The 43 rd International Polonaise Ball
Poland Fascinated with Brazil
Gala Dinner Dance Saturday, the Seventh of February The Year Two Thousand and Fifteen at Seven O’clock pm Eden Roc Hotel Mona Lisa Ballroom – Cocktail Hour Pompeii Promenade Ballroom – Dinner 4525 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33140 “Polonaise” by the Members of the Committees and Special Guests Entertainment by Paulo Gualano Samba Group Music for Dancing by Frank Hubbell Orchestra
White or Black Tie Regalia
R.S.V.P.
Under the gracious patronage of the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Washington D.C. Mr. and Mrs. Ryszard Schnepf
Special Guest
President Lech Walesa
Royal Guests
H. R. H. King Kigeli V of Rwanda H.R.H. Duke Dom Duarte Pio de Braganca Ampun (H.M.) Sultan Muedzul-Lail Tan Kiram, Royal House of Sulu H. I. H. Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie of Ethiopia H.I. H. David Bagrationi of Moukhrani, Royal House of Georgia Marquis Alberto D’Ornellase de Vasconcellos Jardim Count Antonio De Deus Ramos Ponces De Carvalho
International Honorary Committee Dr. Horacio Aguirre Princess Marianne Bernadotte Honorable and Mrs. Zbigniew Brzezinski Drs. Stanislaw and Barbara Burzynski Prince and Princess Karol Czartoryski Mr. Rafal Olbinski Princess Lada Schuiski Ms. Loretta Swit Mr. and Mrs. Henry P. Williams III Dr. Damian Valenzuela Mayer Honorable and Mrs. Walter Zachariasiewicz
Ball Chairmen Lady Blanka Aldona Rosenstiel
Countess Barbara Pagowska - Cooper
Co-Chairmen Mrs. Ruby Bacardi Mrs. Regina Beaman Count Rodney Hildebrant Mr. and Mrs. Keith Gray Mr. and Mrs. Amedeo Guazzini Ms. Monika Jablonska Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lowenthal Mrs. Irena McLean - Laks
Count Matthew Meehan Marquis Alexander Colonna-Walewski Montague and Marquise Maria Alonso Montague Ms. Alicja Schoonover Mrs. Marjorie Sonderling Mrs. Beata Paszyc and Mr. John Frank Velez Baron Kimon Andreou Vergara Mr. John Wayne Jr.
Social Committee Mr. Douglas Evans and Mr. Mikolaj Bauer Drs. Wojciech and Renata Cymer Mr. and Mrs. Gouzago Dal Borgo Mr. and Mrs. Bob Dickinson Honorable and Mrs. Maurice Ferre Baroness Magdalena A. von Freytag Mr. & Mrs. Edward George Mrs. Jadwiga Gewert Countess Magdalena Grocholski Mr. and Mrs. Karlheinz Huth Mrs. Alicja Iwaszkiewicz Mr. and Mrs. Jan Karaszewski Mr. Steven Karski Mr. and Mrs. Krzysztof Kruszelnicki Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Kruszewski Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Kurczaba Mr. and Mrs. Leszek Ladowski
Miss Francesca Lowenthal Miss Luccia Lowenthal Dr. Basil and Mrs. Magdalena Mangra Miss Monica Mangra Mr. and Mrs. Roy Meyeringh Mrs. Nina Mlodzinska de Rovira Dr. Michel S. Pawlowski Mrs. Daisy Richardson Mr. Jarosław Rottermund Mr. and Mrs. Marcelo Sabino Mrs. Carol Sadowski Ms. Lynne Schaefer Mr. Michael Skronski Mr. John Sullivan Ms. Gloria Twardowski Johnson Mrs. Ligia Wiegand Mr. and Mrs. Ludwik Wnekowicz
Chicago Committee Chairmen
Ohio Committee Chairmen
Countess Brigitte Victoria Cooper Countess Janelle Annette Cooper
Mr. and Mrs. Thad Cooke Mr. and Mrs. Chester Partyka
Co-Chairmen
Co-Chairmen
Countess Izabella Pagowska – Budys Ms. Vanessa Godek Dr. and Mrs. Janusz Golec Dr. Michael Hytros Dr. Ewa Jachimowicz Dr. Tomasz Osolkowski Mr. Jacek and Dr. Jolanta Tatara Dr. and Mrs. Mark Tucci Dr. and Mrs. Jerome Zwierzycki
Mr. Leon Cholewa Badzinski Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Broski Mr. Edward Godlewski Mr. John Nosek Mr. and Mrs. George Sobieraj Mr. Ben Stefanski, II Mr. Jon Theobald Dr. Michael Klimiuk-Wieczerski
