetamine were found in
his system during an autopsy. The verdict
– suicide.
Franiewski’s criminal career had begun
years before, during Poland’s era of
Communist rule. He was arrested several
times for burglary and spent many years in
jail. It was apparently an environment that
suited him, and he became recognised as a
leader among the incarcerated community.
In 1991, Franiewski greeted Pope John II
on behalf of his fellow prisoners when the
pontiff visited the jail where he was being
held.
Franiewski may have worked for
the feared Służba Bezpieczeństwa,
Communist Poland’s secret police service,
years earlier. He certainly travelled
abroad, both east and west, which was no
simple matter for an ordinary citizen under
that regime. He must have been a ‘trusted’
man.
Almost a year after Franiewski’s
mysterious death, a second member of the
kidnap gang was also found hanged in his
cell. Sławomir Kościuk, like Franiewski,
was also being held in a single cell
under round-the-clock supervision. Eight
months later, a third kidnapper, Robert
Pazik, was also found dead in almost
identical circumstances.
The apparent suicides made front-page
news in Poland. The justice minister
and several top officials in the justice
“
Before his death,
Krzysztof spent
almost two years
chained to a wall
in a cellar.
”
department and prison services were
forced to resign. After the third death,
Prime Minister Donald Tusk demanded
answers.
“I will, of course, expect the prosecution,
the internal services, to explain all the
circumstances of the third suicide in the
Olewnik case. The public is also entitled
to full access to all information, so that no
dark mystery remains hanging over this
issue,” said Tusk.
A parliamentary commission was also
called, and found many serious flaws in
the investigation.
The Motive
Włodzimierz Olewnik has always said
that the kidnapping was not about the
ransom. He may be right. Kidnappers
are usually keen to take the money and
run. Criminologists say kidnappings are
commonly resolved in a few days, for
better or worse. In the Olewnik case, the
hostage was kept alive for almost two
years, and then murdered after the ransom
had been collected.
Krzysztof Olewnik’s body was found
in 2006, on exactly the eve of the fifth
anniversary of the kidnapping. He had
been buried in a forest, two metres deep,
and wrapped in an iron mesh so that his
remains would not be unearthed by wild
animals. Before his death, Krzysztof spent
almost two years chained to a wall in a
cellar.
Włodzimierz Olewnik believes that the
criminals’ real aim was to take control
of his meat factory. He has also revealed
that he received several suspicious
business proposals a few years prior to the
kidnapping, but turned them down when
he found evidence of corruption (such as
an opportunity to buy a state-owned meat
plant for an unbelievable low price).
Some of these proposals, says Olewnik,
were made by politicians and a very highranking police officer. It was the same
officer who supervised the early stages
of the investigation in which so many
mistakes were made.
The effect of the kidnapping on
Olewnik’s
company
was
almost
immediate. Banks became suspicious and
tried to terminate his credit arrangements,
and the company became vulnerable to a
hostile takeover.
There have also been suggestions that
the case might have been connected
to Krzysztof Olewnik’s own business
ventures. He was involved in the steel
trade, which, according to police, was
infiltrated by organised crime at the time.
Krzysztof’s best friend and business
partner, Jacek Krupinski, was charged in
2009 with involvement in the kidnapping,
but denies any responsibility and is still
awaiting trial.
Even wilder theories have been put
forward. Could the kidnapping have been
part of a bizarre business deal, in which
the ‘victim’ was originally being held as
collateral with the full understanding of
the Olewnik family?
Today, a new team of prosecutors is
concentrating on that night more than a
decade ago, when the police party and
the kidnapping took place. They are still
digging at the house, which now lies
empty.
A few months ago, investigators once
again analysed police footage of the scene,
shot in 2001. There were many patches
of Krzysztof’s blood, but a few stains
interested them in particular.
Ten years after the initial investigation,
a new search found traces of DNA in these
blood stains that do not match any person
involved in the case – neither the known
kidnapers nor the family. Something
strange happened that night in that house.
That night is the key.
Robert Socha is a
Polish journalist working for TVN television.
He lives in Krakow.
He has written a
book Nie chodziło o
okup and produced
a documentary
about the Olewnik
case.
July 2012
Viva la Pologne!
As Bastille Day approaches we take a look at the long relationship
between Poland and France.
Pages 6 / 7
DINING | REVIEWS | EVENTS | FASHION | INTERVIEW | CINEMA | MORE
2
Krakow Post
www.krakowpost.com / www.cracow-life.com
| July 2012
DROP IN/ Hot Chilli
It wasn’t with any great enthusiasm that I first chanced
biryani. The lamb masala, when done extra hot, is
on Hot Chilli last December. The unremarkable décor
astounding.
ul. Pijarska 9, www.indianfood.pl
Stuart Wadsworth
and mixture of Indian food and pizza on the menu
did not appear to promise much. What I got that day,
Everything is authentic. The muligatawny soup is a
however, turned out to be the most memorable, rich
spicy delight to start, and other vegetarian dishes
and creamy butter chicken I’ve
such as dal makhani – a creamy
had since I was in India, with
dish with lentils, tomatoes,
crispy pakora and naan bread
thrown in along with the tasty
basmati rice.
Since that day, I have been
the most memorable, rich
and creamy butter chicken
I’ve had since I was in
India
ginger and garlic – and mattar
paneer (home made cottage
cheese and green peas cooked
in creamy sauce) are extremely
well done too. There is an
a regular at Hot Chilli. Why? Because it’s the most
excellent masala chai or mango lassi to wash it all
authentic curry experience you will find in Krakow. It
down, or a selection of beers and wines if you so
does all the simple things right: you can order your
choose. Hot Chilli really does tick all the boxes for the
dishes to the requisite level of spiciness, whether you
true curry connoisseur.
go for a chicken bhuna or vindaloo; the ingredients
and recipes are all authentic – Punjabi owner Surjit
Combined with reasonable prices – evening
Singh, in the restaurant business for twenty years,
meals come to around 40–50zł with sides – most
has trained his Nepalese chef in the fine art of Indian
customers will go away happy. Of course, good
cuisine, and the menu covers most of what you’d
Indian restaurants are all about spice, and it would be
expect, with exquisite samosa or pakora to start, a
ironically named if this restaurant did not come up
range of chicken dishes (jalfrezi and chicken kadahi
with the goods on this front. Thankfully, it does. Hot
being my favourites) to lamb palak and shrimp
Chilli then: a winner. And I didn’t even try the pizza.
Cracovie Accueil
Krakow Welcome
Cracovie Accueil est une association de bénévoles,
Cracovie Accueil is an association of volunteers
Our activities take place between September and
that brings together the French speaking people of
June.
Nos activités s’échelonnent de septembre à juin.
regroupant des francophones de Cracovie et sa région.
Toute personne intéressée peut se rendre sur notre
•
Notre but est de créer, animer et faciliter les:
site internet où de nombreuses informations sont
•
échanges au sein de la communauté
directement accessibles par tous: www.cracovieaccueil.
francophone de Cracovie et ses alentours,
pl.
•
en servant de point d’appui aux nouveaux
arrivants afin de faciliter leur adaptation,
•
en se retrouvant lors de rencontres
hebdomadaires,
mensuelles,
annuelles,
diurnes ou nocturnes,
•
•
en allant à la rencontre de Cracovie et de
Les inscriptions peuvent être faites tout au long de
l’année (informations disponibles sur le site).
Un calendrier des manifestations proposées au cours
de l’année est également disponible.
la Pologne par des activités culturelles et
Tous les adhérents anciens et nouveaux sont donc
sportives,
invités à nous rejoindre lors de notre prochain petit café
en aidant à la résolution des problèmes de la
mensuel le 4 septembre 2012 à partir de 10 h puis lors
vie courante.
de notre barbecue de rentrée le 16 septembre 2012.
Krakow and the surrounding area.
Anyone interested in joining us can visit our website
•
Our aim is to create, facilitate and encourage
for more information: www.cracovieaccueil.pl.
links within the French speaking community
•
of Krakow by:
You can become a member at any time (see the
Providing information to newcomers in
website for details).
order to help them adapt,
•
Meeting weekly, monthly and annually for all
kinds of activities,
•
Telling our members about cultural or
sporting activities,
•
Helping our community solve everyday
problems.
You can also find a programme of events on the
website.
All members and newcomers are invited to join us for
our next, monthly “petit café” on September 4th, from
10am and for our annual barbecue, which takes place
on September 16th this year.
We specialise in residential rentals:
home search services
property management
tenant search
To benefit from our 6 years experience of servicing expats:
contact us via email at [email protected]
tell us what you need ringing Michal on +48 697 977 010
see more visit www.jkmk.pl
BRINGING
WESTERN
STANDARDS
TO THE
POLISH
MARKET
www.krakowpost.com / www.cracow-life.com
KINO MANIA
Go now!
