Visiting of Poland / III wydanie

Ta d e u s z

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Jędrysiak

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Lech

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Zdrojewski

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P O L A N D

V I S I T I N G

POLAND Ta d e u s z J Ä™ d r y s i a k Lech J. Zdrojewski

Tadeusz Jędrysiak Lech J. Zdrojewski

Visiting POLAND Text and layout: Tadeusz Jędrysiak Lech J. Zdrojewski Photographs: Lech J. Zdrojewski & Krzysztof Frydel Anna Wąs Kinga Gełdon Lech Magnuszewski Tadeusz Jędrysiak Karolina Jędrysiak Wanda Krzywicka Zygmunt Pałasz Marta Streng Anna Szymanowska Dąbrówka Tyślewicz Krzysztof Banik Rafał Jankowiak Łukasz Wójcik Paulina Ratkowska Magdalena Zawitkowska Jacek Żmichowski & Mechanical Documentation Archive - Warsaw Graphic design: Lech J. Zdrojewski DTP: Katarzyna Stosik Proofreading: Magdalena Zawitkowska ISBN 978-83-65365-40-8 oprawa miękka 978-83-65365-41-5 oprawa twarda

Published by: © Fundacja OKO-LICE KULTURY Zblewo, ul. Modrzewiowa 5 www.oko-lice-kultury.pl © Copyright by T. Jędrysiak & L. Zdrojewski Third Edition Zblewo, Poland 2018 002

CONTENTS History of Poland General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The beginnings of Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Poland’s changing frontiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Piast dynasty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Jagiellonian dynasty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Elected kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The period of foreign rule (1795-1918) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The 20th century: between the wars (1918-1939) . . . . . . . . . 15 World War II (1939-1945) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 People’s Republic of Poland (1945-1989) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Republic of Poland after 1989 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Polish Cities Gniezno - the first capital of Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Poznań - the second capital of Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Cracow - the third capital of Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Warsaw - the fourth capital of Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Gdańsk - Amber Capital of the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Sopot - the summer capital of Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Gdynia - Poland’s window to the world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Szczecin - the largest inland seaport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Wrocław - European Capital of Culture 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Zakopane - Poland’s winter capital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Kazimierz Dolny - a pearl of the polish Renaissance . . . . . . 117 Lublin - where the east meets the west . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Zamość - a jewel of world Renaissance culture . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Łódź - a city of four cultures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Toruń - the town of Nicholas Copernicus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Malbork - the biggest fortress in Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Religious Life in Poland Churches and religious life in Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Częstochowa - the spiritual capital of Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pilgrimages in world religions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Polish sanctuaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pelplin - Cistercian cathedral and Gutenberg Bible . . . . . . . . . Święta Lipka - Poland’s Baroque masterpiece . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Polish Madonnas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Polish saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Roadside shrines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

124 126 130 132 136 138 139 140 144

Famous Poles Polish Nobel Prize winners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Great Poles, Polish composers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Polish landscapes and culture heritages UNESCO world heritage sites in Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Polish landscapes and polish forests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Open-air museums in Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

National anthem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Polish cuisine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Souvenirs from Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Polish language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

182 184 190 192 196 198 200

Jewish Roots in Poland Thousand years of Jewish history in Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Jewish Warsaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 The Warsaw Ghetto 1940-1943 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 The Jewish cemetery in Warsaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 The Ghetto Monument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 003

HISTORY OF POLAND - THE BEGINNINGS OF POLAND

THE BEGINNINGS OF POLAND The crowned White Eagle is the oldest of Poland’s national symbols.

It is its emblem and coat of arms. Its origins are both legendary and historical.

Well over a thousand years ago, the three legendary brothers: Lech, Czech and Rus, leaders of their Slavic tribes, were wandering in Central Europe looking for a place for permanent settlement. Czech became the founder of the nation and state of the Czechs. Rus went east and became the founder of the nation and state of the Ruthenians. Lech went further north. One day, he and his tribe stopped for a rest at the edge of a great forest. Looking around, Lech spotted a large white bird, majestically circling overhead. The bird landed in a nest in a large oak tree.

Lech took the presence of the white eagle and its nest to be a good omen.

He turned to his Lechitians and said: “Here will be the place of our permanent settlement, which we shall call GNIEZNO (the old Polish word for ”nest”) and the White Eagle shall be our symbol”. The declaration was enthusiastically acclaimed and accepted by all the Lechitians. His people became known as POLANIE, which means “field dwellers”. In the beginning of the 10th century the borders of the Holy Roman Empire reached the Odra River. Here, the Empire’s eastward colonization encountered a powerful obstacle, the well organized state of Polanie who, unknown to Christian Europe, had been developing an autonomous Slavic culture for about 200 years. In 966, Duke Mieszko I of the Piast Dynasty, which was named after the legendary founder of the Polanie tribe, converted the country to Christianity. For several generations, the Polanie, under the leadership of the Piast Dynasty, withstood the armies of the Empire.

(962-992)

The first historical ruler of Poland.

He is recognized as the founder of the Polish state. Baptized in 966, made his country independent from the German church hierarchy.

He brought Poland into the world of western culture and Latin literacy.

He started the recorded history of the Poles which has continued without break from that day to this.

His son, Boleslaus the Brave, broadened and strengthened the frontiers of the states.

He founded an archbishopric in Gniezno (1000), and was crowned as the first king of Poland (1025).

Baptism of Poland. Contemporary mural in Gniezno

----------------------Baptism of Poland. (Mural in Gniezno) Duke Mieszko I was christened with his whole court in 966, a year after marrying a Christian Czech princess - Dobrawa.

In the following years, all Polish people became believers of the Christian religion.

Duke Mieszko I

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HISTORY OF POLAND - POLAND’S CHANGING FRONTIERS

King Boleslaus the Brave (Bolesław Chrobry) (992-1025)

POLAND AND LITHUANIA IN 1569

When Mieszko died, his son Boleslaus became the leader of the Poles.

Boleslaus earned himself the title ”The Brave” for he was strong and courageous.

He safeguarded Poland’s independence, establishing it as a kingdom and promoted Christianity. He is considered the real founder of the Polish nation.

POLAND’S CHANGING FRONTIERS Poland’s frontiers have been changing wildly throughout history. Sometimes Poland was a sprawling empire stretching almost from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea. At other times it was a little landlocked nucleus, or vanished completely.

At present, after in 1945 the Allied leaders decided to shift it bodily to the west, Poland is roughly where it was when it began a thousand years ago, in the time of the Piast dynasty.

POLAND TAKEN OFF THE MAP OF EUROPE 1795-1918

POLAND IN 1000

THE SECOND POLISH REPUBLIC 1918-1939

THE WHITE EAGLE 700 years of the coat of arms of the Polish state In Poland, the eagle appeared as a coat of arms for the first time on seals of several Dukes of the Piast dynasty (they were portrayed both standing and on horseback) in the years 1222-1236. It was their personal and family coat of arms and at the same time the emblem of their dukedoms. The eagle was selected as their coat of arms for its symbolic values. As the king of all birds it was a primeval symbol of power, victory, force and kingship. For the same reason many monarchs in other countries also used the eagle in their coats of arms.

The eagle of the Piast princes had different colours than the others.

From the beginning it was the White Eagle on a red shield (on “gules”, in heraldic terminology). In the beginning, the eagle of the Piasts had no crown.

It was not until trends to unify Polish lands and to restore the Kingdom of Poland (disrupted as early as in the second half of the 11th century) emerged that the eagle’s head was crowned. It took place in 1290, when the Duke of Great Poland and Cracow, Przemysław II put forward a plan to unite Poland, together with his own claim to the royal crown.

POLAND AFTER WORLD WAR II (SINCE 1945)

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HISTORY OF POLAND - PIAST DY­NA­STY 966-1370

PIAST DY­NA­STY 966-1370 Piast pe­riod saw a gre­at chan­ge in Po­land. Over fo­ur cen­tu­ries, the Piast ru­lers from Miesz­ko I to Ca­si­mir the Gre­at trans­for­med the co­un­try from a bac­kward pa­gan du­ke­dom in­to a ci­vi­li­zed Chri­stian mo­nar­chy. mid­- 10th c. - The cre­ation of a Po­lish sta­te un­der the re­ign of the Piast dy­na­sty.

GNIE­ZNO - was ma­de the ca­pi­tal by the first Piast prin­ces.

966 - Miesz­ko I was bap­ti­sed; Po­land jo­ined the com­mu­ni­t y of La­tin Chri­stian co­un­tries.

This mo­ment is con­si­de­red as the be­gin­ning of the hi­sto­r y of Po­land.

PO­ZNAŃ - in the­10th cen­tu­r y be­c a­me the ca­pi­tal of Po­land and re­ma­ined so until the be­gin­ning of the next cen­tu­r y.

999 - Bi­shop Adal­bert (Woj­ciech) was ca­no­ni­zed and proc­la­imed a pa­tron sa­int of Po­land.

1000 - The Ger­man King and the Ho­ly Ro­man Em­pe­ror, Ot­to III, vi­si­ted Bo­le­slaus the Bra­ve’s co­urt. He ma­de a pil­grim­age to the gra­ve of St. Adal­bert.

The Empe­ror pla­ced his crown on Bo­le­slaus’s he­ad, as a sign that he re­co­gni­zed the new Po­lish re­alm.

1025 - Co­ro­na­tion of the first king Bo­le­slaus the Bra­ve. Po­land was now of­fi­cial­ly a king­dom.

CRA­COW - the ca­pi­tal of Polish King­dom from the 11th c. to the end of the 16th c.

1138 - King Bo­le­slaus Wry­mo­uth (Krzywousty) di­vi­ded the Po­lish lands among his sons. For the next 200 years, Po­land be­ca­me a na­tion of in­cre­asin­gly smal­ler

and we­aker se­mi­-in­de­pen­dent prin­ci­pa­li­ties.

1226 - The Teu­to­nic Kni­ghts are in­vi­ted to Po­land, to pro­tect the ter­ri­to­ries and at the sa­me ti­me to co­nvert eastern Prus­sia, a re­gion then in­ha­bi­ted

by pa­gan pe­ople of Bal­tic ori­gin.

The Teu­to­nic Or­der of Kni­ghts of St. Ma­r y the Vir­gin we­re a Ger­man or­der for­med in the Ho­ly Land du­ring the Third Cru­sa­de.

By the 13th and 14th cen­tu­r y the Teu­to­nic Kni­ghts had be­co­me a mi­li­ta­ri­stic sta­te which then tur­ned aga­inst Po­land and Li­thu­ania.

1241 - The Mon­gols de­va­sta­ted so­uthern Po­land, bur­ning towns and for­tres­ses; Po­lish for­ces de­fe­ated at the bat­tle of Le­gni­ca.

End of 13th ce. - The Tatar invasion had left much of Poland devastated and the Teutonic Knights had overrun most of what was later known

as East Prussia.

1320 - Ladislaus the Short (Łokietek) restored the monarchy. Poland was once more a kingdom. As a king of Poland, Ladislaus the Short continued defending

the nation from foreign aggression.

1331 - Ladislaus the Short won a battle at Płowce against the Teutonic Knights, which did not, however, defeat them decisively.

1333 - Casimir the Great’s reign: he gave Poland its first written laws, rebuilt Cracow into a magnificent capital and welcomed into Poland thousands

of Jews fleeing from persecution in the Rhineland. Poland was famous in Europe at that time for its tolerance of all religions and nationalities.

Casimir the Great built Poland into a major Central-European power, increasing her territory 2.5 times.

1364 - Casimir the Great founded the Academy in Cracow, the later Jagiellonian University (it was one of central Europe’s earliest universities,

second to Prague). The University became recognised as one of the great seats of learning in the western world.

1370 - Death of Casimir the Great, the last king of the Piast dynasty. He died leaving no heir.

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Gniezno - the first capital of Poland.

Cathedral in Gniezno

Panoramic view of the cathedral in Gniezno. Gniezno’s cathedral is regarded as the spiritual home of Poland’s former monarchy - it is here where Poland’s first five kings were crowned.

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HISTORY OF POLAND - PIAST DY­NA­STY 966-1370

Poland in 1000 The lands of Poland in the year 1000 covered about 250 000 square kilometres and were inhabited by about 1,2 million people.

POLAND IN 1000

Casimir the Great (Kazimierz Wielki) (1310 - 1370)

Ruled Poland from 1333 to 1370.

He was the only Polish monarch to earn the title ”the Great”. It is often said that he inherited a country of wood, and left one of stone, as Casimir was a great builder of cities.

His reign saw the erection of city walls around more than 27 large settlements. He also ordered the construction of almost 50 fortresses to protect all the borders of his kingdom.

PIAST DY­NA­STY

Queen Hedwig (Jadwiga)

962 - 992 Mieszko I 992 - 1025 Boleslaus the Brave 1025 - 1034 Mieszko II 1034 - 1058 Casimir I 1058 - 1079 Boleslaus the Bold 1079 - 1102 Ladislaus Herman 1102 - 1138 Boleslaus Wrymouth 1306 - 1333 Ladislaus the Short 1333 - 1370 Casimir the Great ANJOU DYNASTY 1370 - 1382 Louis of Hungary 1382 - 1386 Queen Hedwig

(1374 - 1399)

Everyone considered her a saint. After marrying Jagiełło, she devoted her life to helping the poor. She died in Cracow and is buried at the Wawel shrine.

She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1997. She gave her jewellery for development and expansion of the Cracow University, which was later renamed the Jagiellonian University in her honour.

Poznań - the second capital of Poland.

Poznań - Ostrów Tumski - Cathedral

Ostrów Tumski - Cathedral Island Panoramic view of the cathedral in Poznań.

Poznań’s cathedral is one of the oldest churches in Poland, and the oldest Polish cathedral, dating from the 10th century. For almost 300 years the Gniezno cathedral was the coronation cathedral, however also for years the kings’ and dukes’ burials took place in Poznań.

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“They gave up their lives so that we could live in dignity” - says the inscription

Solidarity (Polish: Solidarność; full name: Independent Self-Governing Trade Union “Solidarność” - Niezależny Samorządny Związek Zawodowy “Solidarność”) is a Polish trade union federation founded in 1980 at the Gdańsk Shipyards, originally led by Lech Wałęsa. In the 1980s, it constituted a broad anti-communist social movement consisting mainly of people associated with the Catholic Church.

Lech Wałęsa - The Solidarity leader

HISTORY OF POLAND - PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF POLAND 1945-1989

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HISTORY OF POLAND - PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF POLAND 1945-1989 GDAŃSK - THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE FIRST FREE INDEPENDENT LABOUR UNION IN COMMUNIST EUROPE During a growing wave of new strikes in 1980, protesting against the rising food prices, Gdańsk became a hotbed of resistance to government decrees. Some 17 000 worker at the Lenin Shipyards there staged a strike and barricaded themselves within the plant under the leadership of LECH WAŁĘSA, an electrician by trade.

In mid-August 1980 an Interfactory Strike Committee was established in Gdańsk to coordinate rapidly spreading strikes there and elsewhere; within a week it presented the Polish government with a list of demands.

