Gdynia- Poland

Comenius Project Culture guide

Intercultural dialogue

through music Meeting in Gdynia, Poland March 17th– 21st 2009

Gdynia Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea. Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the Tricity (Trójmiasto), with a population of over a million people.

Czech impressions : Jan Krajčírovič I have been to Poland for the first time. We were a group of two teachers (Dagmar Milotová and Vojtěch Dlask) and four students (Tomáš Kollár, Václav Klčo, Klára Žampachová and me, i. e. Jan Krajčírovič). We went there by train. Our aim was to represent our high school in the International Dialogue through Music project in Gdynia.

All the students lived host families which were very polite and friendly. We visited many historical places, for example Malbork, Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot and Torun. And other interesting places like the Sea Aquarium and Museum of Gdynia. We even tried to swim in the Baltic Sea and it was very cold indeed.

The meeting was very interesting as we met many students from other

countries

(Cyprus,

Germany,

Italia,

Poland,

Slovenia,

England…). The weather was rainy and cold but fine. It was very useful to discover how people from other countries behave, to get acquainted with their culture.

I got new friends and I thank all the organisers, schoolmates and teachers for good atmosphere and success of the event.

Our Stay in Poland

By Václav Klčo

Winter Poland is not really a nice country but there are nice cities and places like Gdansk, Warsaw and Sopot. The whole meeting was very interesting and exciting.

We met many new people. And we visited lovely places like Malbork, Torun and many more. I will not forget.

Gdynia

By Tomáš Kollár People travel abroad to shop, work or visit other people but we went to Poland to sing and play: from 17th till 21st March, we were in Gdynia. The family, where I lived, was super. They were looking after me very well and were very kind. I had a single room and the family had a dog named Lucy.

During our stay we visited a lot of monuments and castles, e. g. a beautiful city of Gdansk or the Malbork castle. The places, which we visited, were absorbing, but excursions were very long. I was really dog-tired.

I did not notice any big differences among the Polish and Czech people. The Polish people were peaceful and religious. And also did not seem extremely rich. I met many new friendly and accommodating friends from Poland.

The journey back home was extreme. We went by train almost twenty hours. In Poland, I liked it but I looked forward to my homeland.

Bulgarian Students’ Impressions Tsvetelina Bashkehayova, Radostin Tonev, Milena helyazkovaWe liked Poland very much! We were impressed by Gdynia- a big and beautiful city near the sea with lots of interesting places to see. You can enjoy here with the wonderful nature and architecture of the city.

We also visited Sopot and Gdansk …….

‌‌but we liked mostly the history museum and the Aquarium of Gdynia.

The organization of the meeting was perfect. We were very kindly welcomed in the town hall. It was such a nice experience to meet so many different students from different countries and make friendships with them. The time we spent together was fantastic.

To make a concert together was an amazing idea and great experience for each participant.

That trip ,being involved in that project and in the meeting in Gdynia will remain a nice memory for us and will be one of our greatest experience .

Italian Students’ impressions:Maria Chiara After a long period of preparation, the time to leave to Poland has arrived!!

It’s Tuesday 17.03.2009 At about three in the morning we start our journey for Cagliari airport, by a taxi.

We take the flight to Rome at seven and arrive there one hour later.

After waiting some hours we leave for Warsaw and then for Gdansk airport.

A bus takes us to Gdynia where Ania and her sister are waiting for me.

We go to their house where I meet their family.

They are very nice people and very friendly. They make me feel at home.

I have dinner with them and then Ania with her sister and her brother and a friend take me out to have a look at their place. Very interesting! I’m tired but happy.

The day after (18.03.2009) In the morning we went to school where we had a meeting with the principal, the teachers and the students of the school.

From nine to midday we had a group work with the friendship dictionary and a music workshop

At 12:00 we have lunch at the school canteen.

At 14:00 a bus takes us to the City Hall where we meet Gdynia authorities.

At 15:30 we go for rehearsal-music practice.

At 17:00 the concert starts

It was a wonderful concert.

We all enjoyed it very much.

In the end all the countries sang a Polish folk song.