See it
Solid
Krakow Post
|
July 2012
If you must
3
Avoid
Heniek
2010
Starring: Maciej Słota, Tadeusz Hankiewicz, Jacek
Milczanowski, Beata Schimscheiner
Directed by: Eliza Kowalewska and Grzegorz
Madej
A tale of the clash between
loyalty and greed in
the murky world of car
dealerships
Giuseppe Sedia
For only a few hundred euro, the directorial duo of
their inquiries,’ Maciek (Maciej Słota), Beata (Beata
Eliza Kowalewska and Grzegorz Madej (aka Earl Grey)
Schimscheiner) and Jacek (Jacek Milczanowski), who
managed to put together a team of professional
are caught out in their self-deception. Earl Grey relied
actors, some black and white film stock, and a couple
on the talents of a troupe of experienced theatrical
of nice interior locations in Krakow to tell the singular,
actors including Tadeusz Hankiewicz, the head of
but true, story of Heniek. A tale of the clash between
Krakow-based group Teatr Tradycyjny, in the role of
loyalty and greed in the murky world of car dealerships,
Heniek. In return for ten days of work, the directors
Heniek reconstructs police interrogations of the
eponymous anti-hero’s colleagues. But who is Heniek
– an elusive criminal active since the Communist
era, or an incompetent car dealer defamed by his
partners? Eventually, it is the trio ‘helping police with
offered only a share in any profits from the movie’s
distribution receipts. Earl Grey have produced a tiny
masterpiece in Heniek, that could show the way ahead
for European producers interested in low-budget
filmmaking.
Zabawki cesarza
(The Emperor’s Toys)
2011
Starring: Marek Sosenko
Directed by: 3czwarty.eu
The collective’s technical
efforts in bringing Marek’s
antiques to life are
remarkable
Giuseppe Sedia
Welcome to the world of Marek Sosenko, the greatest
are remarkable, especially considering their relative
collector of antique toys in Poland. Sosenko, alias
inexperience. The parade of toys is preceded by a
‘the Emperor of the Collectors,’ boasts playthings
short visual insight into the collector’s everyday life,
commissioned for German Kaiser Wilhelm II and Polish
with Marek shown hunting for bibelots (knick-knacks)
artist Stanisław Wyspiański among many other rare
in Krakow’s Hala Targowa flea market. From this
items in his collection. Krakow-based artists’ collective
perspective, Zabawki cesarza is also the story of an
3czwarty.eu (‘3quarters’) has created a cinematic
overriding and selfless passion to collect and preserve
tribute to Sosenko in the form of a semi-animated
relics of childhood for no personal gain. Zabawki
documentary using live-action scenes manipulated
cesarza is only one of the many short films that have
recently received production support from The Munk
Studio on behalf of the Polish Filmmakers Association.
Marek Sosenko’s life deserves, however, to be featured
in a full-length documentary.
in post-production. Zabawki cesarza once again
demonstrates the love of inanimate objects typical
of the Polish school of animation. The collective’s
technical efforts in bringing Marek’s antiques to life
Dziewczyny do wzięcia
(Marriageable Girls)
1972
Starring: Ewa Szykulska, Ewa Pielach, Regina
Regulska, Jan Stawarz, Jan Mateusz
Directed by: Janusz Kondratiuk
Giuseppe Sedia
a 45-minute, sentimental clash between city and
country ways of life that ends with a compromise.
Two of the girls manage to preserve their virtue, but
remain resolute in their ambition to take a great leap
toward a new, urban life. The comedy arises from the
situations, and not the deadpan and initially hangdog expressions of the protagonists. Ewa Szykulska,
here flashing a fake smile reinforced with metal, is
one of the few in the cast who was eventually able
to make her career shine like gold in Polish cinema.
The prosaic seduction method adopted by the
“Do you prefer city boys or country guys?” asks a naive
guys consists in impressing the country girls with
young graduate in an awkward attempt to seduce
urban healthiness, which seems very odd by today’s
three village girls on a day trip to Warsaw. Most of
environmentally-friendly standards. A capacious
Andrzej and Janusz Kondratiuk’s comedies feature
fridge and a bottle of Italian Vermouth are enough
cinema verité-like dialogues. It seems that even
to pique the girls’ interest in urban living. With its
talented actors become instruments for investigating
amalgam of materialistic values and lofty political
social topics in Communist Poland in the hands of
sentiments, Dziewczyny do wzięcia is a fascinating
the Kondratiuk brothers. Dziewczyny do wzięcia is
insight into Polish life in the 1970s.
4
Krakow Post
www.krakowpost.com / www.cracow-life.com
| July 2012
Exhibitions
Film
Concerts
Theatre, Opera & Dance
Other Events
Behind the Wall
Rare Coins and Medals
No Logo
Kino pod Baranami
Europe during the time of the Cold War was a divided
The magnificent pieces in this exhibition are widely
The good folk at Galeria Zderzak don’t skulk around at
There are rumours that this is the best independent
continent, between the Western democracies on one
recognised to be among the most important and
the back of the crowd when it comes to presenting
cinema in Europe. From what we’ve seen, we’re not
side, and Soviet communism on the other. Nowhere
valuable coins and medals anywhere in Poland.
and promoting the works that they believe should be
about to argue – Kino pod Baranami certainly packs
was this more striking than in Germany, and the
They include currency bearing the images of the
in the public eye. So it’s no surprise to see yet another
a massive punch in the cinematic stakes, offering a
divide was literally and metaphorically widest in the
Jagiellonian dynasty, as well as coins from the times of
exhibition pushing sometimes un-hailed creative
real alternative to the multiplexes that are springing
capital city, Berlin. This exhibition features the work
Kazimierz the Great and Bolesław Chrobry. Together,
talent to the forefront this summer. The No Logo
up, and getting return visits from film fans of every
of Harald Hauswald, Ute Mahler, Werner Mahler, and
these 28 pieces represent a new and often hidden
exhibition will provide food for thought in the shape
hue. Sure, they’ll screen the box office hits at pod
Maurice Weiss, who documented everyday life behind
perspective on Polish history, usually only available to
of 16 outstanding images… drop by before the end of
Baranami, but you’re just as likely to find a festival of
the Berlin Wall, showing just how alien a world East
scholars and the National Museum.
August to find out just what’s so special about them.
Spanish cinema, animation cycles for children, late
Germany was for anyone looking in from the West.
night themed screenings, and much more.
Where: ICC, Rynek Główny 25
Where: Bishop Erazm Ciolek Place, ul. Kanonicza 17
Where: Galeria Zderzak, ul. Floriańska 3
Where: Kino pod Baranami, Rynek Główny 27
When: Until September 2
WhenŁ To July 22
When: July 3 to August 31
When: Permanent
Two Lands, Two Skies
Jewish Sports in Krakow
No Budget
Summer Film Review
This exhibition of photographs showcases a selection
The Old Synagogue branch of the Krakow Historical
The artist as a penniless genius, striving and starving in
of the work of a Krakow-born photographer who set
Museum always presents exhibitions that do more
life for the reward of eternal recognition is a romantic
Agrafka has a truly stunning line-up of movies for this
out to document the relationship and differences
than scratch the surface of any given subject. This one
one, which Krakow’s newest major gallery keeps alive
year’s summer review, which stretches right through
between the two worlds of Poland and Palestine. Ze’ev
is an exploration of the idea of ‘Muscular Judaism,’ first
with this exhibition. No Budget does exactly what it
until the end of August. Look out for changing themes
(Wilhelm) Aleksandrowicz was born in Krakow in 1905.
posited in the late 19th century as a means to improve
says on the tin – it’s an exhibition of work produced
each week, as the festival aims to present something
His passion for photography took him around the
the physical well-being of Jews aiming to build a
by young artists with absolutely no financial backing,
for everyone, covering drama, comedy, romance and
world, including three visits to Palestine in the 1930s.
state. The exhibition looks in depth at the Jewish
and is the fourth in a series that has been running in
gritty realism, and showing films from all over Europe.
He died in Tel Aviv in 1992 – and it would beanother
sports clubs active in Krakow in the 20th century, and
Lublin and Warsaw.
Tickets for each movie cost just 10zł.
11 years before his life’s work - 15,000 negatives – were
presents a collection of memorabilia from clubs not
discovered.
just here, but in Łódż, Warsaw and Berlin.