Michigan Committee Chairman
New York Committee Chairman
Ms. Halina Malinski
Countess Jadwiga Krasicki
Co-Chairmen
Co-Chairmen
Mrs. Barbara Lemecha Mrs. Henrietta Nowakowski
Mr. Grzegorz Fryc Mr. and Mrs. Chester Lobrow Mrs. Jadwiga Palade Mr. Slawomir Platta Dr. and Mrs. Tadeusz Pyz Mrs. Danuta Wilk
The American Institute of Polish Culture, Inc. A non-profit, public-benefit, cultural organization
1440 79th Street Causeway, Suite 117, Miami, Florida 33141 Phone: (305) 864-2349 ∙ assistant@ampolinstitute.org ∙ www.ampolinstitute.org
Brazil
A magical, vibrant and passionate country of lively colors, spicy tastes, multinational cultures, awe-inspiring natural wonders and an outrageous and eclectic carnaval celebrating the samba. The Brazil experience is like no other, enjoyed with a caipirinha in your hand and bossa nova in your heart!
Early Poles in Brazil
Krzysztof Arciszewski (1592-1656) born into a noble family, became General of the Polish Royal Artillery and Admiral of the Dutch Navy. Served as the vice-governor of Dutch Brazil for a short time. Noted ethnographer of the Brazilian Indian cultures and respected engineer.
Piotr Czerniewicz (1812-1881) Medical doctor educated in Poland and France. Co-creator of Medical Academy in Rio de Janeiro, he wrote scientific books which were popular throughout Latin America, as well as several pharmacology and prescription handbooks.
Czesław Bieżanko (1895–1986) Entomologist, professor and recognized authority on South American butterflies. Established the generic classification of butterflies and many of them are named after him. He also introduced soya in Brazil and was decorated with highest Brazilian order, “Ordem de Cruzeiro do Sul” (Order of the Southern Cross).
The first Polish settlers to arrive in Brazil in the 17th century were Krzysztof Arciszewski, Wladyslaw Wituski, and Zygmunt Szkop who maintained a colony on the coastline. But the greatest influx of Polish immigration to Brazil was in the late 19th century and they helped build the railway in São Paulo-Santos and a river port in Manaus, the captial of the Amazonas. This great land attracted explorers, scientists, engineers, clergy members, economists and other professionals who were instrumental in making Brazil a vibrant international country.
Polish family in 1940’s Brazil
Voyage from Poland to Brazil
Making Brazil Home Brazil in the 19th century had the same allure to immigrants as the US did and for bold, entrepreneurial Poles, the “Island of Flowers” fascinated them with its raw beauty, endless possibilities and message of hope for a new prosperous life.
Polish Church in Rio-Claro, Paraná
Brazilians girls of Polish descent celebrating Easter at Bosque do Papa in Curitiba
The Poles settled primarily in the State of Paraná in the southern region of Brazil. Their native folk music, dances, customs, foods, traditions, clothing and architecture flourished in small towns like Mallet, Cruz Machado, São Matheus do Sul, Irati, and União da Vitória, eventually becoming an integral and accepted part of the local culture.
Ignacy Moscicki (1935) with their highest distinction, the Order of the Southern Cross. This mutually rewarding diplomacy in art and business continues to this day. There are approximately 3 million residents of Polish heritage in Brazil today. Paraná retains a strong influence from Polish culture and the capital, Curitiba, has the second largest population of Polish diaspora in the world after Chicago. Polish music, dishes and culture are quite common in the region and the Polish language is still spoken by many residents along with their native Portugese.