Unforgettable!!

At 19:30 dinner with host family. After that we meet the students from other countries at the pub where we spend a nice evening altogether.

The day after (19.03.2009) Trip to Gdansk: visiting the old town, Dluga Street, old town Hall, Artus’ Manor

At 14:00 return to Gdynia. Here we visit the city aquarium, the museum, Kosciuszki Square, Seaside Boulevard.

I liked the aquarium very much: it was fantastic to see all the beautiful sea animals there.

At 19:00 dinner with families and then to school to see a theatrical performance by the Polish students.

The day after(20.03.2009) To Malbork by bus to visit the Castel of Teutonic Knights: very large and very beautiful

At 12:00 journey to Torun: visiting the Old Town, museum of N. Copernicus, old town Hall.

At five pm back to Gdynia and dinner with family: the last night!

Saturday 21.03.2009: a bus takes us to the airport. The same trip back to Sardinia. We arrived at TortolĂŹ late, about ten at night.

We are tired but very satisfied about the wonderful experience we have just lived. I will never forget all the nice places and people I have met during these five fantastic days. I’ll keep them all in my memories.

Students from Poniatowa in Gdynia On 17th March we went for a trip to Gdynia, as a part of the Comenius Project of Music. We went there by train, which was very long and tiring, although we managed to reach our destination without any obstacles. Everyone stayed in a hotel in Gdynia, but our group unfortunately was accommodated in a youth hostel. After the tiring travel it was time for a short relax.

Next we went for a tour around the city. Gdynia made a great impression on us.

It is a beautiful and young city. On the next day we had the first workshop meeting with all members of the music project. First we had music and art classes at school. We worked together with students from other countries. They were very friendly and cheerful so we became friends very quickly. The best groups turned out to be our mates from Germany and Cyprus. It was them, with whom we spent most of the time.

The best experience we had was the concert. The members of every country presented their repertoire. Everyone was happy and enthusiastic singing their national songs.

The trip to Gdynia was a fascinating experience for everybody. We had a great time. Together with our new friends we visited the most special places of Gdynia, Gdańsk and Sopot and despite the bad weather we shared a lot of unforgettable experiences.

Milena Sieńko

Dietmar’s impressions from Gdynia being no musician, I was very happy to experience the multiple ways music can be used as a means of communication. I will never forget the situation when we were on our way back to Gdynia during one of our trips and each nation came to the microphone of the bus and sang its song.

Being no musician I remember very well how the other nations overplayed our outsider status in the concert and honoured our simple wish to join in and do as good as we could.

Having enjoyed Polish hospitality a few times before I remember very well how friendly we were welcomed in Gdynia.

Finally I can say that this visit in Gdynia has made me become even more a European - and perhaps a little bit of a musician.

Thanks for everything you have done for us!

Dietmar

GDYNIA, POLAND by English Partners March 17th – 21st 2009

Bridget Tomlinson, Miss Walisiak, Elizabeth Kemp, Eleanor Snowdon, Michael Keogh, Mrs Russell and Angus Villiers-Stuart outside Marlbork Castle.

DAY 1 As with our trip to Slovenia, we had an early start – not quite as early, but 4.15 a.m. is early enough. The journey was a little easier for us this time, as we were able to fly direct from Birmingham to Gdansk, courtesy of Ryanair. For me, this meant a much smaller, and lighter, suitcase because of the baggage restrictions.

Having struggled for what seemed like miles through Gatwick Airport with a heavy case and lap top this made a pleasant change.

The flight left on time and arrived a few minutes early in Gdansk. In England the weather was mild and sunny; in Gdansk it was wet and windy when we arrived.

We later learnt that this part of Poland is known for being windy, even in the summer when temperatures are high. We had a wait at the airport as our coach

was going to collect the party from Slovenia as well. When they arrived we set off for Gdynia, a short distance along the coast.