Where: Galicia Museum, ul. Dajwor 18
Where: Old Synagogue, ul. Szeroka
Where: MOCAK, ul. Lipowa 4
Where: Kino Agrafka, ul. Krowoderska 8
When: Until next year
When: Until September 30
When: Until August 31
When: Until July 31
Lady with an Ermine
Holes in the Sky
Apolonia’s Erotic Garden
Last Tango in Paris, Casablanca, Volver, Lisbon Story…
Open Screen
Poland’s most valuable work of art, Leonardo da Vinci’s
Laura Pawela’s exhibition draws upon a surrealist
It might be unusual to stumble across allusions to
Young film-makers with an eye on the big time can
Lady With an Ermine, is now on display at Wawel
movie that follows the adventures of an official who
such high-brow cultural phenomenon as opera
show their work free at this innovative and charming
Castle. The painting has been on a tour of Europe,
sparks fear and opposition by doing just the opposite
in a museum of modern art, but here it is… a solo
cinema in Krakow’s Podgórze district. The Open Screen
and must now stay in Krakow for at least the next
of what he ought. As society shrieks and begins to
exhibition by Pola Dwurnik, who has drawn on
project will run every Friday, at 6pm, and members of
ten years, so there will be plenty of time to admire it.
scuttle itself, the anarchist hero thrives and his actions
Handel’s Alcina to produce these haunting images.
the public will be invited through local media to see
The masterpiece is thought to be a portrait of Cecilia
produce a series of unexpected events. The idea of
There’s something very cheeky and Tracey Emin-
the best of the city’s young talent. To take part, you
Gallerani, the mistress of the Duke of Milan in the 15th
a fatal ‘hole in the sky’ is one that goes back through
esque going on here though – look closely and
should email the cinema at [email protected], and be
century. Tickets cost 10zl – but book in advance if you
generations, and one that will also be familiar to many
you’ll see that the animals in the pictures have some
ready to submit your work for a Friday screening on
want to avoid queues as only 20 people at a time will
children from the classic tale of Chicken Licken – but
very human characteristics… yep, they represent
the Monday beforehand.
be allowed into the viewing room.
this exhibition is certainly a new take on an old idea.
Dwurnik’s ex-partners.
Where: Wawel Castle
Where: Bunkier Sztuki, Plac Szczepański 3a
Where: MOCAK, ul. Lipowa 4
Where: Kino Kika, ul. Ignacego Krasickiego 18
When: Permanent
When: Until August 26
When: Until September 30
When: Fridays, 6pm
Sally Mann
Sally Mann is a photographer whose work has
Self-Portrait
Space Gallery
Movies for 6zł
Don’t be fooled by the title of this exhibition, for this
This is one of the oldest, and certainly one of the best-
Hurrah for Kino pod Baranami, which once again
provoked a mixture of reactions – from admiration
show at Pauza is very much about self-reflection and
endowed, private galleries in Krakow, having been
is offering the chance to see great movies at just
to controversy. This exhibition, The Family and the
absolutely nothing to do with taking nice pictures
running in the city since the 1990s. The collection
6zł a ticket. This popular promotion, which has for
Land, focuses on two of her recurring themes, telling
of yourself. Irena Kalicka, from the photography
is quite astonishing, presenting the works of Polish
several years run under the heading of ‘Letnie Tanie
portraits and images of nature. But don’t take these
department of the Łódż Film School, has dug
greats such as Matejko, Michalowski, Wyspianski, and
Kinobranie’ is an opportunity to see the films you
pictures for granted. At first glance, they look perfectly
extremely deep to bring the ideas of symbolism and
more, alongside creations by young and not so young
love at a very affordable rate, and to try the ones you
ordinary and charming. Look a little closer, and you will
stereotypes to bear on the way that we as a species
contemporary artists. More than just a gallery, this is
thought you might like but didn’t want to risk a lot
see Mann’s ability to shock – as in the shot ‘Emmett’s
a venue worth browsing and is a superb option for
more cash on. Look out for the full programme at the
very thought-provoking ideas.
educational events, concerts, and meetings.
website kinopodbaranami.pl.
Where: Ethnographic Museum, Plac Wolnica 1
Where: Pauza, ul. Floriańska 18/3
Where: Space Gallery, ul. Św. Marka 7
Where: Kino pod Baranami, Rynek Główny 27
When: Until July 29
When: Until July 31
When: Permanent
When: Until August 30
CULTURAL
PARTNERS
see animals – and in doing so she’s uncovered some
Bloody Nose.’
www.krakowpost.com / www.cracow-life.com
Pola Dwurnik-Apolonias Erotic Garden (Detail)
Krakow Post
Beetlemania
Summer Chamber Concerts
Summer Jazz Festival
|
July 2012
5
Sally Mann - (Detail)
The Enchanted Island
Jewish Cultural Festival
This is one of the most overlooked venues in Krakow –
Some very big names are lined up for this year’s
Beamed from the Metropolitan Opera in New York,
Musical shabbats, ballroom boat parties, lectures,
and undeservedly so, as it does an awful lot to refresh
summer festival of jazz in the city. They include
this is a chance to see a superb performance of this
crafts, films and more... this year’s Jewish Cultural
the blood of the city’s thriving cultural scene, year in,
the likes of the New Orleans Jazz Band Orchestra,
Shakespearean Baroque masterpiece from the comfort
Festival has been a greater success than ever, and
year out, for both performers and spectators.
Brooklyn Funk Essential, John Scofield, Tomasz Stanko,
of Krakow’s first independent digital cinema. The tale
although it is winding down, there’s still a week to go.
The cycle of chamber concerts is one such event,
and many more. Throughout the month there will be
takes strands from two of the Bard’s greatest works
Even if you make it to nothing else, be sure to get to ul.
which has been running now for several years and
concerts, intimate gigs, jam sessions and plenty of
– The Tempest, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream –
Szeroka for the massive free, open air concert, which
includes not just free musical events, but theatrical
opportunities to mingle with like-minded jazz-heads.
and weaves them together against a background of
will close the final evening of the festival on July 7
performances and comedy. Visit dworek.krakow.pl for
For tickets and a full programme, see the Piwnica pod
sumptuous music to produce a spectacle that will
from 6pm until very, very late.
Baranami website: www.piwnicapodbaranami.pl
instantly enchant opera-lovers everywhere. Part of the
the full programme.
live broadcast season, from the world’s greatest opera
Where: Dworek Białoprądnicki, ul. Papiernicza 2
Where: Piwnica pod Baranami, Rynek Główny 27
and ballet companies.
Where: Throughout Kazimierz
When: Until August 29
When: Until July 31
Where: Kijów.centrum, Al. Krasińskiego 34
When: Until July 8
When: July 15, 5pm
International Organ Festival
Summer Opera Festival
Beetlemania
Psychoanalysing Film
Now in its 22nd year, and presenting a programme
Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro will open the 16th Krakow
The Volkswagen Beetle, love it or hate it, is one of
If you’ve ever wondered what exactly it was that
that has expanded considerably from its early days,
Summer Opera Festival, for a lavish production
the icons of 20th century design. Those who love
was going through the minds of some of the great
this series of concerts presents the works of Bach, Liszt,
directed by Laco Adamik, and conducted by Tomasz
this compact and distinctive little car will gather
directors, or what it was that screenwriters really
Schumann, Mendelssohn and more, under the artistic
Tokarczyk - and featuring New York Met baritone
at Kryspiniów near Krakow for a three-day gala. It
wanted to tell you, this monthly gathering at Kino
direction of Professor Mirosław Semeniuk-Podraza, of
Mariusz Kwiecień in the role of Count Almaviva,
begins on July 5, when participants from all over
Mikro could be right up your street. It’s led by some of
Krakow’s Academy of Music. The performers come
with Polish singers Robert Gierlach and Krzysztof
Europe will be registering their vehicles. At 8pm, the
the experts from the Krakow School of Psychotherapy,
from Poland, Europe, Japan, the USA and South Africa
Szumański sharing the role of Figaro. Most events will
Garbojama 2012 rally will begin, formally launching a
and includes screenings and discussion. Tickets cost
– and so do many of the audience. Tickets cost 25zł
take place at Krakow Opera House, but there will also
weekend of beetlemania. There will be music, shows,
10zł, and meetings are on the last Tuesday of every
(15zł concessions).
be concerts at Wawel.
competitions, and of course a whole host of lovingly
month, at 8pm.
restored and imaginatively customised cars.
Where: Kino Mikro, ul. J. Lea 5
Where: Dworek Białoprądnicki, ul. Papiernicza 2
Where: Opera Krakowska, ul. Lubicz 48
Where: Kryspinów, near Krakow
When: July 31
When: Until August 9
When: Until July 11
When: July 5–7
Full/ part time
advertising sales executives, Krakow
If you are experienced in sales and/or are willing to try, we
have exciting jobs available for highly motivated individuals
who can sell advertising in the Krakow Post.
For full time staff we offer a base salary and highly competitive results based sales
commission, and for part time staff the possibility of commission only work.
If you are interested please send your CV to [email protected]
6
Krakow Post
www.krakowpost.com / www.cracow-life.com
| July 2012
Viva la Pologne!
… and contemporary relations
Anthony Casey
Politically, with European integration, economically,
July brings the biggest celebration in the Gallic calendar – La Fête
Nationale, known in the anglophone world as Bastille Day. An excellent
reason for a party, and a feature looking at the long relationship
between Poland and France.
Historical links…
with the investment of French firms such as
Carrefour, Auchan and France Telecom in Poland, and
diplomatically, with state visits, France and Poland
have in the past 20 years become closer still.
It hasn’t all been roses and chocolates, though,
especially as nationalist fears prompted a backlash
in France about Poles arriving and taking work.