On August 30th, accords reached between the government and the Gdańsk strikers sanctioned free and independent unions. By early 1981, solidarity had a membership of about 10 million people and represented most of the work force of Poland. On December 13th, 1981, General Wojciech Jaruzelski imposed a martial law in Poland in a bid to crush the Solidarity movement. Solidarity was declared illegal, and its leaders were arrested. Although the martial law persisted for almost a decade, the communist party found that the military rule could not revive Poland’s failing economy. As the economic crisis worsened, public discontent increased.

In August 1988, the communist government, faced with the largest labor unrest since 1980, agreed to hold talks with the Solidarity leaders. Negotiations began in February 1989. By April, representatives had agreed on the legalization of Solidarity and free elections for seats in the Sejm (Polish Parliament).

The survival of Solidarity was an unprecedented event not only in Poland, a satellite state of the USSR ruled (in practice) by a one-party Communist regime, but also in the whole “Eastern Block”. It meant a break in the hard-line stance of the communist Polish United Workers’ Party, which had bloodily ended a 1970 protest with machine gun fire (killing dozens and injuring over 1 000), and the broader Soviet communist regime in the Eastern Block, which had quelled both the 1956 Hungarian Uprising and the 1968 Prague Spring with Soviet-led invasions.

Solidarity’s influence led to the intensification and spread of anti-communist ideals and movements throughout the countries of the Eastern Block, weakening their communist governments. In Poland, the Roundtable Talks between the weakened government and the Solidarity-led opposition led to semi-free elections in 1989. By the end of August, a Solidarity-led coalition government was formed, and in December Lech Wałęsa was elected president.

“... in such place silence is a cry” - words of Pope John Paul II as he visited the site.

The Monument to the Shipyard Workers, also known as the Solidarity Monument in Gdańsk. The monument is located near gate 2 of the Gdańsk Shipyards

Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers 1970 The Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers 1970 was erected in 1980 in Gdańsk, to commemorate people killed during the Coastal cities events in December 1970. The crosses symbolize the three workers who were killed outside the shipyard gates, while the anchors represent faith and hope. The erection of the monument was one of key demands during the 1980 strikes, and the monument is marked by a poignant inscription

by Czesław Miłosz: “You who have harmed simple man, mocking him with your laughter, you kill him, someone else will be born, and your deeds and words will be written down…”.

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Warsaw - panoramic view of the Old Town from Praga district

HISTORY OF POLAND - REPUBLIC OF POLAND AFTER 1989 1983 - Martial law lifted in July. Some 100 government opponents lost

their lives in the 1.5-year crackdown. Lech Wałęsa, the leader

of the Solidarity Trade Union, received the Nobel Peace Prize.

1984 - Murder of Father Jerzy Popiełuszko, the Solidarity underground

activist and chaplain of the Warsaw steelworks. He was kidnapped

and murdered by the Secret Service officers.

1985 -1988 - Period of gradual liberalization corresponding to the advent

of Mikhail Gorbachev in Soviet Union; economic crisis

and popular frustration deepen.

1988 - Renewed labor strikes lead the government to initiate talks

with the opposition.

THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND AFTER 1989

Cracow - panoramic view of the Wawel Hill

1989 - ”Round Table” talks held in Warsaw.

Solidarity won a resounding Warszawa (Warsaw) - panoramic view of the Old Town

victory in the first free post-war from the east bank of the Vistula River.

elections to the Seym and Senate, The Vistula (Wisła) River, the same that flows through Cracow,

and the communist regime collapsed. divides the 1,8 million Warsaw in two parts. The eastern right-bank 1990

The Soviet Union accepted the responsibility part called Praga has no major tourist attractions. The city center lies

for the World War II murders of thousands on the left bank, with the rebuilt historical Old Town to the north and main government and embassy district to the south.

of imprisoned Polish officers in the Katyń Forest, Since 1980 the Old Town of Warsaw is a UNESCO monument.

a massacre the Soviets had previously blamed on the Germans.

Lech Wałęsa became President of the Republic

in the first free presidential elections since the war.

1991 - The Warsaw Pact was dissolved.

1993 - The last Soviet soldiers left Poland.

1995 - The former communist Aleksander Kwaśniewski won

the presidency by a narrow margin over President Lech Wałęsa

with 51.7% of the votes.

1996 - The Polish poet Wisława Szymborska won the Nobel Prize

for literature.

1997 - Poland adopted a new constitution to replace the 1952 communist-era

charter. It was committed to a market economy, private ownership,

personal freedoms and civilian control of the military.

1999 - Poland joined the NATO. 2000 - President Aleksander Kwaśniewski was re-elected.

2004 - Poland became a member of the European Union.

2005 - President Lech Kaczyński won the national election.

2007 - Poland joined the Schengen area - border posts and checks have been Kraków (Cracow) - Old Town Historical District

removed between Poland and Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia Poland’s prime tourist attraction, the country’s capital since 1038

and Lithuania. Borders between Poland and Ukraine, Russia to 1596, Cracow boasts numerous landmarks. Its historic area’s grid

and Belarus became the Eastern frontier of the European Union. of streets with the huge central Market Square, Europe’s largest in the Middle Ages, dates from 1257 and seems the last stage 2010 April, 10th - Poland’s president Lech Kaczyński and all oficiales aboard in the perfection of medieval city planning. It is also the best

were killed in a plane crash in western Russia, near Smoleńsk. example of that art. “Cracow’s Historic Centre” was added

The group was heading to a ceremony commemorating the 70th to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978.

anniversary of the Katyń massacre, in which more than 20 000 elite

Polish troops were killed by members of the Soviet secret police Warsaw

during World War II. A total of 96 people perished in the crash, - a giant cross monument

including Poland’s deputy foreign minister, 12 members marked the 30th anniversary of the

of Parliament, the heads of the army and the navy, Pope’s first pilgrimage to his homeland.

and the president of the national bank.

The 9-meter (30-foot) tall white granite 2010

Bronisław Komorowski took both the first and second cross stands on the site where John Paul II celebrated a mass in 1979 for the first rounds of the election and was sworn in as president in July. time after being made pope in then2011 July, 1st - Poland has taken over the rotating European Union presidency communist Poland. The inscription

for six months for the first time since it joined the block in 2004. is taken from his sermon and reads: 2014

Canonization of Pope John Paul II. “Let your Spirit come down and renew the face of earth, this earth”. 2015 - Andrzej Duda was sworn in as president in August.

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Gniezno - Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Adalbert

POLISH CITIES - GNIEZNO - THE FIRST CAPITAL OF POLAND

GNIEZNO - THE FIRST CAPITAL OF POLAND The plains of Poland were settled by Slav tribes around the 8th century. In the 9th century the tribe of Polanie (which means people living in the forest clearings) and Wiślanie (people living on the Vistula River) established the first recognisable states.

From the 9th century, the country was dominated by the Polanie, ruled by the Piast dynasty. In the 10th century Gniezno was made the capital of the first Piast dukes. The name of this town relates to the Polish word for “nest” (gniazdo), for it was one of the first places which the Slavic tribe of Polanie made their home.

The first event recorded in the history of Gniezno was the arrival of the German Emperor Otto III in the year 1000 to see the grave of St. Adalbert (Wojciech) and to meet the Polish King, Boleslaus the Brave (Bolesław Chrobry). This meeting resulted in Emperor Otto III recognizing the independence of the Polish state, and King Boleslaus the Brave as its crowned ruler. Gniezno became the state and church capital of Poland, the symbol of Polish statehood and Christianity.

Boleslaus the Brave, the son of Poland’s first ruler Mieszko I, was crowned king in Gniezno in 1025. Later, the capital was transferred to Poznań. However, at the turn of the 13th century, Polish kings were still crowned in Gniezno. Gniezno has numerous churches with fragments preserved from the 11th century. A pearl among them is the Romanesque cathedral.

Monument of the King Boleslaus the Brave Boleslaus the Brave (Polish: Bolesław Chrobry) - (966/967 - 1025), duke (from 992) and then (from 1025) first king of Poland, who expanded his country’s territory to include Pomerania, Lusatia, and for a time the Bohemian princely lands. He made Poland a major European state, and also created a Polish church, independent from German control.

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Monument of the King Boleslaus the Brave in front of Gniezno Cathedral

It was just in Gniezno that one of the most important events in our history took place - the baptism of the Piast prince, Mieszko I, in the year 966. This historical moment made Gniezno a very important centre of Christianity, which was symbolized by the establishment of the first bishopric.

The arrival of the Prague bishop Adalbert (Wojciech), his Christianizing mission in Prussia and the martyr’s death gave beginning to the cult of St. Adalbert, which up to now unites and attracts to Gniezno pilgrims from the entire Europe.

POLISH CITIES - GNIEZNO - THE FIRST CAPITAL OF POLAND

In 1994 the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments awarded Gniezno the title of St Adalbert’s City.

On 23rd April, St. Adalbert’s Day, a religious procession with the Saint’s relics passes through the streets of Gniezno, and a traditional fair is held in the market-place.

The grave of St. Adalbert in the Cathedral

The grave of St. Adalbert (Wojciech)

Gniezno Cathedral by night

Cathedral - The historical heart of Gniezno is it’s Cathedral.

Sitting on the Lech Hill, it majestically towers over the town. It is said that the Cathedral was originally built in the 10th century but no one can give exact dates. However we know that reconstruction works were done in the late half of the 11th century giving a three-aisle Romanesque stone basilica with two towers. Later there were more reconstructions and the present Gothic outlay was begun in 1342.

The church has suffered two fires, one in 1613 and one in 1760. After the latter the towers were completed with the Baroque roofs and helms.

Bronze Door - The Cathedral’s other renowned possession is the bronze Gniezno Door, at the old main entrance in the south nave, one of the finest examples of Romanesque metalwork in Europe.

Over three meters high and with its wings of different sizes, the double door was made around 1175 by local artists who depicted the life of St. Adalbert (Wojciech) in 18 bas-reliefs.

The Gniezno Doors are a pair of bronze doors at the entrance to Cathedral in Gniezno

The touring highlights:

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POLISH CITIES - POZNAŃ - THE SECOND CAPITAL OF POLAND

POZNAŃ - THE SECOND CAPITAL OF POLAND the seat of the first polish rulers The city is situated on the historic Piast route on the Warta River. In 968 Mieszko I made it the capital of his state and established here the first bishop’s seat in Poland. The small fortress which stood on the “Ostrów” island was soon enlarged and became the most powerful of all strongholds in the country. After its destruction by invaders from Bohemia, the capital was transferred to Cracow (1038). The town, however, was rebuilt and continued to develop; in 1253, a new town of Poznań was laid out on the left bank of the Warta River. In the 15th century, it became one of the most important commercial centres in Central Europe (large fairs). In the 19th century Poznań was incorporated into Prussia. Poznań is a now big industrial center, road and railway junction and famous for Poznań International Trade Fairs. Every year, Poznań International Trade Fair management organises several events, including art fairs, building construction, computer systems, electronics and agricultural products fairs. St. Martin’s Fair is a very special event during which all sorts of things can be bought at a reduced price.

The touring highlights: The Old Market. From each corner of the market there are 3 radiate streets. The surface area is almost 2 hectares which puts it in the third place after the markets in Cracow and Wrocław. At the end of WW II, the citizens of Poznań found their Old Market 60% destroyed.

Town Hall - the biggest attraction of the Old Market in Poznań is the Town Hall. This excellent example of Renaissance architecture was raised between 1550-1560 on the site of a previous Gothic style house belonging to one of the city’s high officials in the 13th century. Town Hall was badly destroyed in 1945 and reconstructed.

The Town Hall is surrounded by beautiful 17-19th centuries houses restored after World War II.

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The Old Market in Poznań

Billy goats clashing horns - symbol of Poznań

POLISH CITIES - POZNAŃ - THE SECOND CAPITAL OF POLAND

Symbol of Poznan, little goats on tower of Town Hall - A point of attraction of central tower of the Town Hall is the clock, and precisely the strange mechanism that opens up every day at noon, presenting two goats who butt each other for a minute or two, and then retire into the clock for another day.

According to a legend, they once saved the Town Hall from fire. With time, they have become the symbol of the city and of its witty, stubborn and hard-working citizens.

The creator of the clock and mechanism was Bartłomiej Wolff, who constructed it in 1551 by an order of the city council.

Statue of Bamberka

The Town Hall in Poznań

Statue of Bamberka - Bamberka is a statue of a woman dressed in a characteristic folk costume, carrying pails of water. The name comes from a southern German region - Frankonia - Bamberg, from where German settlers came to Poznań by an official invitation from the city fathers. Between 1719-50 several hundred farming families settled in the surrounding villages.

They came to repopulate the region after the devastation of the war and cholera.

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Wawel Cathedral - part of the Royal Castle in Cracow

POLISH CITIES - CRACOW - THE THIRD CAPITAL OF POLAND

KRAKÓW CRACOW - THE THIRD CAPITAL OF POLAND the royal capital of ancient Poland Cracow is generally considered the cradle of the nation, where the Polish kings ruled on Wawel Hill in the Middle Ages when Poland rose to the position of a Central European superpower. And though the kings moved away a long time ago, many still consider Cracow the cultural capital of Poland. Cracow was the only major city in the country to come through the World War II essentially undamaged. Cracow is certainly one of Poland’s most beautiful cities now, with most of the tourist attractions concentrated in its Old Town. Present-day Cracow is also one of the main cultural, educational and industrial centers of Poland. In 1978 Cracow was included by UNESCO on the World Culture Heritage List, which contains the world’s twelve most valuable places. Every street of this ancient capital is steeped in history.

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Krakowiak - folklore polish national dance

Mountaineer’s folk dance in the Old Market in Cracow

In the year 1000 Cracow became the seat of the bishopric, and in 1257, under the rule of Boleslaus the Shy, the town was given city rights. From the 11th century up till the end of the 16th century, Cracow was the capital of Poland. A major contribution to the development of Cracow was made by king Casimir the Great (14th century). His reign saw the foundation of the university, the construction of many splendid edifices, and the establishment of the separate town of Kazimierz. In the past, some called Cracow “another Rome”. For a few centuries it developed as the seat of Polish kings, to reach its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries as the capital of Europe’s biggest state. The wealth of the city attracted many famous artists, whose masterpieces have survived until the present day. For hundreds of years Cracow has also been one of the most important academic centres in the world, home of the Jagiellonian University.

The most famous students to date were Nicholas Copernicus and the first Polish pope, John Paul II. In 1596 king Sigismund III Vasa moved from Cracow to Warsaw, together with the whole court, and three boats with the queen’s belongings were sent down the Vistula River. This royal transfer was associated with a fire on Wawel, as well as with the king’s involvement in maintaining the succession to the Swedish throne, as Warsaw was closer to Stockholm. But only in 1611 did the king settle in Warsaw for good.

After the 3rd partition of Poland, Cracow went under Austrian rule, but from 1809 it belonged to the Warsaw Duchy. From 1815 to 1846 Cracow was proclaimed a Free City, and later incorporated into the Austrian Empire. After more than a century of national bondage, in 1918, Cracow regained freedom.