Brazil was the first Latin American country to recognize independent Poland in 1918, with official diplomatic ties between the two beginning in 1920. Brazilians awarded Marshall Jozef Pilsudski (1920) and President Monument of Polish Sower in Curitiba
Train depot in New Gdansk, Paraná
Vintage Polish settler house and commemorative plaque in Pope John Paul II Park
Fascinated with Brazil Many artists, writers, aristocrats and business people went to Brazil during and after World War II to find refuge or to start anew, including poet Jan Lechon, singer Jan Kiepura, pianist Witold Malcuzynski and actor and theater director Zbigniew Ziembinski.
Arkady Fiedler (1894-1985) Writer, journalist and adventurer. Established a museum in Poland in his name to house the many artworks and artifacts from his world travels. Wrote extensively about Brazil.
Julian Tuwim (1894-1953) Poet and leader of Skamander, the Polish futurist poetry society. Wrote the epic masterpiece, Kwiaty polskie (“Polish Flowers”) while living in Brazil.
Irena Eichlerówna (1908-1990) Actress known as “Poland’s Eleonora Duse.” She emigrated to Brazil in the early 40’s, performing on radio shows and in several stage productions.
Alfred Jurzykowski (1899-1966) Prominent entrepreneur and philanthropist who was the first to manufacture cars and trucks in Brazil in the 1950’s and introduced and managed first Mercedez-Benz. A foundation and library bearing his name are in NYC.
Polish aristocracy who emigrated to Brazil after WWII included the Radziwill, Zamoyski and Czartoryski families.
Prince Roman Władysław Sanguszko (1901-1984) Nobleman, horse breeder, industrialist, philanthropist. Inspiration for “Prince Roman,” a short story by Poland’s Joseph Conrad.
Prince Olgierd Czartoryski and Archduchess Mechthildis of Austria in 1912
Zygmunt Sulistrowski (1922-2007) Ecologist and film maker who loved Brazil so much, that he devoted 30 years to the preservation of the Amazon region. His several films include Naked Amazon (1954), nominated for the Grand Prize at Cannes, and AIPC awarded him a Gold Medal in 1999.
Polish Brazilians Today Angélica Cristine Kvieczynski (born 1991) Rhythmic gymnast who won a silver medal and three bronze medals in the 2011 Pan American Games, won six gold medals in the 2010 South American Games and won the Prêmio Brasil Olímpico once.
Letícia Wierzchowski (born 1972) Author of best selling novels and kid’s books. A Casa das Sete Mulheres (“House of the Seven Women”), translated into 5 languages was adapted as a mini-series by TV Globo and aired in 23 countries.
Filipe Luís Kasmirski (born 1985) Star left back footballer in Brazil’s Premier League. Began his career in Spain but chose to join Brazil’s team Chelsea as a fulfillment of a life long dream.
Maria da Graça Xuxa Meneghel (born 1963) Xuxa is a Brazilian television presenter, film actress, singer and businesswoman who is broadcast worldwide. A twotime winner of the Latin Grammy for Best Children’s Album also known for her epithet, Queen of the Shorties.
Andrzej (Andres) Bukowinski (born 1940) Movie director and renowned “King of Commericials” made Brazil his home in 1973. He is the recipient of several prestigious awards for both his films and television work, including the Cavalier Cross from the President of Poland.
Paulo Szot (born 1969) An operatic baritone who has earned several honors, including a 2008 Broadway Tony Award for Best Performance in a Musical for his starring role in South Pacific. Performs in international opera houses La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera and the Palais Garnier.
Francisco Lachowski (born 1991) This Ford Agency Supermodel of the World (2008) is featured on the runways and in print and TV ads for the most successful men’s designers in the world. Thaís Felipe Pacholek (born 1983) Brazilian actress who has appeared in several Brazilian TV shows including Programa Silvio Santo, Amor e Revolução and Balacobaco.
Enrique Ricardo Lewandowski (born 1948) An activist attorney and ardent supporter of the Clean Record Law for those in civil service office, he has held a number of public positions. Currently the President of the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil.
Alessandra Corine Ambrósio (born 1981) Model and cover girl who first achieved international fame with Victoria’s Secret (2004) and is still one of the top earners in the field. Besides cameo parts in TV and film, she also serves as an ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Alexandre Herchcovitch (born 1971) Successful international fashion designer applauded for his glamorous yet avantgarde designs and eclectic prints. Young Brazilians embraced his iconic skull motifs in the 1990’s.