Franco-Polish links go back a long way… four
This phenomenon was last apparent when Poland
centuries ago the two nations shared a king. Henryk
joined the EU, but former Krakow Post correspondent
III ruled jointly over Poland and France, after being
Christopher Dembik noted in an article in 2010 that,
here may be more than 1,200 kilometres
elected to the Polish throne in 1573. He remained as
in the 1920s and 30s, French workers considered an
between Krakow and Paris, but the Poles and
head of the Polish state for just a year, but the royal line
influx of Polish miners a threat.
French have long enjoyed a close relationship.
did not end there. The French princess Ludwika Maria
France has been an ally of Poland’s throughout history,
was married to both Władysław IV and Jan II Kazimierz,
Nevertheless, it appears that both nations are on the
and the two nations have never been at war. France
and Jan III Sobieski was the husband of another French
whole at home with each other, and willing to share
was the destination of many economic migrants
princess, Maria Kazimiera. Going the other way, King
experience and ideas. In fact, an in-depth interview in
and political emigrees during the 19th century, and
Stanisław Leszczyński’s daughter Maria married Louis
Gazeta Wyborcza last month, with French economist
around a million people living in France today can
XV of France.
Hélène Périvier, showed that Poland is looking to
trace their family trees back to Poland.
France for guidance on social issues, including tips on
Two of Poland’s greatest writers, Adam Mickiewicz and
The nations consolidated their relationship further
Juliusz Słowacki, lived in the French capital for a time,
in the early 19th century, after Poland had been
as did the composer Fryderyk Chopin and the scientist
partitioned. Napoleon established the Duchy of
The British newspaper The Guardian analysed recent
Maria Skłodowska-Curie.
Warsaw in 1807, and gave huge support to the Polish
data from Eurostat and the UK government, looking at
Legions, who fought in the French army.
migration patterns in Europe. It found that there were
France has inspired Polish film-makers such as Andrzej
raising the birth rate.
just 705 French living permanently in Poland. However,
Wajda, Krzysztof Kieślowski, and Roman Polański, as
As the century progressed, many thousands of Polish
this does not take into account free movement of
well as artists including the impressionist painter Olga
intellectuals and politicians left Poland – with many
populations, or indeed of short-term migration for
Boznańska.
heading for Paris. This period, the Great Emigration of
education and economic purposes.
1831-70, was when Słowacki, Skłodowska-Curie and
It was in France that the poet Czesław Miłosz sought
Chopin moved to France.
political asylum… and the Polish Euro 2012 football
In Krakow, it’s certainly not difficult for French citizens
and francophiles to feel at home. One only has to
squad even boasted two French-born players, Ludovic
Good relations continued through World War I, but
visit Plac Nowy’s famous ‘Les Coleurs’ café, or Le Petite
Obraniak and Damien Perquis.
cooled a little after 1939 as Polish resentment at what
France on ul. Tomasza to realise that French culture is
they saw as the ‘Great Betrayal’ of France and others
alive and well here. The French Consulate in Krakow
grew. Nevertheless, Poles fought alongside French
is perhaps the centre of ‘official’ French life in the city,
regular troops and resistance fighters during World
but the cultural institute is the heart of all aspects of
War II.
French language and social life.
Janusz Tazbir wrote a paper for the journal Nauka in
2010, looking at past and current relations between
Poland and France. Here, he cited the attitude of many
Polish writers, that although Poland always loved
France, it had been an ‘unrequited love’; if that was true
in the past, it now looks very much as if ‘L’Hexagone’ is
softening at least a little into ‘Le Coeur.’
www.krakowpost.com / www.cracow-life.com
Krakow Post
|
7
July 2012
Poles in France
Fryderyk Chopin
Maria Skłodowska-Curie
Born in 1810, Chopin spent his first 20 years in the Warsaw area, before emigrating to Paris. There he
Along with Fryderyk Chopin, Maria Skłodowska-Curie is probably among the most famous Poles in
fell for the writer Amantine Dupin (better known as George Sand). He died in the city in 1849, age 39.
France. She was born in Warsaw in 1867, but left for Paris in 1891. There she led a brilliant career that
Although Chopin’s grave is in the Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, his heart is in a column in the Holy
earned her two Nobel Prizes – one, jointly, for physics, with her husband Pierre, and the other, in her
Cross Church in Warsaw.
own right, in chemistry. She died in Passy, France, in 1934, and was later honoured when her remains
were interred at the Pantheon in Paris.
Adam Mickiewicz
The author of Pan Tadeusz was also buried, for a short time, in France, in the Parisian suburb of
Olga Boznańska
Montmorency. He actually died in Constantinople (Istanbul), and was buried there first, before being
Born in Krakow in 1865, Boznańska went on to become one of the pioneers of Polish impressionist
moved first to France and then to his final resting place, at Wawel Cathedral in Krakow.
painting and was a key player in the Młoda Polska (Young Poland) movement. She settled in Paris in
1898, after stints in both Munich and Vienna, and her work was exhibited around Europe during her
lifetime – although her only solo show in Poland took place in Krakow in 1931.
Juliusz Słowacki
It’s impossible to miss the Słowacki theatre in Krakow – one of the grandest in all of Poland. The man
from whom it takes his name gave the nation some of its best-known plays and poems, and he too
Czesław Miłosz
spent time in Paris. The reason for his arrival in France in 1831 are somewhat mysterious, although it is
The Nobel Prize winning poet’s French connection began when he served as cultural attaché in Paris,
certain that he was on ‘official business’ liaising between Warsaw, Paris, Dresden and London. He died in
shortly after World War II. For Miłosz, the lure of the west and the critical post-war situation in Poland
Paris in 1849, and is buried at the cemetery in Montmartre.
were motivation enough for him to abandon his home nation and defect to France, in 1951. His stay
there was not long – though within two years he had won the Prix Litteraire Europeen – and in 1960
he emigrated to the United States
Fryderyk
Chopin
Adam
Mickiewicz
Une valeur sûre pour votre
développement
en Europe de l’Est
VALIANS International Sp. z o.o.
ul. Feldmana 4/7
31-130, Kraków, Poland
Tel: (+48) 12 631 12 89
Fax : (+48) 12 423 47 02
E-mail : [email protected]
www.valians-international.com
Juliusz
Słowacki
Maria
SkłodowskaCurie
Olga
Boznańska
Czesław
Miłosz
8
Krakow Post
www.krakowpost.com / www.cracow-life.com
| July 2012
Community
and other news
The Krakow Post provides a service to the international
community living in Krakow.
If you would like news of your past and future events to be covered by the Post,
please let us know.
Whether you are a local branch of a society such as TEDx, Toastmasters or Couchsurfing,
a Chamber of Commerce, a group of medical students, a Start Up support group, a
University forum, or a group connected to a Consulate or Foreign Cultural Centre,
we want to hear from you.
You can always send us press releases, but with planning we could give you a
regular slot in the paper.
Write to: [email protected]
Chris Riley
Dans
son
assiette
Maryline Bertheau-Sobczyk is CEO of
Valians International. She lives in Krakow
and has been involved in business cooperation between Poland and her native
France for the past 20 years. The Krakow
Post spoke to her about her experience
of the city, both as a leading figure in the
business community and a resident.
KP: What are the greatest success stories in the
field of Polish-French business co-operation?
MBS: Probably France Telecom – the biggest foreign
investor in Poland – but also the supermarket
chains (Carrefour, Auchan, Intermarché, Leclerc),
and the more than 1,200 French capital companies
operating in Poland from the large, like St Gobain,
to the small, like Rector.
KP: There are many historical links between Poland
Krakow Post: What is Valians International, and
and France, stretching back to King Henryk III in
what does it do?
the 16th century. Are there similarities between
Maryline Bertheau-Sobczyk: Valians International
the French and Polish views of the world?
is a consulting company offering operational
MBS: I would say both nationalities are patriotic,
business services and support in Eastern Europe,
although they show it in different ways. The French
mainly for French and francophone companies.
are proud of their history and culture and often
This business allows us to offer our knowledge
think that people should respect them just because
and know-how of Eastern European markets to
they are French (a kind of superiority complex)!
foreign companies who need trusted partners to
Polish people show their strong patriotism more
enter these markets with success. I’ve split my time
overtly – by flying flags on national days and
between France and Poland for the last 20 years, so
through fanatical support for their sports teams.
it seems quite logical for me to be involved in this
business, and I take great pleasure in it.
KP: Where do you relax in Krakow? Do you have a
favourite restaurant or cafe?
KP: What are the main challenges faced by French
MBS: I relax everywhere because I love this city!
businesses operating in Poland?
It’s so beautiful and charming. I like to discover
MBS: Language and cultural approaches: French
new places by bicycle, going to Tyniec for example
companies are often very cautious and need to
along the Vistula River. I love to discover new
be very prepared and sure they can do business
restaurants and cafes in Kazimierz. The last one I
before entering a market. Polish companies are
discovered was a French Brasserie, just like in Paris!
more practical and are ready to do business
And in the Market Square, the café in the National
quickly, even if they are not sure they can make
Museum at the Sukiennice, on the first floor, has a
a success of it. Because of this, they often prefer
fantastic view.
the German or Italian approach. Also, the culture
of the older generation of Poles, developed
KP: Where does the French community in Krakow
under Communism, is not always easy for French
tend to meet, or go out to enjoy themselves?
entrepreneurs to understand.