POLISH CITIES - CRACOW - THE THIRD CAPITAL OF POLAND

Wawel Hill: Royal Castle and Cathedral

Wawel is a limestone hill (228 m above the sea level) in the centre of Cracow upon the Vistula River, with a complex of impressive historical monuments of unique historical and artistic values. It is one of the most important historical sites in Poland, a symbol of Polish tradition and culture.

Wawel Cathedral - one of the holiest places in Poland

Thanks to its 1000-year-old history and numerous treasures, the Cracow Cathedral is arguably the most interesting place in the whole country, with the adjacent Wawel Royal Castle being the close second. Its present 14th-century walls shelter a great variety of top-class objects of art, from Gothic, through Renaissance, Baroque and Classicist to Modern. The present Cathedral, the third one stand on this site, was begun in 1320 and completed in 1364. The original austere structure remains mostly unchanged today, except for some Renaissance and Baroque chapels that now huddle up against it. The dark interior of the Wawel Cathedral contains no less than 18 chapels full of religious art. Some of the highlights of the Wawel Cathedral are the Chapel of the Holy Cross, the gold domed renaissance Chapel of King Sigismund, the tomb of St. Stanislaus and Sigismund Bell. The most notable of these is the Sigismund Chapel, built in 1517-1533 . The chapel houses the tombs of King Sigismund, King Sigismund II Augustus and Anna Jagiellonka. Easily identifiable on the exterior by its golden dome, the Sigismund Chapel is considered to be the finest Renaissance chapel north of the Alps.

The sculptures, stuccos and paintings were designed by some of the most renowned artists of the age.

The Sigismund Bell is an awesome sight and has a phenomenal deep toll that can be heard up to 50 miles away.

The great bell is one-third heavier and 350 years older than Big Ben in London.

It is tolled only on solemn state and church occasions, including the death of Pope John Paul II in 2005.

It is actually possible to touch the Sigismund Bell, for good luck.Dominating the nave of the cathedral is the mausoleum of St. Stanislaus, Poland’s patron saint. The 11th-century Cracow bishop was murdered by King Boleslaus II. The saint’s silver coffin (circa 1670) is adorned with 12 relief scenes from his life and posthumous miracles. Marble tombs of four 17th-century Cracow prelates adjoin that of their predecessor.Since 1037, Wawel Cathedral has been the burial place of Polish kings, even after the capital moved to Warsaw. The royal tombs of all but four of Poland’s 45 rulers can be seen in the cathedral’s side chapels and in the 12th-century St. Leonard’s Crypt. King Casimir the Great’s tomb is to the right of the main altar, made of red marble. From the 19th century, only great national heroes were honored by a burial in the Wawel Cathedral. These include: Tadeusz Kościuszko (buried 1817); the great romantic poets Adam Mickiewicz and Juliusz Słowacki (whose bodies were brought back from exile for burial here); and Marshal Józef Piłsudski, the hero of independent Poland between the two world wars (buried in the crypt in 1935).

Royal Castle - the national art collection

Panoramic view of Wawel Hill from the Vistula River side

Wawel Cathedral

The Royal Castle, completed in 1536, is one of the most interesting examples of the Renaissance architecture in Central Europe. The ground floor housed the facilities and the offices; the first floor - the royal private apartments. On the top floor in the state rooms, the court ceremonies used to be set. After the fire in 1595, the Castle was partly redecorated in the Baroque style. In 1596 king Sigismund III Vasa moved with his court to Warsaw, and since then the Castle started losing its importance and splendor. The Austrian occupation (after the last partition of Poland 1795) brought it to destruction. The renovation of the Castle started in 1905 and was successfully finished in the interwar period, when it became the temporary seat of the President. During World War II the Wawel Castle was the seat of Hans Frank and the German occupation authorities of the General Government.

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Panoramic view of the Old Market in Cracow

Cracow’s trumpet player

POLISH CITIES - CRACOW - THE THIRD CAPITAL OF POLAND

Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) in Cracow

The bugle call played from the tower of the St. Mary’s Church has become Cracow’s symbol, its legend known by every child in the country. Cracow is the only place in the world where a trumpet is sounded from a steeple at every hour, every day of the year. The tradition of this call goes back to 700 years ago. The trumpeters work on three 8-hour shifts, around the clock. The whole of Poland can hear the noon bugle call, which is broadcast daily by Polish Radio Station No. 1. Legend has it that when one morning in 1241 the Tatars invaded Cracow, the man playing the warning song from the city walls was shot in the neck, abruptly cutting off the song in mid-melody.

This traditional bugle call is supplemented for one year by a song of mourning to commemorate the death of Pope John Paul II. This takes place on each first Saturday of the month at 9.37 p.m. (the hour of his death).

The following year and in the years to come a song called “Barka” (“Barge” ) will be played, the melody which bid him farewell when he left to take office in the Vatican.

This is the beginning of another fine tradition connected with the city of Cracow.

Panoramic view of the Old Market in Cracow

A symbol of the city

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St Mary’s Church. The bugle-call is played every hour from the taller tower window’s into the four quarters of globe

POLISH CITIES - CRACOW - THE THIRD CAPITAL OF POLAND

Market Square.

The heart of the city is the City Market Square, built in the 13th century as the largest square in medieval Europe. Once a center of economic, political and religious life, today it is a popular area to meet and stroll along its narrow streets. The oldest building is the small 10th century St. Adalbert’s church, whose cellars illustrate the layers of land amassing in the square from the 14th till the 19th century. In the middle stands the medieval Cloth Hall (Sukiennice). Today Sukiennice is also Poland’s single largest concentration of folk handicrafts of every type, including folk costumes, lacework, embroidery, wood carvings, wayside shrines, wycinanki (paper cut-outs), dolls, hand-made greeting cards, reverse painting on glass, amber jewellery and much more. On the first floor of Sukiennice is a branch of the National Museum with a splendid collection of Polish paintings.

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POLISH CITIES - WARSAW - THE FOURTH CAPITAL OF POLAND

WARSZAWA WARSAW - THE FOURTH CAPITAL OF POLAND Legend has it that a fisherman and his wife, called Wars and Sawa, once came to settle by the banks of the Vistula. A creature called a mermaid who was half-fish and half-woman surfaced from beneath the waves of the Vistula and persuaded Wars and Sawa to found a city. This city became known as WARSZAWA. Warsaw’s coat of arms features the Mermaid - a female figure with a fish tail, a sword raised in her right hand and a round shield held in her left. There is a royal crown over the coat of arms. The Mermaid Statue (“SYRENKA“ in Polish) stands in the very centre of the Old Town Square, surrounded by a fountain.

City flag: a yellow horizontal stripe above a red stripe.

Panoramic view of Warsaw from the Praga side by Zygmunt Vogel (1804), National Museum Warsaw

The Column of King Sigismund III Vasa

For the citizens of Warsaw, King Sigismund’s Column is the symbol of the city. For tourists it is the starting point for walks. This is Warsaw’s most instantly recognizable monument which stands in the center of the Castle Square.

It is the city’s oldest and most famous one.

It is also the first secular monument erected outdoors not only in Warsaw, but in Poland.

The monument was erected in 1644

by King Ladisluas IV Vasa in honour of his father.

It was also intended to commemorate the transfer of the capital of Poland from Cracow to Warsaw in 1596.

When the US General Dwight Eisenhower visited Warsaw immediately after the war, he was moved to comment: ”I have seen many towns destroyed, but nowhere have I been faced with such destruction”.

Buried under twenty million cubic metres of rubble, the city resembled a shattered shell; over half the population had been killed, and 85% of the city razed to the ground.

St Alexander’s Church

The Old Market Square

Panoramic view of the Old Town

St Alexander’s Church

The Old Market Square

Panoramic view of the Old Town

Warsaw has changed a lot since 1989 when the Communist regime ended and the Iron Curtain collapsed. New opportunities for democratic Poland and its capital resulted in a rapid growth of life level and the modern architecture and a higher standard of live. This was the first time after the WWII when Warsaw was reborn, after the era of concrete ˝matchbox architecture˝. Nowadays, with a population of over 2 million, Warsaw, the capital of Poland, has been chosen among the top cities in Europe to lead the 21st century in investment and business opportunities.

Warsaw 1945

Warsaw - Present-Day

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POLISH CITIES - WARSAW - THE FOURTH CAPITAL OF POLAND

WARSAW SIGHTSEEING The present character of the city is determined by three important factors: World War II, over 40 years of communist rule, and the present years of transformation with its in-flow of foreign capital and investment. As many European capitals, Warsaw is full of striking contrasts.

Historical monuments that were newly rebuilt after World War II coexist with numerous examples post-war housing estates of grey concrete tower blocks and ultra-modern glass office buildings built since 1989. Similarly, the hassle and bustle of its lively city centre, the constant flow of traffic and the crowds of people contrast with the serenity of the many beautiful urban parks.

Your sightseeing tour will be mostly concentrated on the historical places which mark the history of Warsaw from 16th century until the World War II. But it is essential for all visitors of the city to see the remains of the communist era of Polish history, as well. The destruction of Warsaw in the last days of German occupation left large devastated areas in the centre of the city, which was a wonderful opportunity for the authorities of communist Poland to implement a new - and the “only correct“ - style of architecture which was called socrealism. Quite surprisingly for most visitors, this style, based on communist ideology of social solidarity and the leading role of workers and farms, is not too different from the architecture realized in some West European countries in the 50s of the century.

You will find a lot of monuments and sculptures, as well as public buildings, incredibly similar to the “modernist” architecture of your cities.

The touring highlights: 1 - Old Town. The Old Town of Warsaw. Seven centuries of Polish history shaped the Old Town of Warsaw. This place is the most attractive and picturesque part of our capital. The Old Town, which was completely destroyed during WW II, has been carefully reconstructed.

2 - Royal Castle. The Royal Castle of Warsaw, a symbol of Polish statehood, bombed in September 1939, upon Hitler’s personal order, and blown up by the Nazis in 1944. Its reconstruction, funded by public donations, lasted from 1971 to 1988.

3 - Łazienki Palace and Park. Łazienki Park is one of Europe’s most delightful examples of 18th century architectural and park design, and one of the most beautiful parks in Poland.

4 - Wilanów Palace. Wilanów - a palace-garden complex which served as a royal and later an aristocratic residence for nearly 300 years. Today it ranks among Poland’s most valuable historic monuments.

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POLISH CITIES - WARSAW - THE FOURTH CAPITAL OF POLAND

JERUSALEM AVENUE (Aleje Jerozolimskie)

One of Warsaw’s principal thoroughfares. It runs through the City Centre along the East-West axis, linking the western borough of Wola with the bridge on the Vistula River and the borough of Praga on the other side of the river. In the 18th century this road led through open fields to the little village on the outskirts of the town, called New Jerusalem because it was inhabited by a Jewish colony. Although the village was abandoned shortly after its foundation, and most of the Jews eventually moved to the city itself, the name stuck and is used ever since. The broad boulevard has now been built up with tenements and housing blocks.

THEATRE SQUARE (Plac Teatralny)

The Theatre Square was the heart of Warsaw until the outbreak of World War II. It was laid out in the first half of the 19th century, when the Grand Theatre was erected on the south side. In September 1939 the civilian defense of the city was located in the City Hall (Jabłonowski Palace). During the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 the square witnessed heavy fighting between the Nazi German soldiers and the Armia Krajowa (Home Army) partisans. Most of the surrounding buildings were heavily damaged or completely destroyed. After the war several buildings were renovated, though the pre-war city hall was not. In the 1990s the city hall was built again according to the original architectural plans.

NATIONAL GRAND THEATRE (Teatr Wielki)

For over 170 years, the Grand Theatre has been Poland’s the grandest opera and ballet theatre. It was built in 1825-1833 to a design by the Italian architect Antonio Corazzi of Livorno. The building was converted several times. It was bombed during the siege of Warsaw in 1939 and almost completely ruined. Only the original classicist façade survived. In 1945-1965 the company performed on other stages while the theatre building was being restored and expanded according to the design by Bohdan Pniewski. The Grand Theatre became one of the biggest and most modern operatic stages in the world. The main stage of the Grand Theatre was equipped with modern hydraulic mechanisms allowing the construction to perform quick changes of monu-mental sets, and the audience space was enlarged to accommodate 2000 places. The former Ballrooms (Redutowe Rooms) on the first floor now house the Poland’s only Theatre Museum. In 2002 the Grand Theatre’s façade was crowned with a magnificent sculpture of the Apollo’s Quadriga, as originally envisaged by the architect Antonio Corazzi 180 years before.

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POLISH CITIES - WARSAW - THE FOURTH CAPITAL OF POLAND

MARSHAL JÓZEF PIŁSUDSKI SQUARE The most important square in the capital.

Piłsudski Square was originally a courtyard of the Saxon Palace, though it has been used for various state ceremonies and parades since the early 18th century.

The first name of this square was Saxon Square. In 1935 the square was renamed after Marshal Józef Piłsudski, during World War II it was known as Hitler Square, after World War II as Victory Square and since 1990 it has been renamed again after Marshal Józef Piłsudski. In 1979 on the Piłsudski Square (Victory Square, then) Pope John Paul II celebrated a holy mass, at which he pronounced these words from the Bible: “Let Your Spirit descend and renew the land”, adding, “this land”. Besides the spiritual aspect, the anti-communist meaning of these words was obvious to all, although only the future showed their prophetic and visionary sense.

After regaining independence in 1989, the square remains the main place for national and military celebrations.

TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER (Grób Nieznanego Żołnierza)

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was designed in the arches of the colonnade of the Saxon Palace. Ashes of the Unknown Soldiers were laid here in 1925 - buried here are the remains of a defender of Lviv from the Łyczakowski Cemetery, as well as an urn filled with soil from World War I battlefields.

After the Warsaw Uprising, in December 1944, the palace was completely demolished by the German. Only the part of the central colonnade, sheltering the Tomb, was preserved. The Saxon Palace was not rebuilt after the war.

Now, the Tomb contains urns from every 20th century battlefield where Polish troops fell in the battle. An eternal flame burns by the Tomb, watched over by a military honour guard. Soldiers guard the Tomb around the clock and every hour there is a changing of the guard, with a special ceremony at 12 noon every Sunday. Flowers and wreaths are laid before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by representatives of social organizations and state authorities and by foreign and diplomatic delegations. The Tomb was the first monument to which soldiers were to salute. It quickly became a custom that men take off their hats and no one smokes cigarettes in the area of the Tomb as a signe of respect.

The Tomb has become one of the most important national symbols.

SAXON GARDEN (Ogród Saski)

The garden was established by King Augustus II the Strong in 1713-1733.

Opened to the public in 1727, the Saxon Garden ranks as one of the oldest public parks in the world. At the beginning of the 19th century a part of the park was rebuilt into a landscape park. The pond and water reservoir in the shape of a rotunda modeled on the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli near Rome and designed

by Henryk Marconi, were created in the middle of the 19th century.

In the Saxon Garden stood once the Saxon Palace. Until the WW II the Saxon Garden served as an alfresco “summer salon” for the Varsovian society. After the WW II the park was reconstructed.