MBS: The French consulate regularly organises
business and cultural events. I would probably not
KP: What are the advantages of doing business in
be original by mentioning bars and restaurants in
Poland/Krakow?
the old town and Kazimierz.
MBS: A large market, a rapidly expanding
economy, huge investment projects, and a highly
KP: Will you be celebrating Le Quatorze Juillet
skilled and well-educated workforce at the heart of
(Bastille Day) in Krakow?
Europe. Krakow is an interesting place for business
MBS: Of course! There will be a party organised by
too, not just because of its cultural attractions, but
the French Consulate in Villa Deciusza.
also because of its proximity to Katowice (will we
call it Krakowice in 30 years?), a major industrial
KP: If you were Queen of Krakow for a day, what
centre closed to the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
would you change?
Poland still needs to catch-up with Western
MBS: If I had just one day, I would need a baguette
European standards but Poles are very open to
magique (magic wand)! I would probably build
moving forward and doing business despite (or
more parking places (underground!) and install
perhaps because) of the heavy weight of their
more ticket machines for parking and public
recent history. This is probably why Poland has
transport tickets, that take credit cards as well
come through the global crisis with flying colours.
as cash. I would renovate the façades of a lot of
beautiful buildings as well.
www.krakowpost.com / www.cracow-life.com
Bunkier Sztuki, Krakow
tagged: experimental, electronic, sound art
9
July 2012
03-07
Kallista is a collaborative audiovisual project
between three Ukrainian artists (Zavoloka, Kotra, and
Dunaewsky69) from the acclaimed Kvitnu label. It
appears to be the debut of this trio under this project
name, which is dedicated to their “favourite city of
Krakow”. Each artist has his or her own individual
approach to experimental electronics, running the
gamut from gentle drones to harsh noise - so we can
certainly expect some interesting soundscapes to
emerge from this promising collaboration. Slovakian
artist Binmatu will also present an audiovisual
performance, as well as Alisa Vasilkova from Ukraine who
will present her Day of Sound installation. Free!
Bjork
life
Zavoloka (Kallista)
04-07.07
Open’er Festival
Screaming Females
|
7
Kallista
Krakow Post
Bowerbirds / 05.07
05.07
13-14.07
UMF Poland
Gydnia-Kosakowo Airfield, Gdynia
tagged: rock, pop, electronic
Trzy, Mikołajska 3
tagged: folk, indie
Tor Służewiec, Warsaw
tagged: progressive house, trance, techno, electro
This massive summer festival is Poland’s answer to
Touring Europe in support of their recently released third
We don’t write much about genres like progressive
Glastonbury, with four days of internationally-renowned
LP entitled The Clearing, Bowerbirds will stop for a special
house here at Club Life, but when a festival as huge as
headliners, up-and-comers, and local favourites taking
concert in Krakow tonight. This American duo, which
UMF (based on the Ultra Music Festival in Miami) rolls
over multiple stages on Poland’s Baltic coast. Some of
comprises of Beth Tacular on accordion and vocals and
around - you can’t ignore a beast of that magnitude. All
the artists scheduled to perform are: Franz Ferdinand,
Philip Moore on vocals and guitar, has grown into a more
of the biggest names of popular dance music (or EDM as
Björk, Public Enemy, Justice, Bon Iver, Orbital, New Order,
complex sound adding friends on drums, cello, and keys.
it’s known in America) are booked for Warsaw’s edition -
Yeasayer, Wiz Khalifa, The Kills, The XX and The Mars Volta.
But the focus remains on beautifully arranged songs,
including Tiësto, Benny Benassi, Afrojack, Steve Angello,
Pick up a ticket for 165 złoty per day, or if you want to go
vocal harmonies, and lyrics heavily influenced by their
Richie Hawtin, Avicii, Carl Cox, Laidback Luke, Sven Väth,
all out - grab a full pass with a spot on the campground
surroundings in rural North Carolina. Check them out if
Above & Beyond, and many more. And if you’re ready to
for 410 złoty (approx. 100 euro).
you like bands like Great Lake Swimmers or Andrew Bird.
turn your nose up at those names, I’ll just leave you with
this to consider: Kraftwerk are playing as well.
07.07
Główny 6
tagged: punk, lo-fi, rock
Powerful American rock trio Screaming Females is
Jarrett Dougherty on drums, King Mike on bass, and
Marissa Paternoster on guitar and vocals. The fifth album
from the group is Ugly, showing Screaming Females
Richie Hawtin
at the top of their game with some serious guitar licks,
heavy drums, and Marissa’s vocals with their trademark
Micachu-like warble. It could be from all the cats she’s
been eating - just have a look at their latest video for “It All
Means Nothing” (don’t worry, she doesn’t really eat cats...
as far as we know).
Bowerbirds
13-14.07
Ambient Festival
OCT 3_DEC 2 2012
Gorlickie Centre of Culture, Gorlice
tagged: ambient, experimental, electronic
WWW.KJJ-FESTIWAL.PL
It’s always nice to see smaller towns getting involved with
more than just the typical pop fare, and that’s just what
makes the Ambient Festival in Gorlice so special. Not
only is there a great line-up of interesting international
artists, but with its small size the Ambient Festival is
an intimate experience. The organisers even make an
effort to join the audience with the artists by inviting
everyone to a camp fire. Harald Grosskopf, whose 1980
album Synthesist was re-issued in 2011 to much acclaim
Screaming Females
in electronic circles, will perform on Friday. Saturday’s
Harald Grosskopf
headliner is the one and only Christian Fennesz.
New Horizons Festival 19-29.07
Męskie Granie
Across Wrocław
tagged: film festival, alternative music
Garden of the Archeology Museum, ul. Senacka 3
tagged: rock, pop, jazz
While the three-hour drive to Wrocław is already wellworth it to enjoy the acclaimed film festival portion of
New Horizons (aka T-Mobile Nowe Horyzonty), it’s the
music programme that keeps us coming back for more
- especially during the musically-dry summer months
of Krakow. Each year the festival invites some truly
impressive acts from across the international alternative
music spectrum, as well as several Polish groups
pushing the genre-envelope. This year’s guests include:
Cocorosie, Peaches, Daniel Bloom, Hanne Hukkelberg,
Ballady i Romanse, Bill Laswell, and The Saintbox.
Coco Rosie
21.07
Normally I would busy myself with sarcastic remarks
about the great need for this beer-sponsored male-only
concert series - after all, I can only assume that men
were so unsatisfied with being the mere overwhelming
majority on any given music programme, that they
decided to invent Męskie Granie to finally reach their
goal of 100% manly man music. However, this year I can
only bite my tongue as even the artistic director - Kasia
Nosowska - is a woman (plot twist!) With concerts by the
likes of Marek Dyjak, Afro Kolektyw, Czesław Śpiewa, Julia
Marcell, Kari Amirian, as well as Nosowska herself - it looks
like this year’s edition, which as usual will take place in
the gorgeous gardens of the Archeology Museum, will
be a pretty classy affair.
10
Krakow Post
www.krakowpost.com / www.cracow-life.com
| July 2012
in association with:
Galeria Kazimierz
Martyna Wilde
Photo: David McGirr
It should have been perfect. A beer or two in the
open air, bobbing gently on one of Europe’s great
rivers under the sunset glowing walls of graceful
Wawel Castle.
magnificent, there was the river, lapping dutifully,
but where was the magic?
The ultimate in ying and yang and one of
fashion’s best loved looks, this bold motif first
Saddened but not disenchanted, we pulled
grabbed the attention of fashion followers in
for the lights of the next vessel. It was the same.
the 30s, and then, a few decades later, played a
The Krakow Post’s Bar of the Month team had
There was nothing obviously wrong with the
vital part in the Swinging London scene, which
waited a long time for this – since that day in
place, but there was also nothing about it that
saw the boutiques of Carnaby Street chock-full of
antediluvian January when the idea of judging
managed to take advantage of what should be an
stripey garments.
Krakow’s floating bars had first been raised. Back
irresistible setting. Instead of feeling charming, it
in that ice-locked epoch, the thought that, one
felt peripheral and dull. The lack of life around the
day, we would be lazing on the river enjoying the
river is partly to blame, but these bars were doing
ebbing heat of a June day became a Shangri-La of
little to help.
We have the Queen of Stripes, Vivienne
Westwood, to thank. She used the pattern to
The scuttlebutt was that brighter, better floating
great effect in her famous Pirates collection and
The evening started well with a display of local
bars lay just around the next bend in the river, but I
has revisited the theme regularly throughout her
lunatics bobbing about on the Vistula in inflatable
don’t think any of us really believed it. Abandoning
career. Picasso was another famed devotee of
rafts and jury-rigged canoes. Apparently it was art.
ship
the striped look – his favourite black-and-white
Certainly it was amusing, and put us in the mood
town, bad tempered and bickering. The situation
for a cold beer on a warm boat.
was not helped by the fact that we chose
summer boozing.
and
dreams,
we
tramped
back
into
T-shirt became part of his iconic image.