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POLISH CITIES - WARSAW - THE FOURTH CAPITAL OF POLAND

THE OLD TOWN (Stare Miasto)

The Old Town is the oldest district of Warsaw, established at the end of 13th century.

The pattern of its streets was regular, with a market place in the centre.

In the 15th century the Old Town was enclosed within double city walls, with gates and turrets. The Old Town is relatively small in size. Outside the walls, New Warsaw (now called the New Town) started to emerge. Rapid development of both the Old Town and the New Town began after the capital was moved from Cracow to Warsaw in 1596.

The 17th century was a period of great prosperity for Warsaw. The Royal Court attracted many new citizens, including members of the clergy and the gentry. Population was constantly growing. A Swedish invasion ravaged the city in 1655, but this only left more room for the wealthy and nobility to rebuild, establishing new private districts in the wake of the old; many of these magnificent Baroque residences survived until World War II. During the Warsaw Uprising (August - September 1944) it was totally destroyed.

Today it is difficult to imagine that half a century ago the Old Town contained only half a million cubic metres of rubble. Not a single building survived. The Old Town was rebuilt in the 1950s according to the old plans, paintings and photographs.

The reconstructed part of the Old Town was qualified as a first-class monument, and in 1980 UNESCO added it to the List of World Cultural Heritage Sites.

The heart of the area is the Old Market Square, with the unique traditional Polish restaurants, cafes and shops. Surrounding streets feature mediaval architecture such a the city walls , barbican and St. John’s Cathedral.

The Old Market Square in Warsaw 1945

On the picture below General Dwight Eisenhower and Polish General Marian Spychalski on the Old Town Square in 1945, destroyed in 1944

by German forces after suppression of Warsaw Uprising. US General was moved to comment: ”I have seen many towns destroyed, but nowhere have I been faced with such destruction”.

SIGISMUND’S COLUMN (Kolumna Króla Zygmunta) Sigismund’s Column was erected in 1644. It is one of Warsaw’s most famous landmarks and one of the oldest secular monuments in northern Europe. The column and statue commemorate King Sigismund III Vasa, who in 1596 had moved Poland’s capital from Cracow to Warsaw. The huge granite column rises from a tall plinth, and supports a bronze figure of King Sigismund III Vasa holding a cross in one hand and a sword in the other. The monument is 22 m (72 ft) high. A richly decorated coat hangs from the king’s shoulders and covers the whole figure. During World War II, the monument - which is the most characteristic symbol of Warsaw - was destroyed by a shell from a German tank on the night of September 1st, 1944. The inhabitants of Warsaw believe that the city will exist as long as King Sigismund’s Column is standing.

There is a legend connected with the monument. It says that in the moment when the sword the king holds reaches the base the statue stands on, the world will end.

That is why it was the first monument to be rebuilt when the people of Warsaw began to trickle back into their devastated capital.

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POLISH CITIES - WARSAW - THE FOURTH CAPITAL OF POLAND

The Royal Castle – the Great Court – view on the Gothic part and the Ladislaus Tower

The Royal Castle before 1939 and during the siege of Warsaw in 1939

The Royal Castle – the Marble Chamber. The portrait of the last king of Poland, Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski, dominates this room.

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POLISH CITIES - WARSAW - THE FOURTH CAPITAL OF POLAND

The Royal Castle – the Knights’ Hall

The Royal Castle – the Throne Room

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POLISH CITIES - WARSAW - THE FOURTH CAPITAL OF POLAND

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POLISH CITIES - WARSAW - THE FOURTH CAPITAL OF POLAND

Little Insurgent Monument (Pomnik Małego Powstańca)

Statue of the Little Insurgent, just outside Warsaw’s medieval city walls, commemorates the heroic children who fought during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. The boy wears a captured German helmet with Polish national colors. Many children, especially within the Gray Ranks (war-time name of the Polish Underground Scouting), distributed mail, relayed messages, and fought fires, some became line soldiers.

Redoubt of the Holy Virgin Memorial (Pomnik Reduty Matki Boskiej 1944)

This memorial marks the spot where the „Redoubt of the Holy Virgin” was located. Redoubt is a small building or area that gives protection to soldiers under attack. During the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 the „Redoubt of the Holy Virgin” was one of the many insurgent strongholds.

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POLISH CITIES - WARSAW - THE FOURTH CAPITAL OF POLAND

ŁAZIENKI (The Royal Bath Park) and the Palace on the Water

Palace on the Water - northern façade

One of the most beautiful and largest parks in Europe is Warsaw Łazienki Park. It is located in the centre of the town and has therefore become the most popular place for weekend walks. Varsovians relax in the wonderful park, where they can find rare species of trees, beautiful flowers, picturesque ponds, swans and peacocks. Everything is enchanting with a unique atmosphere.

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Palace on the Water - the summer residence of the Polish King

Palace on the Water - northern façade

The park took its name from the already existing 17th-century bath house raised for Stanislaus Herakliusz Lubomirski. The bath house was bought from him

by King Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski in 1764, who had it converted into his summer residence. It is one of the finest examples of Neo-Classical architecture in Poland. The palace is built on an artificial island that divides the lake into two parts, a smaller northern lake and a larger southern one.

The palace is connected to the surrounding park by two Ionic colonnaded bridges. The façades are unified by an entablature carried by giant Corinthian pilasters that link its two floors and are crowned by a balustrade that bears statues of mythological figures. The north façade is relieved by a central pediment portico. The interiors of the palace were furnished exceptionally conscientiously, with the participation of famous decorators, painters and sculptors. The palace gives an impression of delicacy due to the fact that it is built over a pond, and its façade is reflected in the water.

The most beautiful room in the palace is the wonderful golden ballroom where royal parties took place. Another historical room is the dining room where, every Thursday, distinguished intellectuals, artists and writers met with the king at the famous “Thursday dinners”.

After the king’s death, the palace became tsarist property and in 1919 it became a museum. At the end of World War II the Nazis, who were withdrawing from Warsaw, sprinkled the palace interior with petrol, and deliberately set it on fire. After the war the arduous process of reconstruction began, lasting nearly 20 years. In 1960 the Palace was brought back to life. Łazienki Palace is one of the most charming little royal residences of its time.

Walking along the paths of the Łazienki Park, you can find rare species of plants and trees, but first of all your attention attracted to the great number of structures from the past, such as bowers, bridges and statues. At present there are eighteen buildings in the Łazienki Park, in addition to the Palace on the Water. The beautiful English Park, with ponds and canals, adds much to the palace’s delightful appearance. An unusual construction in Łazienki is the Theatre on the Island. The open-air theatre is something unique in the world. The audience area forms of a semicircle, the stage is located on an island with artificial ruins of an ancient temple, and naturally growing trees are part of the stage set.

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POLISH CITIES - WARSAW - THE FOURTH CAPITAL OF POLAND

WILANÓW Wilanów was a residence of King John III Sobieski and his beautiful wife Maria Kazimiera - called Marysieńka.

Wilanów is located in the southern part of Warsaw and belongs to the leading monuments of Polish national culture.

Together with the park, it comprises an excellent architectural and natural complex, often called „the pearl of Polish architecture”, or „the Polish Versailles”.

Wilanów Palace is one of the most frequently visited tourist attractions in Warsaw.

The history of Wilanów Palace 1677 – King John III Sobieski bought a small village which was called Milanów. It’s name was soon replaced by a Latin one – Villa Nova and then the Polish version Wilanów.

1677-1696 – King John III Sobieski. Wilanów Palace designed and built in stages by Augustine Locci, is a gem of Baroque architecture, a residence matching in splendour the French Versailles and the Viennese Belveder.

1696-1720 – after John III Sobieski death in 1696 the Palace became the property of king’s sons Alexander & Konstanty Sobieski.

1720-1729 – Elżbieta Sieniawska bought the decaying Palace from the king’s sons. She commissioned her court architect to extend the Palace with side wings, renewed Baroque garden, hired interior artists.

1729-1778 – the Wilanów estate was inherited by Sieniawska’s daughter, Maria Zofia Denhoff, who later became the wife of prince August Czartoryski (Maria Zofia had given King Augustus II the Strong, the right to live in the Palace until his death – Wilanów was a royal residence again).

1778-1799 – Izabela (daughter of Czartoryski) + Stanisław Lubomirski. Every owner changed the interiors of the Palace, as well as the gardens and surrounding, according to the current fashion and needs.

1799-1831 – the Wilanów estate, including the palace in the pheasantry, became the property of Aleksandra Lubomirska, daughter of Crown Marshal Stanisław Lubomirski and the future wife of Stanisław Kostka Potocki, a prominent patron of the arts, collector and amateur architect, as well as the first European Minister for Education and Religious Instruction. Stanisław Kostka Potocki spent a considerable amount of time and effort in bringing the residence back to the glory of the Sobieski days. In 1805 he opened his vast collections to the public, he created Poland’s first museum at the Wilanów Palace.

1831-1845 – Aleksander Potocki + his wife Anna née Tyszkiewicz. Aleksander inherited Palace after the death of his mother. He tried to introduce a new breed of draft horses, banished (in a thoroughly English style) the serfdom of his peasants and introduced rents. Continued the redesigning of the palace, initiated by his father, Stanisław Kostka, and adapted the interiors for the purposes of a museum. Here, Aleksander installed the library collections transferred from Warsaw in 1833.

1845-1892 – August Potocki (the older son of Aleksander and Anna née Tyszkiewicz, the grandson of Stanisław Kostka Potocki) + his wife Aleksandra.

The Potocki family was associated with Wilanów until 1892, when the last of the family, Aleksandra, gave the residence to her cousin Ksawery Branicki.

1892-1945 – Ksawery Branicki and his son Adam Branicki. The Branicki family resided in Wilanów until September 1944, and then in January 1945, care of the palace was handed over to the National Museum of Warsaw.

From 1945 Wilanów Palace – state propery. During World War II the palace suffered extensive damage at the hands of the Nazi Germany.

Art treasures were taken away, and house and gardens devastated. Through a nation wide effort in the years following the war, Wilanów was reconstructed and many of its treasures returned.

The coat of arms in Poland In medieval times, every noble family wanted everyone to know how important they were. They also wanted to brag about their history. Since most people could not read, heraldry was invented. This was a way to brag about who you were without using words. Noble families designed a coat of arms that incorporated their heraldry (their design and short saying).They put their coat of arms, showing their heraldry, on banners, shields, tapestries and anything else they could think of. Each part of the coat of arms has a specific meaning. Animals or objects were used to describe character traits - brave as a lion, for example. The colors were used as symbols of character. Each Polish armorial shield has its own individual name, which is different from the family names associated with it. Many different families, with different surnames, may have shared the same armorial shield. A higher proportion of Poles possessed noble status than was the case in Western Europe.

Once obtained, an armorial shield was Branicki Sobieski Sieniawski Czartoryski Lubomirski Potocki Korczak Janina Leliwa Pogoń Szreniawa Pilawa handed down through the generations.

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The palace, constituting the central point of the grounds, is in the shape of a rectangular horseshoe. The front elevation is monumental in character, in accordance with the principles of Baroque style. Some elements of the architecture, sculptures and paintings serve not only as decorations making the palace look rich and magnificent, but also tell stories using the language of allegory and symbols, frequently drawing on the ancient world.

For instance, the decorations of the main fac˛ade, galleries and spires depict the apotheosis of John III Sobieski, his wife and the royal family.

They glorify the king’s military victories and present a stylized image of supreme power and the symbol of the republic united under the king’s rule.

The apartments of John III Sobieski and his wife Marysieńka are situated in the oldest, central part of the palace. Their value is determined by well-preserved artistic decorations, fabrics, glass, ceramics and gold-work. The 18th-century rooms are in the south wing and in the adjacent pavilion – the Lubomirski Bath, while the 19th-century rooms, arranged and modified by the Potocki family, are in the north wing. The entire first floor of the palace is occupied by the Polish Portrait Gallery, arranged in chronological order from the 16th to the 19th centuries, and gives a review of the development of Polish portrait painting. It also plays a didactic role being an illustration of the history of Poland and remembering the famous people connected with important historical events. Altogether, the palace exhibits comprise some 400 portraits of great Poles.

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POLISH CITIES - WARSAW - THE FOURTH CAPITAL OF POLAND

King John III Sobieski (1629-1696) elected king of Poland (1674–96), a soldier who drove back the Ottoman Turks and briefly restored the Kingdom of Poland-Lithuania to greatness for the last time. The last days were he spent in the bosom of his family, at his castle of Wilanow, where he died in 1696, broken down by political strife as much as by illness. His wife, a Frenchwoman, the widow of Jan Zamoyski, Marie-Casimire, though not worthy of so great a hero, was tenderly beloved by him, as his letters show: she influenced him greatly and not always wisely. His family is now extinct. Charles Edward, the Young Pretender, was his great-grandson - his son James’ daughter,Clementine, having married James Stuart in 1719.

The White Hall – the most sumptuous interior in the Palace, optically enlarged by great wall mirrors facing the windows.

The Paintings Gallery called Museum. Originally a three-room apartment, August Potocki had it converted into a permanent museum gallery.

Marie-Casimire Louise de La Grange d’Arquien (1641-1716) The queen, though beautiful and passionately loved by Sobieski, was an avaricious, despotic, jealous, revengeful women. After the death of great king she lived in Italy and France, and died in 1716 in the castle of Blois which Louis XIV had given to her. Her remains rest with those of Sobieski in the Cathedral of Cracow.

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The Queen’s Bedroom. This is one of the most spectacular Baroque interiors in the Palace.

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POLISH CITIES - TRI-CITY - GDAŃSK - AMBER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

GDAŃSK - AMBER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD Once called Aurea Porta - The Golden Gate - Gdańsk is proud of its one thousand-year-old history. Dating from the 10th century, Gdańsk flourished as the strategic meeting place of merchants from all land routes, as well as being the focal point of thriving sea trade. This prosperity and international influence fuelled the rapid development of architecture, fine arts and science.

The old illustrations of Gdańsk from the library of the Polish Academy of Science in Gdańsk

Gdańsk coat-of-arms A coat-of-arms is not only a symbol of the local government of a city, an emblem that evokes custody and tenure, but a representation of a living tradition, bringing to mind historic events. The Gdańsk coat-of-arms is unusual because of its simplicity. Two silver crosses (one above the other) are presented on the background of a red shield. Above the crosses there is a five-petal crown. In the 15th century, another element was added - lions holding the shield.

The motto “Nec temere nec timide” (Neither rashly, nor timidly) positioned either below or above the shield, dates from much later - the 19th century.

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POLISH CITIES - TRI-CITY - GDAŃSK - AMBER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD The touring highlights: 1 - St. Mary’s Church (Kościół Mariacki) Late Gothic hall construction erected between 1343 and 1502. Inside, stellar and crystal vaults. Gothic, mannerist and Baroque appointments including the main altar from the 16th century, astronomic clock from 1464-1470, and also numerous contemporary epitaphs to Gdańsk patricians.

2 - Town Hall (Ratusz) A three-storey structure with a Gothic body, expanded in the 16th and 17th centuries. The splendid building also performs functions as a reception.

During the tourist season, the sightseeing gallery of the tower is open to tourists, and at around 50m high the tower provides a great view of Gdańsk.

3 - Arthur’s Manor (Dwór Artusa) The first Gdańsk manor, mentioned as early as 1350. The meeting place of burghers fascinated by the legend of King Arthur. Interior with original 15th and 16th century appointments, including a stove from the mid-16th. Neptune’s fountain from the 17th century stands in front of the building.

4 - St. Mary’s Street (Ulica Mariacka) 15th-18th century buildings with original terraces - like entry thresholds, surrounded by a richly ornamented grating with characteristic fish or animalmouth gargoyles. Destroyed during World War II, Mariacka was meticulously reconstructed.

5 - The Crane (Żuraw) A Gothic structure from the first half of the 15th century with a hoist of wooden construction. Houses the Maritime Museum.

6 - Arsenal (Arsenał) A large early 17th century armoury with varying ornamented elevations.

The best example of the Dutch influence in Gdańsk.

Monuments, churches, museums, epitaphs, sculptures and pictures bear testimony to its history, which includes Prussian occupation, destruction during World War II and the foundation of the Solidarity movement. Today, it offers visitors a fascinating kaleidoscope of international cuisine, classical & modern music, modestly priced quality stores and original jewellery based on the renowned local amber.

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POLISH CITIES - TRI-CITY - GDAŃSK - AMBER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

GDAŃSK - AMBER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

Poland, and the other Baltic State Countries, are the home to the finest amber in the world. Gdańsk, Poland, at the head of the ancient amber road continues as the amber capital of the world. Amber craftsmen from Gdańsk have created their own school of processing “gold of the Baltic” and quality of their products is unrivalled in the world. Amber lovers are advised to visit the Museum of Amber in Gdańsk, the only such place in Poland.

The Polish amber industry is experiencing a renaissance in craftsmanship and integrity that is closely watched and monitored by the International Amber Association in Poland. The International Amber Association in Poland (IAA,) is a group of scientists, producers, experts, publishers, educators, artists and others who not only promote Baltic amber but also keep a close eye on the authenticity and integrity of the amber product offerings. Every year, Gdańsk hosts two jewellery trade fairs: AMBERIF, held always in the spring, with 20 years in the business, and AMBERMART – in the autumn, with 14 years to its name. AMBERIF and AMBERMART attract thousands of exhibitors and customers every year. Both events are developing very dynamically.

Arthur’s Manor (Dwór Artusa) Painstakingly reconstructed following the ravages of World War II, this is perhaps the most extraordinary façade in Gdańsk. Through its door we enter a legendary world going back to the 14th century.

Neptune Fountain - a symbol of Gdańsk The Neptune Fountain, in the center of the Długi Targ (the Long Market) has grown to be one of Gdańsk’s most recognizable symbols. In the times of Renaissance communities of many European towns used to build up splendid fountains, and the wealthy Gdańsk could not be worse in this respect. The bronze statue of the Roman god of the sea was first erected in 1549, before being aptly made into a fountain in 1633. This lovely monument is one of the most popular monuments to visit in the city of Gdańsk.

Gdańsk’s Royal Route (Długa Street and Długi Targ) Długa and Długi Targ Streets, part of the so called Royal Route, are between the Golden and Green Gates - and represent the most beautiful streets in Gdańsk.

Gdańsk’s Royal Route is relatively short (500m) but its name exactly present the climate and architectural and antique surfeit with which one could hand out it to many other cities. The picturesque but short Długa Street charms with its wonderful tenements from XV - XIX c. The extension of Długa Street is Długi Targ on which stands the symbol of the city - the monument of Neptun, and the Hall of the Main City. Długi Targ is as attractive with plenty of antique tenements a way of the old Gdańsk. The oldest of the 84 tenement buildings are Medieval and almost all of them are examples of the style of Gdańsk architecture as characterized by tall and narrow facades, ornamented by crests and reliefs with typical roofs.

It is worth visiting the House of Uphagen (Długa 12 St.) which contains the Tenement House Museum.

Of particular interest are the houses at number 28 - the Renaissance Ferber’s House; number 35 - the Lion’s Castle with Manieristic portal (the NKVD headquarter during communist times) or number 45 - Schuman’s House - tourist information bureau.

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Oliwa Cathedral (Katedra Oliwska) The Oliwa Cathedral - the former Cistercian Church - is the oldest and one of the most beautiful historic buildings on the Gdańsk coast.

The Cathedral as we know it today was built in the period beetween from the 13th and the 18th century. Its interior reflects all styles, from Romanesque to Modernism. With a length of 107 meters it is the longest church in Poland.

The Cistercian Monks came to Oliwa in 1186. The Cloister was famous for its wealth with 45 villages owned in the 17th century. The Cathedral in Oliwa is a three-nave basilica with a transept and a multisided closed presbytery, finished with an ambulatory. The façade is flanked by two slender towers, 46-metres tall, each with sharply-edged helmets. It is enlivened by a Baroque portal from 1688, as well as three windows of different sizes and three cartouches. The crossing of the naves is overlooked by a bell tower, a typical element of the Cistercian architecture. The cathedral is 17.7m high, 19 m wide and 107m long (97.6 m of the interior itself), which makes it the longest Cistercian church in the world. The Cathedral floor, placed there in the years 1634-36 is almost one meter below the level of the ground surrounding the Cathedral. The Gothic interior was extremely damaged in a 1577 fire and replaced with the Baroque fixtures we can admire today for their beauty and intensity. The Church possesses 23 side altars from the 16-17th centuries. They are mainly Baroque and Rococo, partly made of marble. Their iconography depicts the main principles of the post-Trent church. Most outstanding are the present High Altar (1688), which is the most profound Baroque work of art in Pomerania. The High Altar is rich in architectural and sculptural details modeled on the Italian designs. Rich contrasts in colours enhance the illusionist effect. The altar was made by one of the leading Baroque sculptors. The Oliwa Cathedral is perhaps best known for its massive and splendid organ, dating from the period between 1763 and 1788.

The Cathedral is surrounded by a famous park from the 17-18th centuries, with its extraordinary sea-view, and the Abbots’ Palace.

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The organ in the Oliwa Cathedral The organ at the Oliwa Cathedral belongs to the most valuable organs in Europe. The unique organ was built in the years 1763 to 1793.

It was the largest organ on the old continent, and probably also worldwide. The organ does not only produce a monumental, unique sound, but also sets in motion a brilliant spectacle of moving figures. It consists of 5100 pipes made from linden wood, oak wood, fir wood and tin. The organ is ornamented with unique Rococo sculptures. There are 40 figures on the organ case, including 29 moving figures. The angels are holding trombones, trumpets and bells, which are moved by a special mechanism to imitate real play. The Holy Spirit floats in the air over the angels’ heads in the form of a dove, and the very top is occupied by a rotating gilded sun and spinning stars. This marvelous spectacle is accompanied by the light which shines through a stained-glass window called Mary’s Window (Okno Mariackie). Poland’s long-standing International Festival of Organ Music takes place at Gdansk’s Oliwa Cathedral every year.

It features great virtuosos of the organ from all over the world, who present stock compositions as well as works composed specially for this occasion.

In July and August, recitals take place on Tuesday and Friday evenings, but 20-minute performances are held daily every hour or two between 10:00 and 15:00 or 16:00 (in the afternoon only on Sunday).

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POLISH CITIES - TRI-CITY - GDYNIA

GDYNIA - POLAND’S WINDOW TO THE WORLD Gdynia is a young, fast-developing coastal city and port which attractively combines trade, tourism and leisure.

It was established as a Polish port in 1926. The decision to build Gdynia was made in the midwar period when Gdansk was a free city and access to its port for Polish vessels was becoming increasingly difficult. Within 10 years, this small fishing village was transformed into a city of 100 000 inhabitants, and became the largest port on the Baltic. Its remarkable location means that the city has wonderful view-points, paths along the sea coast, marinas and yacht clubs. It is the only city in Poland, and one of the few in Europe, with such a long and easily accessible seaside (12.5 km - not counting the port area).

Gdynia is famous for its numerous examples of early 20th century architecture, especially monumentalism, early functionalism and modernism.

A great example of modernism is the PLO building situated at 10 Lutego Street. The recently reconstructed Świętojańska Street and Kościuszko Square are also worth a mention. The surrounding hills and the coastline attract many nature lovers. A leisure pier and a cliff-like coastline in Kępa Redłowska, as well as the surrounding Reservation Park, are also popular locations. A 1.5-kilometre long promenade leads from the marina in the city centre to the beach in Redłowo. Most of Gdynia can be seen from Kamienna Góra (54 metres asl) or a newly built observation point near Chwaszczyno.

You can also take a hydrofoil or ship trip to Gdańsk, Westerplatte, Hel or just to see the port.

M/S “BATORY” (named after Stefan Batory, the famous XVI c. king of Poland) the legendary Polish cruise ship that sailed for decades between Poland and the USA

The motor ship BATORY was one of two diesel-powered ships completed in 1936 for the North Atlantic run of the Gdynia-America Line (Poland). M/S BATORY was among the most notable tourist attractions of the Polish seaside and among the best-known Polish ships of the time. She was gaining popularity amongst foreign passengers, thanks to the efforts of the officers and crew, management, service and the excellent Polish cuisine.

The British often called M/S BATORY, the little QUEEN ELIZABETH because of some similarity of the silhouette.

Each round trip, Gdynia - New York - Gdynia took about three and half weeks. During the whole pre-war period, each year there were about ten round trips, with additional cruises to the Norwegian fiords in the summer and the Caribbean at Christmas, and New Years time.

The cruises were very popular and almost always full.

During WW II, M/S BATORY served as a troop ship.

After the war she continued as the flagship of the Polish Ocean Lines. She retired and turned into a hotel in 1969 (at Gdynia), and was finally scrapped in 1971.

Its replacement was a Dutch-built ship renamed as the ”Stefan Batory”, and became the flagship of the Polish Ocean Lines in the 1970s and 1980s and mainly sailed Gdynia-Copenhagen-RotterdamLondon-Montreal-Southampton-RotterdamCopenhagen-Gdynia. She remained in service until 1988 and was the last regularly scheduled transatlantic liner.

She was scrapped in Turkey in May 2000.

DAR POMORZA

A training vessel built at a German shipyard in 1909, sailing under the Polish flag since 1930. She was given the name DAR POMORZA, which means ”the gift of Pomerania”.

In the following years, she was used as a training ship, receiving a nick-name the ”White Frigate”. During World War II she was interned in Stockholm; after the war she returned to Poland. In the 1970s she took part in several Cutty Sark Tall Ships’ Races, winning one race in 1972 and the Cutty Sark Trophy in 1980. Since 1983 she has been a museum ship in Gdynia (length: 80 metres, net tonnage: 525t, mast height: 41.4 metres, crew: 28 + 150-200 cadets).

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POLISH CITIES - SZCZECIN - THE LARGEST INLAND SEAPORT

SZCZECIN - THE LARGEST INLAND SEAPORT Szczecin (Stettin) is the country’s seventh largest city, and home to its largest seaport. It lies on the Oder River, about 60 km inland from the Baltic Sea. An attraction of the city is its many fabulous buildings. If you were to describe Szczecin in three words, the words would probably be green, aqueous, and industrial. As the capital of the Pomeranian Duchy, Szczecin was already in the 15th century a powerful city. Witnesses of those times are the impressive St. James Cathedral and the Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes. Szczecin’s most representative embankment, Wały Chrobrego, named after Poland’s first king Bolesław Chrobry from the Piast Dynasty, is situated alongside the Oder river. During the summertime, Wały Chrobrego hosts the city’s biggest outdoor events, such as “The Tall Ships Races” and “The Days of the Sea’. Despite its monuments, interesting 19th-century architecture, good museums, theaters, opera, and outdoor opportunities, Szczecin is not a typical tourist destination, and most tourist traffic bypasses the city.

It is, however, an excellent starting point for further explorations of north-western Poland.

Cathedral Basilica of St. James St. James’ Cathedral, also called The Archcathedral Basilica under the Invocation of St. James, was founded by Beringer, who hailed from Bamberg, in 1187.

This cathedral, like many other monuments in Szczecin, was bombed during the Second World War and suffered serious damage. Reconstruction started 1970, and still continues.

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Gothic Town Hall Szczecin’s 15th-century Gothic Town Hall, one of the most architecturally fascinating buildings in the city with its monster red-brick gable, is the only relic of the Old Town, having miraculously survived the near-total destruction of the surrounding streets in WWII. It is home to the Historical Museum, a well-curated exhibit in the light-filled interior.

POLISH CITIES - SZCZECIN - THE LARGEST INLAND SEAPORT

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POLISH CITIES - WROCŁAW - EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2016

WROCŁAW - EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2016

Tradition Cast in the Coat of Arms

Wrocław’s coat of arms illustrates its stormy history and reflects the city’s multicultural character.

It was divided into five fields and features: the Czech lion – proof of Czech influences and subordination to the Prague ruler, the Piast eagle – a black bird symbolizing the Wrocław princes from the Silesian Piast dynasty, the letter W indicating Wrocisław – the city’s legendary founder, John the Baptist’s head on a platter, also present in municipal stamps – proof of the city’s Slavic roots, and John the Evangelist – the patron of local councillors who symbolized Germany colonization.

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Wrocław, the capital of Lower Silesia, is one of the largest and most beautiful cities in Poland. Situated at the foot of the Sudety Mountains, upon the Odra River, and cut through by its numerous tributaries and canals, it is an exceptional city of 12 islands and 112 bridges. Wrocław is often referred to as the Venice of Poland.

Wrocław is one of the largest centres of higher learning, research and culture in Poland. A number of cultural events are hosted in Wrocław annually, including the Wratislavia Cantans International Festival, Jazz on the Odra, the Singing Actors Festival, and many more. The attractiveness of Wrocław has been growing year by year, with increasing numbers of visiting tourists, business people and artists.

Wrocław’s complex and dramatic history is embedded in the city walls. The history begins at the end of 10th century. From that time the city bears the name of Vratislavia and is initially limited to Ostrów Tumski (the Cathedral Island). In 1163, it becomes the capital of the Duchy of Silesia. It is devastated by the Mongols in 1241, then rebuilt around the Market square. At that time many Germans settle in the area and the city is also known under the name of Breslau. Later, the city is annexed to Bohemia, and in 1526 conquered by the Habsburgs. In 1741, after the assault of Frederic II, the city and the greatest part of Silesia are annexed to the kingdom of Prussia. The Treaty of Potsdam (1945) gives Wrocław back to Poland. The city is repopulated by exiled Poles from former Polish Eastern provinces (today in Ukraine and Belarus). After World War II, a major reconstruction effort began in Wrocław, where wartime damage was estimated at 70%. Not only houses were rebuilt, but the restoration of the damaged historical monuments also started, their historical forms carefully recreated from old drawings and paintings.