Swarming up the gangplank of the first floating
to head up ul. Dietla. And so it was that, late
gaff we came to, we prepared to drink in the
one Friday evening, the BOTM team found
sophisticated riverine atmosphere, and a lot of
itself tottering like shipwreck victims along
its beer. Disappointment asserted itself rather
what is both one of the longest streets in
rapidly. Despite indisputably floating on a river,
Krakow and the only one that doesn’t have any
Devil’s Cloth, A History of Stripes, tells a story
the place somehow managed to avoid any of that
bars.
riddled with cruelty and persecution. In medieval
Why are stripes loved so much? After all, for
much of history, black-and-white bands had
negative associations. Michael Pastureau’s book
delicious sense of messing about in boats. Instead,
This edition’s Bar of the Month? The first one
times, stripes were associated with those living
it felt like a un-excitingly dilapidated bar with a
around the next bend in the river – one day we
on the margins of society – prostitutes and
slightly curved floor. There was Wawel, spotlit and
will find it.
hangmen. Later, stripes were the uniform of
servants and prisoners.
LOVE LIFE
Perhaps it is these references that make the
black-and-white stripe so powerful – they are
CHEWING GUM UNDER THE TABLE
Dear Dr. Ovlowska,
This can be translated (unkindly) as ‘If you are
so clever, you are going to have to do all the hard
I love having friends over for dinner and drinks
but have become increasingly disillusioned by
work’. The deeper truth here is that there is no right
way to do anything.
the lack of manners. One left his wad of chewing
After some readjustment of their definition
gum, on my dining room table. Another refuses to
of ‘right,’ things did indeed begin to run more
remove his shoes, and mocks me for wanting him
smoothly for my friends. They gained real friends,
to. I seldom/never get invited back and that upsets
and new insights into different ways of doing
me. This is not the White House or Buckingham
things.
Palace, but why do some people act as if they were
born in a pigsty?
It can be a sharp learning curve, but if you want
to find love, and you want to receive it from others,
Yours truly,
you will repeatedly be confronted with a delicate
Heidi
balancing act of letting go, while not losing track
of who you are.
Dear Heidi,
If the pain of finding chewing gum stuck in your
I entirely understand your frustration and shall
carpet is so great, you will need to cut that person
refrain from speculating about where you pick up
out of your life. You will probably also have to be a
your dinner guests.
little more critical when you compose your guest
It seems you are used to the role of the generous
giver, and become disappointed when people do
not live up to your standards of quality and respect
list for your next party.
Other than that dear Heidi, I can only offer my
standard recommendation - learn to meditate.
for others. This is a sad lesson in life. Our own rules
Meditation will teach you to experience life
and ideas of right or wrong are often disappointed.
as ‘The Silent Observer.’ It will teach you not to
Close German friends of mine had a hard time
identify with your hurt feelings, but to experience
when they first came to Poland. They wanted to do
them as if you were sitting in a cinema watching
everything right and repeatedly found themselves
an interesting film.
being sniggered at by Polish friends who tell them
Best
‘Kto ma racje robi kolacje’.
Dr. Ovlowska
simultaneously modern and exciting and old
and threatening. Whatever associations they
have for you – classic, edgy, pirate, punk, risqué,
dangerous – the question is, how bold will you
dare to be?
GK wyprzedaz lato POST 260x365.indd 1
12-06-28 16:52
Krakow Post | July 2012 7
www.krakowpost.com
In business…
Marc Ammelung steps down from
Lufthansa AAC for Global project
The head of a major airline’s Krakow
financial services centre is to step down, in
order to take up on another project.
Marc Ammelung, 42, has been
managing director at the Lufthansa Airline
Accounting Center since 2005. He is to be
appointed director of the global business
services setup for the airline’s Globe
project. Mr Ammelung will take up the
post in Cologne on July 1, on a temporary
basis.
Patrick Jonas, 34, the current
managing director of Lufthansa’s Airline
Administration Center in Bangkok, will
become managing director at AAC Krakow.
His role will also be on a temporary basis.
Airline Accounting Center is one of
four ‘AACs,’ all members of Lufthansa
Shared Services International. The
company employs more than 400 people
in the Krakow office at Al. Pokoju. It
offers services such as finance accounting,
sales accounting, business services and
billing centre services, to other Lufthansa
companies and to airlines such as German
Wings, Swiss (Switzerland’s flag carrier)
and Finnair.
Anthony Casey
Two consortia make offers for
Chemobudowa Krakow SA
The Polish government has received two
offers for a majority shareholding in the
state-run construction firm Chemobudowa
Krakow SA, reports the newspaper Gazeta
Krakowska.
The Treasury plans to sell 85 per cent of
shares, and is understood to have opened
negotiations with two bidders. These are a
Krakow-based consortium, including Super
Krak and Krak-Chem, and Katowice’s
Maksimum. In all, there will be 161,500
shares on offer, with a nominal value of
50zł each. The remaining 15 per cent
holding will be granted to employees.
Chemobudowa’s main activity is in
the residential, industrial and utilities
construction segment, which accounts for
around 90 per cent of its business. It also
offers exhibition, hospitality and catering
services. Sales revenue in 2011 topped 211
million zł, resulting in almost 2.6 million
zł of net profit.
The Małopolska rich list
The Krakow region boasts some of the
richest individuals in Poland – with no
fewer than 18 of the country’s millionnaires
living here.
The wealthiest person in Małopolska is
Bogusław Cupiał, 11th richest in Poland,
with a personal fortune of 1.6 billion zł. Mr
Cupiał is the owner of cable manufacturer
Tele-Fonika.
He is followed by Zbigniew Jakubas,
15th in Poland, who is a shareholder in the
Polish Mint and the Puławy nitrogen plant
and has 1.4 billion zł. Brothers Józef and
Marian Koral have made 1.1 billion zł from
their ice business, putting them in 22nd
place.
These are Małopolska’s top three, but
others also appear on Poland’s ‘richest 100’
list.
Ryszard Florek, owner of the window
company Fakro, is worth 600 million
zł, and Wiesław Wodarski, creator of
the Tiger energy drink, has 500 million.
From Zakopane, the entrepreneur Adam
Bachleda-Curuś clocks in with 515 million.
Janusz and Elżbieta Filipiak, owners of IT
firm Comarch, have 432 million zł. Others
on the list include Kazimierz Pazgan, Jerzy
Kasperczyk, Krzysztof Pawiński, Sławomir
Rusinek, Zdzisław Stuglik, Józef Szczur,
Józef and Marian Koral, Rafał Brzoska,
Roman Kluska, and Jerzy Mazgaj.
8
www.krakowpost.com
Krakow Post | July 2012
ASTRO SELTZER
CANCER (Jun 21 - Jul 22)
While anxiety is never far removed from your life, you’re nevertheless enjoying a relatively trauma-free period these days. Your professional life is about to take a turn for the better as a well-calculated risk starts to pay off. A regular exercise regimen could help keep
panic attacks at bay.
LEO (Jul 23 - Aug 22)
SCORPIO (Oct 23-Nov 21)
AQUARIUS (JAN 20 - FEB 18)
TAURUS (Apr 20 - May 20)
Last minute, work-related travel
Plans will be coming to fruition
Long dormant contacts are about
Whenever you need a financial
plans will lead you down an
more easily than you could ever
to be revived, with exciting results.
shot in the arm, all you need
interesting path indeed. There
have imagined this month. With
People have not forgotten you:
to do is get the word out. This
is a spontaneous, open energy
less self-imposed stress in your
they’ve simply been taking care of
month, money will come flowing
around
convinces
life and more time for you to
the mundane aspects of their own
in, allowing you to indulge your
people you’re capable of anything. This month
enjoy life’s simple pleasures, your relationships will
lives. Before you know it, you will be working on
desire for an overdue getaway to more relaxing
there will be no time for navel-gazing. Take your
become more fluid, pleasant and relaxed. Projecting
any number of fascinating projects with equally
climes. A hobby could soon become a lucrative
vitamins! Keep relationships as clear as possible.
a less tense persona, you’ll be attracting similarly
fascinating
secondary source of income. Grab the opportunity
Be honest about your feelings now.
cheerier types.
dominant part in your life.
with both hooves!
VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sep 22)
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 20)
PISCES (FEB 19 - MAR 19)
GEMINI (May 21 - Jun 20)
you
that
people.