Today, Wrocław Town Hall is considered one of the most splendid Gothic buildings in central Europe. Wrocław also has the biggest Baroque interior in Poland - the Leopoldine Hall, located in the 17th century University buildings.

The old and modern architecture of the city is surrounded by an abundance of greenery.

POLISH CITIES - WROCŁAW - EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2016 The touring highlights: 1 - Gothic Town Hall (Ratusz). A Gothic Town Hall is one of the most beautiful and best preserved structure of its type in Poland.

2 - Market Square (Rynek). The heart of the Old Town its Market Square, the second biggest market square in Europe. The tenement houses represent a variety of styles.

3 - Minster Island (Ostrów Tumski). The Minster Island was the first part of Wrocław to be settled by Slavic tribes in the 9th century.

4 - Centennial Hall (Hala Stulecia). The gigant structure is one of the first ferroconcrete constructions in the world. From 2006 the Centennial Hall is the UNESCO monument.

5 - Panorama of the Battle in Racławice. It is an unique three dimensional painting of Poland’s victory over Russia at Racławice in 1794.

6 - National Museum (Muzeum Narodowe). National Museum in Wrocław has one of the biggest and most representative collections of art.

7 - Aula Leopoldina. The grandest and most magnificent interior of the main building of the University of Wrocław.

8 - ZOO - Zoological Garden. Five thousand animals on 33 hectares – the oldest and largest in Poland. The urban zoological garden was set up in 1865.

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RELIGIOUS LIFE IN POLAND - CHURCH IN POLAND

CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS LIFE IN POLAND

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Starogard Gdański – St. Matthew’s Church from the 14th ca.

Poland was able to avoid the bloody conflicts and religious wars destroying the Europe of the 16th and 17th centuries. It does not mean that Poland remained purely Catholic through that time - the majority of the Polish aristocracy became protestant during the Reformation. Even more interestingly, some protestants from Western Europe, Holland or Italy sought refuge in Poland at that time, because of the unique religious tolerance there. Poland never became an inquisition stronghold, but the protestant religions just never resonated in the Polish society, especially among the lower class, as they did not seem to have anything better to offer than the Roman Catholic Church.

The Catholic Poland was also the home to the largest Jewish population in Europe and served as the center of Jewish culture in Europe until the Holocaust during World War II. During the times of foreign oppression (1795-1918, when Poland did not exist as a country), during World War II, and in the period under Communist domination, for many Poles the Catholic Church remained a cultural guard in the fight for independence and national survival. The Church was the only real counterforce and authority against communism. The election of John Paul II for a pope directly contributed to the fall of communism in Poland and in the rest of Eastern Europe.

Before WW II there was not just one single religion in Poland. Poland had a huge Jewish minority (3,5 million) and a large minority from the Orthodox faith, represented by people belonging mainly to Ukrainian and Belarusian national minorities. Poland became a single-nation and single -church country only after 1945. There are one hundred and thirty-eight registered churches and religious associations in Poland. There are four branches of Catholicism in Poland (viz. all four in communion with Rome): the Byzantine-Ukrainian, Neo-Unite, Armenian and Roman Catholics.

The largest and most important is the Roman Catholic Church, which is confessed by, according to official data, more than 35 million people, or about 95% of the population. However, the majority of Polish Catholics don’t practise the religion regularly. Although they describe themselves as Catholics, many don’t go to church or take part in Church life except during the most important religious holidays and exceptional occasions. In Poland there are 45 dioceses, 9 990 parishes and some 28 thousand priests. There are also nearly 2 000 Polish missionaries in traditionally missionary countries and around 700 in the countries of the former Soviet Union. The relatively high number of clergy, seminarians and newly ordained priests makes the Catholic Church in Poland one of the youngest local Churches in Europe.

Łęgonice (village in Nowe Miasto County) - St. Roch’s Church

Wadowice – Minor Basilica dedicated to the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Supraśl - Church of the Annunciation, part of the Orthodox monastery

Poland is, at first glance, one of the most religiously homogeneous countries on earth. Ever since Poland officially adopted Latin Christianity in 966, the Catholic Church has played an important religious, cultural and political role in the country. For centuries, Poland has been a predominantly Catholic country, and for most Poles being Catholic is part of the Polish identity. It has historically been part of what separates Polish culture from the neighboring Germany, especially eastern and northern Germany, which is mostly Protestant, and the countries to the east, which are Orthodox.

Tokary - Russian Orthodox Church of ”The Icon of Theotocos the Joy of All the Troubled”

Białowieża - St. Nicholas the Miraculous’ Orthodox Church

Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze Kiszewskie. Interior of the wooden church of St. Barbara

Sokolniki – interior of the Church of St. Stanislaus the Bishop

Mosque of the Polish Tatars in Kruszyniany, from the late 18th ce.

Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze Kiszewskie. St Barbara’s Church from the 18th ce.

Sokolniki – village in Gniezno County. Timber Church from the 17th ce.

Kokoszowy – St. Barbara’s Church mid. - 14th ce.

Ciechocin, skeleten construction church from the first half of the 18th ce.

Sominy, county of Bytów, the church from 1757

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RELIGIOUS LIFE IN POLAND - CZĘSTOCHOWA - THE SPIRITUAL CAPITAL OF POLAND

CZĘSTOCHOWA - THE SPIRITUAL CAPITAL OF POLAND THE PLACE WHERE THE COUNTRY’S HEART BEATS

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Interior of the Jasna Góra Basilica

The monastery was built with funds provided by Duke Władysław of Opole. Two years later, the Duke presented to the Order a Byzantine style painting of the Virgin Mary, commonly referred to as the Black Madonna. According to the tradition, the Black Madonna was painted from life by Saint Luke the Evangelist on a piece of cypress wood from the table used by Mary in Nazareth. Thanks to numerous miracles attributed to the image, the place soon began to attract crowds of believers. Nearly 300 years later, the monastery was transformed into a powerful fortress. In its precincts stands a 15th century Gothic church converted and enlarged in the 17th century into a basilica with a sumptuous Baroque interior and a magnificent high altar. To the left is a 15th century Gothic chapel with an altar of ebony and silver surmounted by the legendary Black Madonna. The chapel containing the Black Madonna is always the most crowded area.

During the Hussite wars, in 1430, the monastery was sacked and robbed, and the icon profaned. To this day, one can see two sword-cuts on the cheek of the Black Madonna. During the Swedish invasion after the miraculous defence of Częstochowa, King John Casimir Vasa, ceremoniously declared that St. Mary was the hereditary Queen of the Polish Lands, on April 1st 1656, in the Lviv Cathedral. The monastic complex is a unique historical monument, which also contains a treasury of valuable works testifying to the rich national heritage of the Polish state and culture. The monastery treasury chamber houses one of the most splendid collections of goldsmithery and historic mementos. Over the centuries, the treasury has accumulated, as both royal visitors and ordinary people left tokens of their gratitude for God’s grace.

The simple rosaries and crutches left by miraculously cured people who no longer needed them are truly moving.

Interior of the Jasna Góra Basilica

Votive offerings on the chapel walls of Jasna Góra monastery

For several centuries the name of this town has been associated with its largest and most important historic monument - the monastery and stronghold of Jasna Góra (Bright Mountain), one of the principal centres of Catholic religious life in Poland. Jasna Góra, with the magnificent icon of Our Lady, called Black Madonna, is one of the most important places of religious worship in the Christian world - only Lourdes in France and Guadeloupe in Mexico receive more pilgrims. The mystical, medieval atmosphere has been preserved intact through centuries of war and social upheaval. It is said that you cannot fully understand Poland until you have experienced a visit to the chapel at the Jasna Góra monastery and witnessed the ceremony of the un/veiling of the Black Madonna. Częstochowa is a national as well as a religious shrine.

RELIGIOUS LIFE IN POLAND - CZĘSTOCHOWA - THE BLACK MADONNA

THE QUEEN OF POLAND THE BLACK MADONNA - NATIONAL SYMBOL OF POLAND The Black Madonna of Częstochowa (Czarna Madonna or Matka Boska Częstochowska), is a holy icon of the Virgin Mary, that is both Poland’s holiest relic and one of the country’s national symbols.

Our Lady of Częstochowa

The Chapel with the Black Madonna icon set on an altar of ebony and silver

The Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa

The icon was painted on a wood panel and features a bust of the Virgin with Jesus in her arms. Mary’s face dominates the painting and observers find themselves immersed in her eyes. They look at Mary, who looks back at them. The face of the Child is also turned towards the pilgrim, but His eyes are looking elsewhere. The two faces have a serious and thoughtful expression, adding to the emotional tone of the painting. Our Lady’s right cheek is marked by two parallel slashes and a third horizontal cut.

The neck of the image is marked with six scratches, two more visible than others. Jesus, dressed in a scarlet tunic, is supported by His Mother’s left hand; his right hand is raised in a magisterial gesture of sovereignty and benediction. The hand of the Virgin rests on Her breast, as if she were indicating the Child. The Virgin’s robe and mantle are decorated with lilies, the symbol of the Hungarian royal family. A six-pointed star is featured on Mary’s brow. An important element are the auras around the Virgin and Child, as their luminous quality contrasts with the dark facial tones. The Jasna Góra icon represents the Biblical message and invites prayer and reflection. The miracles attributed to Our Lady of Częstochowa are numerous and spectacular. The original accounts of these cures and miracles are preserved in the archives of the Pauline Fathers at Jasna Góra.

The icon, the worshipped by both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, has recently been proclaimed as the patroness of families.

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FAMOUS POLES - FRYDERYK CHOPIN (1810 - 1849) South annex of the Czapski Palace at Krakowskie Przedmieście 5, Warsaw, where Chopin lived till 1830

FRYDERYK CHOPIN WARSAW - the city of Fryderyk CHOPIN’S youth 1810 - 1830 Fryderyk CHOPIN IN WARSAW

Żelazowa Wola - Fryderyk Chopin’s birthplace Żelazowa Wola is a small village situated about forty miles from Warsaw and is surrounded on all sides by groups of silver beeches, by wide fields and meadows, and lies on a flat land intersected by roads lined with ancient, silvery, pollarded willows. The manor house where Fryderyk Chopin was born is surrounded by a beautiful park. It has 10 000 different varieties of shrubs and trees. Visiting Żelazowa Wola, you can more easily comprehend how much the music of Chopin is linked with the Polish countryside. Every Sunday, from May to September, concerts are held in the Chopin house at Żelazowa Wola. The most eminent pianists from all over the world come here to give recitals. It’s impossible to describe the atmosphere of these concerts, accompanied by the charm of the land of Mazovia and the song of birds. You simply must experience it yourself.

Across the street from the Warsaw University, in the former Czapski Palace, is the Academy of Fine Arts.

Fryderyk Chopin lived in its left annex, before leaving Warsaw for good in 1830, as the commemorative plaque records.

Żelazowa Wola.

Fryderyk Chopin spent 20 years of his short, but interesting life in Warsaw. Here he had his education, developed intellectually and artistically, created and gave concerts. Fryderyk Chopin was born on February 22nd, 1810 in the Mazovian village of Żelazowa Wola.

His father Nicholas Chopin was French and worked as a French tutor to local aristocratic families. His mother - Justyna Krzyżanowska - belonged to the family that owned Żelazowa Wola.

Several months after his birth, the whole family moved to Warsaw, where Nicholas Chopin was offered a better job. The musical talent of Fryderyk became apparent extremely early. By the age of 7, Fryderyk was the author of two polonaises, and he played his first public concert. His first professional piano lessons, given to him by Wojciech Żywny, lasted from 1816 to 1822, when the teacher was no longer able to give any help to the pupil whose skills surpassed his own. From 1823 to 1826, Fryderyk attended the Warsaw Lyceum, where his father was one of the professors.

He spent his summer holidays in estates belonging to the parents of his school friends in various parts of the country. In 1826 Fryderyk began studying the theory of music and composition at the Warsaw School of Music. In 1829 he completed his studies and his professor Józef Elsner wrote in a report: “Chopin, Fryderyk particular talent, musical genius”. Chopin, from the age of eight, participated in charity concerts and gave concerts in the private and musical salons of Warsaw.

On 11th November 1830, a farewell concert took place before his departure from the country forever, when he played the piano concerto in E-minor.

The Holy Cross Church in Warsaw The church was constructed at the end of the 17th century. There are two external staircases leading to the main entrance and a sculpture of Christ bearing his Cross in front of the main entry. The church has three naves and two levels.

The crypts are on the lower level and numerous tombs and epitaphs of prominent people can be found on the upper level.

This was the Chopin family parish church and it is where an urn with the heart of Fryderyk Chopin was placed in the second pillar on the left side of the main nave. Fulfilling the composer’s wish, his heart was brought to his homeland by Ludwika, Fryderyk’s sister.

Fryderyk Chopin monument in Łazienki Park in Warsaw, unveiled in 1926. The figure of the great Polish composer measures five metres in height and the weeping willow tree standing next to it is seven metres high.

Today the Fryderyk Chopin monument is considered to be one of the most beautiful monuments, not only in Poland, but all over the world.

An replica of the Chopin monument can be found at Japan’s Hamamatsu Academy of Music.

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Fryderyk Chopin monument in Łazienki Park in Warsaw

The Ostrogski Palce in Warsaw Inside is a museum collection and the concert hall of Fryderyk Chopin Society.

The museum possesses a unique collection of Chopin’s musical manuscripts, his correspondence, portraits, souvenirs and his last piano. Since 1960 the Fryderyk Chopin Society has been the organiser of the International Chopin Piano Competition.

The Competition dates back almost 70 years, making it one of the oldest events of its kind in the world.

FAMOUS POLES - FRYDERYK CHOPIN (1810 - 1849)

FRYDERYK CHOPIN 1830 - 1849 Fryderyk CHOPIN ABROAD

Fryderyk Chopin earned the nickname “Poet of the Piano”, through his genius as a pianist and through the legacy of his highly imaginative, technically demanding compositions.

Fryderyk Chopin is a giant among composers of all time, he is perfection itself, within the self-imposed limits of short compositions. His music is simultaneously deeply Polish as well as universal; its beauty and lyricism still speak to all of us. Chopin’s keyboard technique and novel handling of harmony influenced generations of pianists and composers alike. In a relatively short lifetime, Chopin composed an amazing quantity of music, and his works are almost exclusively written for piano solo or piano with orchestral accompaniment.

He composed 58 mazurkas, 17 polonaises, 21 nocturnes, 4 ballads, 4 scherzos, 3 sonatas, 2 fantasies, 26 preludes, 27 etudes, 17 waltzes, 4 impromptus, rondos, variations, lullabies, barcaroles, 2 concertos, 4 other compositions with orchestra, songs and chamber music.

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The Holy Cross Basilica Church in Warsaw

The Ostrogski Palace in Warsaw

In 1830 Fryderyk left Warsaw for France and lived there for the rest of his life. In Paris he met many fellow countrymen.

Chopin made close contacts with the so-called Great Emigration and became a member of the Polish Literary Society, which he supported financially. He also attended émigré meetings, played at charity concerts held for poor emigrants, and organised similar events. In Paris, his reputation as an artist grew rapidly. The most important source of Chopin’s income in Paris was from giving lessons. He became a popular teacher among the Polish and French aristocracy and Parisian salons were his favourite place for performances.