Newspapers
will
play
a
You’ve been biding your time,
Life is about to become more fun,
Never one to shirk duty or hard
Your easy charm and genuine
waiting for the perfect moment
filled with nicer, more agreeable
work, you’ve nonetheless decided
interest
to launch your latest enterprise.
humans. Feeling more attractive
to make life easier for yourself.
attracting new candidates for
Lacking in neither initiative nor
and desirable than you have in
You haven’t grown lazy; but you
friendship this month. Blessed
guts, you’re likely to go far both
ages, you’ll be reminded that
do want to enjoy the world more.
with a sharp-as-a-tack brain and
financially and professionally. Remember that good
the world can be quite a wonderful place! If you’re
You’re about to discover a way of
a wonderful sense of humour, you’re the perfect
relationships are always a major part of success.
looking for a new job (or mate) you’ll not be lacking
keeping a roof over your head and food in the fridge
antidote to the metaphysical blues that many
And this month you’ll have schmoozing to do.
offers.
while having loads more fun.
people seem to be experiencing. If you’ve been
LIBRA (Sep 23-Oct 22)
CAPRICORN (DEC 21 - JAN 19)
ARIES (Mar 20 - Apr 19)
in
people
will
be
suffering through a bout of the ‘guilts’ remember
that it’s always taken two to tango.
You’re not really one for short-
Yes, you will get the job done,
This promises to be a month full of
lived passions (being happy to
sooner than you think. Things
enthusiasm and wonderful ideas.
Written by Kerwin McLeister
leave that to our Aries friends).
have been dragging a bit lately,
Enjoying people in your immediate
But, this month you could find
and enthusiasm may be waning.
environment rather than looking
The Krakow Post’s astrology
column is for entertainment
purposes only, and the Post is
not responsible for any consequences incurred as a result of
this column.
yourself completely enthralled by
You will be spending this month
farther afield for inspiration, you’ll
someone who pops onto the scene in an absurdly
tying up loose ends and making sure that you’ve
come to appreciate that the answers to some of
exciting way. If a new romance is completely out
taken care of every fiddly detail. By month’s end,
life’s bigger questions are right under your nose.
of the question, then this kooky energy will likely
you will be moving on to something new that will
Children will figure prominently in your life this
manifest as sudden changes in the workplace.
rekindle your inner fire.
month.
Tales from the chalkface
The holidays start here
We’re all taking a breath, it’s coming
to the end of the year, and the older
students are leaving, exams over, a whole
summer ahead of a whole new life of
vast possibilities stretching out before
them. It’s wonderful to see the relief
on their faces as they leave the room
knowing no exam looms. It’s wonderful
for me knowing I don’t have to keep
myself awake supervising in a hot, tense
room listening to scribbling pens and
occasional sighs.
It’s time to party. Most of the partying
the teenagers are doing is something I
won’t witness, which is definitely the
way I like it. There is nothing as boring as
being with people for whom use (or, more
likely, misuse) of alcohol is a novelty.
There is only so much health education I
can do, but I am sure a few hangovers will
reinforce the discussions on the virtues of
moderation that were part of the baggage
school-leavers hopefully took with them.
Fortunately, the students organised one
official leavers’ celebration, to which
all teachers were invited. The character
of the organising year group determines
the character of the party, and this year
they did themselves proud. The venue
Modern
University
with rich
tradition
Chris Riley
overlooked Wawel, which made for a
spectacular backdrop for all of pictures
taken during the evening. The terrace was
furnished with a barbecue, and inside
there was room to mingle.
To the amusement of the female staff,
our invitations had requested we wear
formal dress – which actually meant:
“Don’t turn up in jeans.” We made a pact
to demonstrate to the young upstarts what
formal dress really means, and made sure
to wear full length gowns. The organisers
of the event had made a great effort
and, delightfully, all the students had
organised thoughtful thank-you gifts for
every one of their teachers. I was given a
huge handmade card with photographs of
the students working in class during their
course. The time and trouble everyone
had spent on the gifts was very touching,
and really reinforced the saying: “It’s the
thought that counts.” The most thoughtful
of all being a spoof maths paper devised
especially for the maths teacher. All the
in jokes were fully exploited.
In return, us teachers organised some
semi-formal tributes to each of the
students. This is only possible in small
schools and was very touching for all.
During the evening, several earnest
looking students came up to me and
delivered carefully prepared good bye
speeches. I’m not given to tears, but the
sincerity and heartfelt gratitude was very
humbling and almost had me weeping.
After the serious bit, there was singing,
a little dancing and lots of reminiscing.
The students were more sentimental than
the teachers. It was their night, so they
were entitled. In no time it was midnight,
and the youngsters moved on to their
own, further celebrations as the teachers
were finally asked to leave.
Walking home, I wished them all happy
lives and not too many hangovers.
e
Full time and part tim r ’s studies
te
Bachelor ’s and Mas
s,
ie
ud
st
te
Postgradua
al studies
or
ct
Do
including MBA
Majors dElivErEd in English:
BSc, Msc International Business
BSc Corporate Finance and Accounting
BSc Applied Informatics
Doctoral Studies in Economics
Finance and Management
CUE comprises four faculties
offering 17 majors :
 Faculty of Economics and International Relations
 Faculty of Finance
 Faculty of Commodity Science
 Faculty of Management
www.uek.krakow.pl
Krakow Post | July 2012 9
www.krakowpost.com
CRYPTIC CROSSWORD
1
Set by KC
2
3
6
5
20
21
7
8
9
10
11
12
18
4
13
14
15
16
17
19
22
23
24
ACROSS
DOWN
1 Important officer (5)
3, 23, 18 19’s June: “Mortal love, die off.”
(5,3,6)
6 Dish from 25? (5)
10 They draw arrows and fire (6)
11 Flimsy, it’s about litigious woman (6)
12 Top office? (4)
14 Drowned daughter of legendary 9 (5)
17 Hobo got back in African nation (4)
19 A speaker he’s not, but a writer (11)
22 Beer for legendary 9 (4)
23 See 3
25 Memory of a little drink (4)
28 9 – splitter! (9)
29 Great 9 (9)
1 19’s Scottish 9 (7)
2 Female 9 (7)
4 First 9 (7)
5 19’s Game (7)
7 9 1575–1586 (6)
8 See 9
9,8 19’s tale about regal kin (4,4)
13 Homer’s note? (3)
15 Confusion near a venue (5)
16 Failure takes sports lesson and is
conned (5)
17 Ripped up rock (3)
18 See 3
19 Ill after travel by sea (4)
20 Make what sound like a pot? (4)
21 19s Danish settlement (6)
24 Primarily, Nation of Islam (1,1,1)
26 Planted, held back, and erupted (4)
27 A piece of fruit, say, or two (4)
25
26
27
28
29
CONFUSED?
SOLUTIONS
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
There are very few Polish characters in this month’s crossword; but the Polish characters are very
important…
WRITTEN IN STONE
In Brief: The miraculous footprint of Poland’s
Figuratively, yes? As in ‘prayer and CPR’? No,
female king.
literally. Of course, Jadwiga did pray, most often at
Female king? Jadwiga was ‘king’ of Poland from
Wawel Cathedral. It was there that a figure of Christ
1384, until 1399. Although she was a woman, the
on the crucifix is said to have spoken to her. The
title ‘queen’ was not enough to assert her sovereignty
cross is still in the Cathedral, and Jadwiga’s remains
over the nation. Polish, it seems, lacked a distinction
are buried beneath it. As for resurrecting the
between the titles ‘Queen’ and ‘Queen Regent.’ To
dead, legend has it that Jadwiga covered the
avoid confusion, we’ll just call her Jadwiga.
body of a young boy with her cloak, after he
What’s this about a footprint? It is one of many
drowned in the Wisła. The boy miraculously came
legends and miracles about her. She gave jewellery
back to life.
to a starving workman at the Carmelite Church of
Impressive stuff! The church thought so too.
the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on ulica
Jadwiga was beatified in 1986, and the then Pope,
Karmelicka, and left her footprint in the plaster.
John Paul II, confirmed her canonisation, making
So what’s miraculous about that? The plaster
her a saint in 1997.
had already dried before Jadwiga stepped on it.
Bookend
Fair enough. What about the other miracles?
of Poland. Born, c. 1373, descendant of the
There are several – most notably, speaking with
Polish royal house of Piast. Died, July 17, 1399,
Christ and bringing the dead back to life.
Krakow.
biography:
Queen
Jadwiga,
King
ACROSS
1 Major, 3 Romeo, 6 Pasta, 10 Bowmen, 11 Tissue, 12 Head, 14 Wanda, 17 Togo, 19 Shakespeare, 22
Lech, 23 And, 25 Dram, 28 Stanisław, 29 Kazimierz
DOWN
1 Macbeth, 2 Jadwiga, 4 Mieszko, 5 Othello, 7 Stefan, 8 Lear, 9 King, 13 Doh, 15 Arena, 16 Duped, 17
Tor, 18 Juliet, 19 Sick, 20 Earn, 21 Hamlet, 24 NOI, 26 Etna, 27 Pair
A cryptic crossword is a series of puzzles which must be solved before the whole solution can be found.
For example, the clue for 27d is ‘A piece of fruit, say, or two’. The answer is ‘pair’ – which is ‘two’ said as
‘pear.’
10
www.krakowpost.com
Krakow Post | July 2012
SPORT
SPORT IN BRIEF
Last place, but heads held high
European Handball Championship
comes to Poland in 2016
Poland has won the right to host the European Handball Championship in 2016.
The January tournament will be held
in five Polish cities, including Krakow,
where a new 15,000-seat arena is under construction. The as-yet unnamed
venue being built in the Czyżyny area
may host the final, being the newest
and largest venue of the tournament.
The good news of Poland’s selection as
the host came days after the national
team defeated Lithuania to qualify for
the 2013 World Championship in Spain.
Agnieszka Radwańska forges ahead at
Wimbledon
Agnieszka Radwańska has encountered
little resistance on her way to the
fourth round at this year’s edition of
Wimbledon. The 3rd seed has yet to
drop a set as she vies for the first grand
slam title of her career. In the round
of 16, Radwańska will face unheralded
Italian Camila Giorgi, who has already
upset two seeded players in reaching
the 4th round. Radwańska is looking to
redeem herself after losing during the
first week at Roland Garros in May.
Tour de Pologne returns to southern
Poland in July
The 69th Tour de Pologne is set to begin
on July 10 at Karpacz in the Karkonosze Mountains, then wind through much
of southern Poland before concluding
six days later in Krakow. As usual, the
race will likely be decided in the Tatra
Mountains during the 5th and 6th stages. No elite riders, including last year’s
top 3 finishers, are expected to participate in this year’s event, since it will
be held while the Tour de France is still
in progress. Organisers moved the Tour
De Pologne from its traditional August
dates in order to avoid a time conflict
with the upcoming Olympic Games.
Poland’s Summer
Olympic hopefuls
Poland won’t need to wait long for a
chance at redemption in the arena of
international sport. The 2012 Summer
Olympics opens on July 27 in London,
and the Polish delegation looks poised
to improve on their lacklustre haul of 10
medals at the 2008 games in Beijing.
The nation’s success in London will
hinge largely on the performance of
their celebrated men’s indoor volleyball
team, which has a serious chance to
take Olympic gold. Andrea Anastasi’s
squad has been building momentum
in recent months. The team claimed
Polish hero Jakub Błaszczykowski in action (Photo: Krzysztof Jakub Porębski)
That dull thud you may have heard back
on June 16 was the collective hope of 38
million Poles hitting the floor. One strike
from the foot of Petr Jiráček in the 72nd
minute effectively knocked the co-hosts out
of Euro 2012 and sent the Czech Republic
into the quarter finals. Poland needed to
win in order to advance, but were unable to
convert any of their chances during a 0–1
defeat in Wrocław. The result, coupled with
Greece’s surprising win over Russia, left the
Poles in last place in what was considered
the tournament’s weakest group. Now a new
manager will be left to pick up the pieces
after Franciszek Smuda’s resignation.
Everything looked promising for Poland
early against the Czech Republic as two
powerful strikes caught the side netting,
and Robert Lewandowski drilled one on
target that was turned aside by Petr Čech
in the 10th minute. Poland continued to
exert pressure throughout the half, but were
unable to maintain their attacking form after
the break. The Czechs forced goalkeeper
Przemysław Tytoń to make several clutch
saves, until Jiráček’s demoralising goal on
the counterattack in the 72nd minute. The
deficit meant that Poland needed to score
twice in order to survive. While the Poles
had a number of chances in the waning
moments, they could do nothing to change
the outcome.
Despite the early exit from Euro 2012,
Poland had a few memorable moments in
their Group A campaign. In the opening
draw against Greece, Lewandowski
connected with a diving header in the 17th
minute for the tournament’s inaugural
goal. However, the match turned after
half time, beginning with the equaliser by
Dimitris Salpingidis in the 51st minute
and the subsequent sending off of Polish
goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny. Against all
odds, backup goalkeeper Tytoń emerged as
the hero of the night, coming cold off the
bench to save a second half penalty and
secure the 1–1 draw.
Next was the volatile tie with the Russian
team, who came to Warsaw after having
pummelled the Czechs 4–1 in their opening
match and looked set to take command
of the group. After a few near misses
for Poland early on, the Russians began
to dominate the ball, but were without
a shot on target until the 37th minute,
when Alan Dzagoev deflected home a free
kick, making the Polish defence pay for
leaving him unmarked in front of Tytoń.
Following another Russian threat in the
second half, the Poles counterattacked as
Błaszczykowski sliced through the opposing
defence and blasted a shot beyond the reach
of goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev in the
57th minute. Eugen Polański nearly gave
Poland the lead in the 69th minute, but the
match ended with the familiar result of 1–1.
The pair of draws put Poland in an
unenviable must-win situation, which
historically has brought out the worst in the
Polish team. Euro 2012 has proven that the
national FA still has plenty of work to do
before the representative side can compete
consistently against quality opposition.
The rebuilding begins this August with a
friendly against Estonia before the start of
qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Poland
have been drawn in Group H, along with
England, Ukraine and Montenegro. While
England are the clear favourites to win the
group, Poland have a realistic opportunity
to qualify through a play-off, but only if
they can put the disappointment of Euro
2012 behind them.
James C Muus
silver in last winter’s World Cup, an
Olympic qualification event, and has been
dominant in the pool stage of this year’s
World League after finishing 3rd overall
in 2011. Although men’s volleyball is the
only team competition featuring Poland
at these Olympics, there are a number
of other performers who are considered
favourites in their respective events.
In track and field, 30-year old Tomasz
Majewski is the reigning gold medalist
shot putter, although he hasn’t won a
major competition since 2009, despite a
string of podium finishes. In the discus
competition, Piotr Małachowski was the
silver medalist at the 2008 games and is
the current European champion. Poland
also has a pair of contending middle
distance runners in Marcin Lewandowski
and Adam Kszczot, both of whom have
taken gold in the 800 metres at recent
European championships.
Among Krakow citizens, Agnieszka
Radwańska appears to have the best hope
of bringing home a medal. In addition to
women’s singles, the WTA’s no. 3 player is
also expected to team up with her younger
sister Urszula in the doubles event. The
tennis competition will take place at
the All England Club only three weeks
after the completion of the Wimbledon
Championships.
A number of Polish weightlifters are
expected to collect medals in London.
Foremost among them is Adrian Zieliński,
the 2010 world champion in the 85kg class.
At 22 years old, he will be competing in his
first Olympics. Not to be outdone, Marcin
Dołęga is a three-time world champion
in the 105kg class as he looks to erase the
memory of coming fourth in Beijing. On
the women’s side, Marzena Karpińska and
Aleksandra Klejnowska are two European
title-holders vying for medals.
Elsewhere on the programme, Maja
Włoszczowska is a co-favourite in
mountain biking after her silver medal
ride in 2008. The 28-year old claimed the
world championship in 2010 and followed
it with a runner-up finish last year. In
addition, Poland has several athletes
attempting to become repeat medalists in
rowing, canoeing and fencing.
James C Muus
Krakow Post | July 2012 11
www.krakowpost.com
With the Accent School of Polish
przedsięwzięcie noun (n)
nadmorski adj. (m)
Euro 2012 było udanym przedsięwzięciem.
Euro 2012 was a successful undertaking.
Turyści doceniają nadmorski klimat polskiego wybrzeża.
Tourists appreciate the coastal climate at the Polish seaside.
spierać się verb (ja spieram się; ty spierasz się)
długoterminowy adj. (m)
Lekarze wciąż spierają się z Ministerstwem Zdrowia.
Doctors are still wrangling with the Ministry of Health.
Długoterminowa prognoza pogody na lipiec wygląda obiecująco.
The long-term weather forecast for July looks promising.
an undertaking
coastal, maritime, seaside adj.
to wrangle, to dispute
CO PAKUJEMY NA WAKACJE?
© by M. Gałęziowska & Accent School of Polish
A little bit of Polish
kap
elu
sz
a
pa r
s ol
nam
pl e
bik
to
long-term adj.
cak
ini
wę d
rb a
kl a p
ka
ś p iw
leża
ki
ia
m
k re o p a l a n
o
d
k
iot
ma
pa
wio
- Gdzie jedziesz
na wakacje?
- Do czego się pakujesz: do plecaka
czy do torby?
ór
sło
- Co pakujesz?
kaj
skie
g ó r u ty
b
A TY?
ak
PEOPLE SAY THAT SUMMER IS THE BEST TIME
FOR LEARNING POLISH! VISIT US AND CHECK!
For more Polish visit www.polishforforeigners.com! New Polish courses starting in July at Accent School of Polish!
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KRAKÓW
UNDER NAZI
OCCUPATION
1939-1945
The Historical Museum
of the City of Kraków
Oscar Schindler's Enamel Factory
Lipowa 4, 30-702 Kraków
tel.: +48 12 257 10 17
e-mail: [email protected]
Tickets can be booked
at the Museum's box office.
For online booking go to www.mhk.pl