In Paris Chopin entered into a close liaison with the famous French writer George Sand.

In 1838 Chopin began to suffer from tuberculosis, and George Sand nursed him in Majorca, in the Balearic Islands and in France, until the continued differences between the two resulted in an estrangement. By 1847, their relationship had fallen apart completely.

Thereafter, his musical activity was limited to giving several concerts in 1848 in France, Scotland and England. He continued to compose, but Chopin was soon overcome by illness. On 16th November 1848, despite frailty and a fever, Chopin gave his last concert, playing for Polish émigrés in London. On 17th October 1849, Chopin died of pulmonary tuberculosis in his Parisian flat. He was buried in the Pere-Lachaise cemetery in Paris. In accordance with his will, however, his heart, taken from his body after death, was brought by his sister to Warsaw, where it was placed in an urn installed in a pillar of the Holy Cross Church.

POLISH LANDSCAPES AND CULTURE HERITAGES - POLISH FORESTS

POLISH LANDSCAPES - POLISH FORESTS In the past, Poland’s landscape was dominated by vast forests; today they cover only about 28% of the country’s territory, usually with their species composition changed over centuries. The most extensive woodlands are in the Carpathians, the Sudetes and the lakeland belt.

The least wooded region is central Poland. The old Mazovian forests have survived only in small patches on barren dunes and marshes. Originally, Polish woods were dominated by broadleaved species: willows and poplars in river valleys, alders on swamps, and mixed forests dominated by oaks, hornbeams and linden in other parts of the country. In some regions these dry-ground forests may also feature beeches, spruces and sycamores.

This diversity of tree species supports rich wildlife. Most forests are coniferous, with a predominance of pines (about 70 percent) and spruces. The pine can grow on various soils and in extremely varied water conditions.

It also has great endurance to weather. It appeared in this part of Europe after the Ice Age and has survived all climatic changes; only in the mountains was it surpassed by the spruce, fir and beech. Pine forests have a characteristic undergrowth with berry bushes, junipers and a profusion of mosses and lichens. The spruce, which is very tolerant of harsh climate, may be found chiefly in the mountains and the north-east where it makes dense forests with the undergrowth often limited to mosses, ferns and berry bushes. Beech and oak-hornbeam forests look particularly attractive in the spring when most plants bloom. As they have to produce seeds before the trees shoot out leaves and obscure the sun, as soon as it becomes warm and sunny, the forest bottom virtually explodes with life. Colourful anemones, violets and liverworts all spring up at the same time. Oaks and yews are the longest-living trees in Poland, many of which are from 700 to 1000 years old. There are also some 400 year old elm trees, Ash trees and the Swiss pines.

Linden trees, once often planted in villages, especially at manor houses and churches, also live relatively long.

This is also the age limit for spruces and firs, the only trees that reach up to 50m. Beeches and pines live shorter, though they still outlive birches and poplars.

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POLISH LANDSCAPES AND CULTURE HERITAGES - POLISH FORESTS

Brzoza - Birch-tree (Betula pendula) Birch requires well-drained

Buk - Beech (Fagus sylvatica)

Dąb - Oak (Quercus robur)

Grab - Hornbeam (Carpinus)

Jawor - Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)

Klon - Maple tree (Acer)

Wiąz - Elm (Ulmus)

Lipa - Linden (Tilia)

Kasztanowiec - Horse-chestnut Jesion - Ash-tree (Fraxinus) (Aesculus hippocastanym) They grow in most parts of the world.

Topola - Poplar (Populus)

Wierzba - Willow (Salix)

The flowers are usually white with a small red spot.

The seeds are commonly known as keys in English.

The flowers appear in early spring before the leaves. Poplars have advantage of growing very big and very fast.

Sosna - Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Świerk - Spruce-tree (świerk)

Jodła - Silver fir (Abies alba)

Modrzew - Larch (Larix)

Beech has oval leaves that are finely The fruit is a nut called an acorn, borne soil, enough moisture and direct sunlight toothed on the edges. Newly formed leaves in a cup-like structure known as a cupule. are brightly green and covered with hairs. for the proper growth.

It is a tree of rapid growth, reaching a good height in a short time.

Many people decide to plant these because they work well as shade, street and specimen trees.

Spruces are large tree, from 20-60 m, Scots pine is the most widely distributed and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical form. conifer in the world.

Elm is a medium sized tree growing up to 30 m high, has extensive soil requirements.

It is a large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 40-50 m tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 1,5 m.

The leaves are deciduous, alternate, and simple with a serrated margin

The ancient Greeks and the Slaves regarded the Linden as the habitation of their goddess of love.

Willows are dioecious, with male and female flowers appearing as catkins on different plants.

Growing from 15 to 50 m tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperature.

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POLISH LANDSCAPES AND CULTURE HERITAGES - NATIONAL ANTHEM

NATIONAL ANTHEM The composing of the “Mazurek Dąbrowskiego” (Dąbrowski’s Mazurka) is connected with a dramatic period in our history. In 1795 Poland lost its independence.

At that time many Poles, who were looking for a way to revive the independent state, were outside the borders of the country. The greatest hope was concentrated on France, which at that time was waging wars with the practitioners of Poland. In 1797 in Italy, in one of the Republics which were dependent on France, Polish exiles began to join together.

Poland has not yet perished As long as we are alive.

What outsiders have seized We shall win back with the sword.

Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła, Kiedy my żyjemy, Co nam obca przemoc wzięła, Szablą odbierzemy.

March on Dąbrowski From Italy to Poland.

Under your command We shall join the nation.

Marsz, marsz, Dąbrowski, Z ziemi włoskiej do Polski, Za twoim przewodem Złączym się z narodem.

We’ll cross the Vistula and Varta We shall remain Poles Bonaparte has shown us How to achieve victory

Przejdziem Wisłę, przejdziem Wartę, Będziem Polakami, Dał nam przykład Bonaparte, Jak zwyciężać mamy.

March on Dąbrowski . . .

Marsz, marsz, Dąbrowski...

Like Czarnecki to Poznań After the Swedish invasion, In order to save our homeland We shall return across the sea.

Jak Czarniecki do Poznania Po szwedzkim zaborze, Dla ojczyzny ratowania Wrócim się przez morze.

March on Dąbrowski . . .

Marsz, marsz, Dąbrowski...

A father spoke to his Basia Full of tears: ”Listen, for it is our men Who are beating the drums.‘’

Już tam ojciec do swej Basi Mówi zapłakany „Słuchaj jeno, pono nasi Biją w tarabany.”

March on Dąbrowski . . .

Marsz, marsz, Dąbrowski...

The monument of Józef Wybicki in Kościerzyna - the author of „National anthem”

General Henryk Dąbrowski organized the Polish Legions in Italy which were attached to the French Army. Józef Wybicki composed a mazurka in 1797 which became the Polish Legions’ song. The music was probably taken from a folk song. The simple song, beginning with the words “Poland has not yet perished as long as we are alive” (“Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła, póki my żyjemy”) soon reached Poland and became the symbol of Poland’s indestructibility and hope in her rebirth. After the regaining of independence in 1918 it was officially recognized as the national anthem.

Józef Wybicki (1747 - 1822) He was a Polish general, poet and political figure. He was a close friend of General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski. In 1797 he wrote Mazurek Dąbrowskiego (Dąbrowski’s Mazurka), which in 1927 was adopted as the Polish national anthem.

Jan Henryk Dąbrowski (1755 - 1818)

He was a Polish general and national hero. Dąbrowski is remembered in the history of Poland as the organiser of Polish Legions in Italy during the Napoleonic Wars. The legions were to consist of Polish exiles. Dąbrowski managed to preserve the traditional Polish uniforms, national insignia and the Polish officer corps.

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POLISH LANDSCAPES AND CULTURE HERITAGES - OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS IN POLAND

OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS IN POLAND (free from work and school) Apart from Sundays there are the following national public holidays in Poland, during which institutions, banks and offices, the majority of shops /except the ones open 24 hours/ are closed, and buses and trams operate less frequently.

January 1st - New Year’s Day - Nowy Rok January 6st - Epiphany - Objawienie Pańskie (Trzech Króli)

The Day of Epiphany also known Three Kings’ Day is the 13th day after Christmas on January 6th.

Epiphany celebrates when the Kings or Wise men had brought gifts to the baby Jesus.

Variable March/April - Easter Sunday - Niedziela Wielkanocna

- Easter Monday - Poniedziałek Wielkanocny May 1st - Labour Day - Święto Pracy

Once the obligatory Communist „holy” day. During the Communist regime big parades were taken place.

May 3rd - Queen of Poland Day - Matki Boskiej Królowej Polski

On April 1st, 1656, King John Casimir Vasa, as a sign of thanksgiving for freeing Poland from her enemies and the miraculous defence of Częstochowa during the Swedish invasion, took an oath in the cathedral of Lviv creating Our Lady the „Queen of Poland”. The Queen of Poland feast was first reserved for the Lviv archdiocese by Pope Pius X and later it was extended to the rest of Poland

by Pope Pius XI in 1924. Pope John XXIII proclaimed the Holy Virgin as the Queen of Poland and the main patron of the country along with the bishops and martyr Saints - Stanislaus, Adalbert (Wojciech), and Andrzej Bobola.

May 3rd - Constitution Day - Święto Konstytucji 3 Maja

The Constitution enacted by the Four-Year Seym (Parliament) on 3rd May 1791 was the first ever to be adopted in Europe and second only to the United States in the world. The Third of May Constitution retained the system of government by estates, but weakened the powers of the great nobles. It created the framework for a modern state, implementing the trisection of power into legislative, executive and judiciary divisions, and improving the parliamentary system by abolishing the warrant of the nobility’s freedom.

Variable May/June - Corpus Christi - Boże Ciało

Corpus Christi comes on Thursday, the tenth day after Whitsun /Pentecost/, and is marked by colourful processions everywhere all over the country and elaborate floral displays. The processions in the small towns and villages are more magnificent than those in the cities, and have more charm, especially where the faithful don regional dress. Corpus Christi is one of the most important holy days of the church calendar. In Poland the first one was organised in 1320 in the Cracow diocese. This day every church constructs four special altars in the streets for the procession. The procession lasts about two hours.

Each altar is adorned with young birch twigs, a custom upheld throughout the Mazovian region. When the procession is over, these twigs are taken home. They used to be put up on the roofs of cottages and livestock buildings. According to an ancient belief, this was to protect them from lightning strikes, fire, and hurricanes.

August 15th - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Wniebowzięcie Najświętszej Maryi Panny

The feast day of the Assumption of Mary, also known as Assumption Day, celebrates the day that God assumed the Virgin Mary into Heaven following her death, according to popular Christian belief. It is the principal feast day of the Virgin Mother.

August 15th - Armed Forces Day - Dzień Wojska Polskiego

15th of August - an anniversary of a battle fought with Soviet Russia for independence near Warsaw. The result of the “Warsaw Battle” in 1920 was decisive for the fate not only of Poland, but also of European civilization as a whole. So historians consider it to be one of the most important events in the modern history of Europe. The Poles simply call it “the miracle on the Vistula River”.

November 1st - All Saints’ Day - Wszystkich Świętych

All Saints’ Day, November 1st, has traditionally been associated with Polish ghosts and wayward souls. In ancient times, when death entered a peasant house, doors and windows were opened at the moment of passing. Mirrors were covered so that the soul would not be captured in the room. The last rite included a wake. The vigil lasted until the burial in order to protect the dead soul. Later, these pagan customs were christianized and people were encouraged to light candles instead of conjuring up spirits. The candles were to symbolize light for which the soul yearns. Today, All Saints’ Day is celebrated in a very solemn manner, the Poles make pilgrimages to their local cemeteries to decorate the graves with chrysanthemums, asters, autumn flowers and candles.

November 11th - Independence Day - Dzień Niepodległości

On this day in 1918, after 123 years of oppression, Poland regained its independence. The three countries - Russia, Germany and Austria - that had divided Poland amongst themselves at the end of the 18th-century, ended their rule on Polish soil. Poland reappeared on the maps of Europe.

December 25th - 26th - Christmas - Boże Narodzenie

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JEWISH ROOTS IN POLAND - A THOUSAND YEARS OF JEWISH HISTORY IN POLAND

JEWISH ROOTS IN POLAND A THOUSAND YEARS OF JEWISH HISTORY IN POLAND Poland was home to the largest Jewish population in Europe and served as the center for the Jewish culture. Jewish settlements in Poland can be traced back more than 1000 years. A diverse population of Jews from all over Europe sought refuge in Poland, contributing to a wide variety of religious and cultural groups.

By the middle of the 16th century, about 80% of world Jewry lived on Polish lands. From the 16th to the 18th centuries, Jews enjoyed a unique form of self-government called the Council of Four Lands (Va’ad Arba Aratsot), which functioned as a Jewish parliament.

Before the outbreak of World War II, more than 3,3 million Jews lived in Poland, the second largest community in the world; barely 11% (369 000) survived the war.

860 - Polish lands first mentioned in Spanish Jews’ diaries.

10th c. - First settlements in Silesia and Wielkopolska (the Greater Poland).

1096 - First large immigration wave into Poland after pogroms in Western Europe.

13th & 14th c. - Polish rulers encouraged immigration from the more highly developed countries

of Western Europe, many of those who came were Jews fleeing the persecutions and economic

hardship that they had suffered in these lands (in 1290 approximately 16 000 Jews were

expelled from England, in 1306 the Jews were expelled from France).

1264 - Prince Bolesław the Pious of Calisia granted the first deed of rights to the Jews of Poland

(Calisian Statute). This document served as the basis for the legal status of Polish Jewry

for the next 500 years.

1334 - King Casimir the Great extends the Calisian Statute to all Jews in Poland

(a law guaranteeing certain civil rights and protection against persecution).

1338 - Privileges granted to Lithuanian Jews.

15th & 16th c. - The Jewish community of Poland grew and prospered. A large proportion of the Jews

lived in small towns (Yiddish : shtetl) where Jews made up the majority of the population.

In these towns a distinctive pattern of Jewish life evolved.

1569 - Poland and Lithuania unified and then Poland annexed the Ukraine. Many Jews were sent

to colonize these territories. Polish nobility and landowners became partners with Jewish

merchants in many business enterprises. Jews became involved in the wheat industry,

which was in high demand across Europe. The Jews built and ran mills and distilleries,

transported grain to the Baltic ports and shipped it to the West. In return, they received wine, cloth,

dyes and luxury goods, which they sold to the Polish nobility.

From 16th c. - The Jews had their representatives within the structure

of the multinational Polish State. Va’ad Arba Aratsot was

the equivalent of today’s national level self government (the Jewish

Parliament until 1764). It participated in the decision making

by Polish kings. Such a situation was unprecedented in the Europe

of these times, plunged in the darkness of intolerance.

1648 - 1649 - Cossack hordes led by Bogdan Chmielnicki massacred

the Jews of eastern Poland (present - day Ukraine). It is estimated

that between 100 000 and 200 000 Jews were brutally slaughtered

by the Cossacks in a frenzy of bloodshed, robbery and looting.

1654 - The first Jews arrived in New Amsterdam (later: New York)

and established a congregation.

1760 - Death of Izrael ben Eliezer (Baal Shem Tov, born 1700)

- the founder of Hasidism. From the beginning of the 18th

century up to World War II, Hasidism was a major force in Poland.

Under charismatic leaders, known as rebbes, it gave renewed

hope to the Jewish masses. One of its main teachings was the joy

with which the Jews were to infuse everything they did, and

the assurance that God had not deserted His people. Divine worship

amongst the Hassidism thus came to include singing and dancing.

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JEWISH ROOTS IN POLAND - A THOUSAND YEARS OF JEWISH HISTORY IN POLAND 18th c. - 80% of all the Jews in the world lived in contemporary Poland. At that time Poland

included the lands now belonging to Lithuania (Vilnius, for many years called “North Jerusalem”),

Belarus (Grodno) and Ukraine (Lviv, Kiev). The Jewish population usually accounted for about

a third of the citizenry of larger cities in central Poland. They sometimes made up about 50%,

and in some cases even 70% of the population of smaller towns (especially out on the eastern

fringes). Many of the Jews in Poland earned their livelihood in trade, commerce, and through

practising various skills.

1795 - Poland was divided among Russia, Prussia and Austria. The majority of Poland’s one-million

Jews became part of the Russian empire. Since Jews were treated badly by the Russians,

many decided to become involved in the Polish insurrections: the Kościuszko Insurrection,

the November Insurrection (1830-1831) and the January Insurrection (1863).

19th c. - In the Jewish community education was at the center of all activities. Hundreds of yeshivot

(academies for higher rabbinic studies) flourished, producing thousands of outstanding

scholars. A large proportion of the major works currently studied in rabbinic literature were

produced in Poland. The language mainly spoken by the Jews in Poland was Yiddish, a language

largely based on Middle High German, interlaced with Hebrew and certain Slavic elements.

The literature in this language, which grew to major proportions in the 19th and 20th centuries,

started with prayers for women and epic sagas based on stories from Bible.

In Yiddish the name Polin (Poland) is interpreted as “I shall rest here”. When much

of Poland was a part of anti-Semitic Tsarist Russia, a great wave of emigration began, and Polish

Jews went to the United States, Canada, Argentina, Germany, France and the Land of Israel.

1918 - Poland became a sovereign state.

1921 - The March Constitution gives Jews the same legal rights as other citizens and guarantees them

religious tolerance.

1930 - The Jews in Poland constituted the second largest minority with 3.5 million people,

comprising some 10 per cent of the total population of the country.

1939 - Germany invaded Poland.

1940 - First ghettos are designated. Altogether, the Germans created more than 400 ghettos

in occupied territories. The ghettos in small towns were generally not sealed off, which was

often a temporary measure used until the residents could be sent to bigger ghettos. Large cities

had closed ghettos, with brick or stone wall, wooden fences, and barbed wire defining

the boundaries. Guards were placed strategically at gateways and other boundary openings.

Jews were not allowed to leave the so-called “Jewish residential districts”, under penalty of death.

The largest ghetto was in Warsaw.

1941 - Extermination camp is built in Chełmno by the Nazis on the Ner river.

1942 - Extermination camps appear in Sobibór, Treblinka, Auschwitz (Oświęcim), Birkenau (Brzezinka),

Majdanek, Bełżec. By 1942, all Polish Jews were either confined to ghettos or hiding.

1943 - Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

1945 - World War II ended. 85% of Polish Jewry perished in the Holocaust.

1946 - Kielce Pogrom. In July 40 Jews were killed and this was the impetus for mass emigration.

1947 - At the end of this year only 100 000 Jews remained in Poland.

1958 - 1959 - 50 000 Jews emigrated to Israel, which was the only country

Jews were able to immigrate to under Polish law.

1967 - Poland broke off diplomatic relations with Israel following the 1967 War. 1968 - 1969 - The last mass migration of Jews from Poland took place after Israel’s

1967 War, because of the anti-Jewish policy adopted by Polish communist

parties, which closed down Jewish youth camps, schools and clubs.

1990 - A year after Poland ended its communist rule full diplomatic

relations were restored with Israel.

Tykocin - the Great Synagogue (built in 1642)

Present-Day Poland Between 5 000 and 10 000 Jews live in Poland, mainly in Warsaw, but also in Cracow, Łódź, Wrocław and other cities, out of a total population of close to 40 million.

Few Jews live in the eastern part of Poland, which at one time was home to large, important communities, such as these of Lublin and Białystok. Synagogues can be found in Warsaw, Cracow, Zamość , Tykocin, Lesko, Łańcut, Rzeszów, Kielce and Góra Kalwaria, but not all are functioning today. The oldest synagogue in Poland, Stara Synagoga, built in the early 15th century, can be found in Cracow.

Today, it hosts a Jewish Museum. The Yeshiva Chachmei Lublin was reopened in Lublin in 2007, the first synagogue to be renovated and dedicated in Poland since World War II solely through funding from Polish Jewry, without government or charitable support. Prior to World War II, the yeshiva was Europe’s largest.

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JEWISH ROOTS IN POLAND - THE WARSAW GHETTO 1940 - 1943

THE WARSAW GHETTO UPRISING APRIL-MAY 1943 In the Warsaw Ghetto were two conspiratorial armed organizations: the Jewish Combat Organization (Żydowska Organizacja Bojowa, ŻOB) and the Jewish Military Union (Żydowski Związek Wojskowy, ŻZW), which had all together few hundreds of soldiers. The commandant of ŻOB was Mordechaj Anielewicz. At 3am on the morning of April 19th, the Nazis surrounded the Ghetto in order to pursue its ultimate liquidation, the uprising began. German forces consisted of about 2 000 soldiers, they also had tanks and artillery. The Jews had managed to stockpile a few thousand grenades, as well as a few hundred rifles, revolvers and pistols. But they possessed only two or three light machine guns.

The Germans planned to clear the ghetto of 50 000 Jews in three days. The Jews hoped to hold out as long as possible. During few first days the rebels were attacking: the biggest battles were taking place at Nalewki and Zamenhofa Streets and on the territory of broom-makers workshop at Franciszkańska Street. The forces of insurgents were getting weaker. After few days Germans began to set on fire one house after another in the ghetto and look for people who were hiding in underground shelters. On 8th May a shelter of command of ŻOB at Miła 18 Street was detected. A group of rebels with the leader of the uprising Mordechaj Anielewicz committed suicide.

The battle of the Warsaw Ghetto finally ended at 8: 15 p.m. on May 16th, 1943 when the German commander, Jurgen Stroop, declared victory by blowing up the Great Synagogue on Tłomacka Street outside the walls of the Ghetto. The Nazis reported that 7 000 Jews had been killed in the fighting, including those who were hiding in buildings that were blown up or burned. A total of 631 bunkers were destroyed, with Miła 18 being the last one to surrender. During the fighting 30 000 Jews were rounded up and deported to the death camp at Treblinka.

Although the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was not really very successful, it was the first time in all of German-occupied Europe that there was any organized uprising against the Nazis.

MIŁA 18 IN THE WARSAW GHETTO

The last hold-outs in the Warsaw Ghetto resistance were 120 Jewish fighters who were hiding in a bunker in the house at 18 Miła Street.

It was the main bunker of the Ż.O.B. (Jewish Fighting Organization) during the April uprising. After the great Ghetto fires and losing its bases, this is where many troops assembled, using it as the organization’s headquarters. On May 8th, 1943, the Miła 18 bunker was attacked by the Nazis. For two hours, German and Ukrainian soldiers were bombardeding the entrance, and then threw tear gas into the bunker to force the occupants out. As they no longer had any hope of survival, many resistance fighters committed suicide. Several of them were poisoned by the gas bombs hurled into their hideaway.

Mordechaj Anielewicz, the leader of the Warsaw resistance, died that day in the Miła 18 bunker. To this day, their bodies remain beneath the rubble. Nothing is left of the bunker. A hill of testi-mony was erected on the spot after the Ghetto was freed.

Mordechaj Anielewicz (1919-1943)

Path around mound shows size of house at #18 Mila Street

Born in Wyszków in a poor Jewish family. In the inter-war period activist of Betar, later ha-Shomer ha Za’ir. During the war found himself in Wilno (Vilnius), from where he came to the Warsaw Ghetto in 1942. He supported the idea of active resistance movement. In 1942 one of the founders of the Jewish Fighting Organization. Led the Uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto. Committed suicide together with his comrades on May 8th, 1943, at the moment when Germans attacked the bunker which he commanded, at 18 Miła Street.

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JEWISH ROOTS IN POLAND - THE WARSAW GHETTO 1940 - 1943

THOSE WHO HELPED POLISH JEWS DURING THE WORLD WAR II During the World War II Poland was the only country where any manifestation of helping Jews was officially punished with death. Several thousand Poles were murdered on the grounds of assisting Jews.

Poland was the only country in occupied Europe where throughout the duration of the war a secret organisation existed whose express purpose was to help the Jews and find, for at least some of them, a place of safety. Initially coordinated by several committees, this action culminated in the creation in December 1942 of the Relief Council for Jews in Poland, code name „Żegota”. „Żegota” organised financial aid and medical care for the Jews in hiding on the ‚Aryan side’, and procured for them forged identity documents. „Żegota” was successful in providing accommodation for many. Some 2500 Jewish children from Warsaw were saved by „Żegota” by placing them either with catholic Polish foster-families or in orphanages run by convents or local councils. Help in the form of money, food and medicines was organised by „Żegota” for the Jews in several forced labour camps in Poland.

IRENA SENDLER (1910-2008) - saved Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto Irena Sendler in 1942 (member of„Żegota”)

Irena Sendler was a Catholic employee of the Warsaw Social Welfare Department when the Nazis herded hundreds of thousands of Jews into the 16-block ghetto. Joining „Żegota” , the Council for Aid to Jews led by the Polish underground resistance movement, Sendler enlisted workers in each of the 10 centers of the Welfare Department to issue hundreds of forged documents to create new identities for Jewish children. Using the fierce-looking court building on Solidarnosci as her bridge from the ghetto to freedom she smuggled countless children inside parcels and boxes. The children were then sent to live in convents and rectories, but not before she recorded their identities in a glass jar she kept buried at home.

Her actions aroused the attention of the Gestapo and in 1943 she was arrested, tortured and sentenced to death.

A bribe from „Żegota” saved her life, but nonetheless she was left unconscious in a forest with both her arms and legs broken. She was officially declared dead by the Germans and spent the rest of the war in hiding. Irena Sendler is credited with rescuing over 2 500 Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto.

In 1965, Irena Sendler was accorded the title of the Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.

But her achievement was barely recognized elsewhere until in 1999 a group of four Kansas students wrote a play about her, „Life in a Jar”, for their National History Day competition. The students won the state championship and almost 15 years later, the play is still. In 2003 Pope John Paul II sent her a letter praising her for courage and later that year she was awarded the Order of the White Eagle – Poland’s highest civilian decoration.

Irena Sendler in 2008

JAN KARSKI (1914-2000) - the man who wanted to stop the Holocaust Jan Karski, known as the “courier from Warsaw” was the first to bring an eyewitness report to the Allies on the extermination of Jews in Nazi death camps in Poland.

Jan Karski bench in the square in front of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews

Jan Karski was his „nom de guerre”; he had been born Jan Kozielewski, the youngest of eight children, in Łódź, Poland’s second-largest city, on April 24th, 1914. He received a masters degree in Law and Diplomatic Science at the University of Lwów in 1935 and embarked on a career of a civil servant at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This was cut short four years later by the war, and when Poland was occupied by Germany, Kozielewski joined the Polish underground – the Home Army (Armia Krajowa). His photographic memory made him ideal for the job of courier between the underground in Poland and the Polish government-inexile that was seated first in France and moved to London, after the fall of France.

The 28-year-old Karski, an eye witness of the Holocaust as a courier for the Polish Underground State, personally delivered detailed reports on German actions taken against the Jewish population to representatives of the British authorities and appealed to the British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and the media to stop the Holocaust.

In July 1943, following the destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto by the Nazis, Jan Karski went to Washington where he met with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Karski’s actions and his report presenting findings from the Warsaw Ghetto which he infiltrated twice and the German transit camp in Izbica where he was smuggled as a guard, had not led to an Allied intervention. After the World War II Jan Karski came to live in the US . He died in Washington on July 13th, 2000, aged 86.

In 2012, the Polish Senate posthumously honored Karski as a World War II hero for working to reveal details of the Nazi genocide in Poland. U.S. President Barack Obama will posthumously honor Karski with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor presented to individuals who have made especially laudable contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

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JEWISH ROOTS IN POLAND - THE MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF POLISH JEWS

THE MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF POLISH JEWS The Museum stands in what was once the heart of Jewish Warsaw – an area which the Nazis turned into the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. This significant location, coupled with the Museum’s proximity to the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes, demanded extreme thoughtfulness on the part of the building’s designers, who carefully crafted a structure that has become a symbol of the new face of Warsaw.

The Museum of the History of Polish Jews opened its doors to the public in April 2013. It currently functions as a cultural and educational center with a rich cultural program, including temporary exhibitions, films, debates, workshops, performances, concerts, lectures and much more.

The main hall is the most important element in the architecture of the building; a pure and silent space introducing the museum to the visitors. The museum building is a multifunctional centre for research, exhibition, education and culture relating to the Jewish heritage.

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VISITING POLAND Tadeusz Jędrysiak

was born and educated in Warsaw.

He graduated from the Warsaw Technical University and took his doctor’s degree.

He studied for one year at Delft University in the Netherlands.

Since 1975 he has worked as a tour-guide and has visited about 100 countries.

During the summer he works as a licensed city guide in Warsaw.

He is a member of the Warsaw Guide Examination Board and V-ce President of the Warsaw Tour Guide Association.

He is an author of books about tourism: Turystyka kulturowa [Cultural tourism] (2008), Wiejska turystyka kulturowa [Rural cultural tourism] (2010), Militarna turystyka kulturowa [Military cultural tourism] (2011), Turystyka kulinarna [Culinary tourism] (2015).

Lech J. Zdrojewski

an artist, photographer, culture anthropologist and educator; was born in Sopot and lives in the traditional Kociewie region.

He graduated from the University of Gdańsk and the Arts Academy in Gdańsk.

His artistic projects include advertising campaigns, logos, catalogues, include posters, albums, portfolios for models, interior design, exposition design, the artistic design of the Arboretum Wirty, and educational paths in the Lipuskie Forest, exhibitions and catalogues for museums - among others Wdzydze Kiszewskie.

Lech seeks beauty and harmony in everything that surrounds us and has a passion for portrait, where he tries to find the most individual in his models.

He keeps „seizing” the moments and images in the camera lens, and is fascinated by the nature, the form and the light.

He is an author and co-author of many albums, publications and exhibitions; www.oko-lice-kultury.pl & www. zdrojewski.pl

www.oko-lice-kultury.pl