We stayed at the Hotel Antares, which was within walking distance of our host school. It was wonderful to meet and catch up with our friends from all over Europe. We had time for a walk around Gdynia city centre in the afternoon. It was a short bus journey into town, the return trip cost 2 zloty, around 40p. As it was still very cold, we headed for a shopping centre and found a cafĂŠ where we could have a hot drink and sample some delicious Polish cakes. Gdynia is a young city, which was founded around 80 years ago as a port when the harbour was created.

After a long day it was good to relax with friends over a delicious evening meal in the hotel. We had some snow showers overnight and had to wrap up warmly for our walk to school in the morning.

DAY2

ARRIVING AT GIMNAZJUM 4

This was a very busy day, with lessons and activities in school in the morning, followed by a visit to Gdynia City Hall in the afternoon before going on to the concert venue for rehearsals followed by the concert itself at 5.00 p.m.

When we arrived at school we were met by the Headmistress. The weather may have been very cold, but the warmth of her welcome, and that of everybody we met at school, certainly made up for it. We were all made to feel at home. To me, this is the most important and wonderful thing about our project. It is a great opportunity so visit different countries and see many things, but it is the people that matter – the work we do together, the things we learn from each other and the friendship we share is what makes this project such a privilege and pleasure for everybody who takes part.

STAFF AND STUDENTS AT THE WELCOME MEETING

It was then on to classrooms for lessons. The students were divided into two groups, with representatives from each country in both groups.

ANGUS WORKING WITH HIS GROUP IN A LANGUAGE LESSON During the language lessons small groups of students worked together on a variety of different topics. They then produced a script in one language, which they then recorded. This activity worked really well as the students from different countries all worked together. The work that they did was based on our friendship dictionary.

MICHAEL AND OTHER MEMBERS OF HIS GROUP RECORDING THEIR SCRIPT The students stayed in their groups for the music lessons where they were taught by staff from all the different countries. While one group was learning the songs the students in the other group were involved in an art workshop. The biggest round of applause in the music lesson went to the three German teachers who all joined in and led the singing, despite not being music specialists!

One of the Czech teachers kindly accompanied them on the keyboard. Whilst some of the students and teachers had sung the songs before many were hearing them for the first time and performed them very well. Our hosts had kindly prepared a booklet with the words to each song, which was very useful.

STAFF AND STUDENTS IN THE MUSIC LESSON

After lessons it was time for lunch, kindly provided by the school. This was another opportunity for everybody to relax and get to know each other.

STAFF AND STUDENTS HAVING LUNCH

LEAVING SCHOOL TO VISIT CITY HALL We then had a short coach journey into the city centre for our visit to City Hall where we were welcomed by the Deputy Mayor.

STUDENTS IN CITY HALL

We watched a short film about Gdynia and then the Deputy Mayor told us more about the city and answered questions.

We then left for the concert hall which was right next to Gdynia’s beautiful beach.

THE VENUE FOR OUR CONCERT WITH THE BEACH AND SEA BEYOND

ELIZABETH AT THE PIANO DURING THE REHEARSAL

Every group had the opportunity to run through their programme. It was a great venue and our host school had provided refreshments for everybody.

After rehearsing the students all went upstairs to get changed, ready for the concert.

STUDENTS FROM ENGLAND AND BULGARIA GETTING READY

We were surprised to see that there was also a film crew at the venue from the local television station. They interviewed a number of students and staff from different countries.

ANGUS WITH OTHER STUDENTS AND STAFF BEING FILMED AND INTERVIEWED FOR POLISH TELEVISION The concert began at 5.00 p.m. Two students from Gimnazjum 4 introduced all of the students from the participating countries. The hall was full and everybody enjoyed all the varied performances.

I find it amazing how well the concerts work. Although everybody has obviously spent a lot of time rehearsing and preparing their part before they arrive when you watch the performance it seems almost impossible that this could have been achieved with just one and half hours rehearsal time together. This is largely due to the hard work put in by staff and students at the host school, thank you all, you did a wonderful job.

The whole event was recorded and each school has a DVD so that we can all watch and enjoy the concert back at home.

STUDENTS AND STAFF PERFORMING AT THE CONCERT

ALL THE STUDENTS ON STAGE AT THE END OF THE CONCERT SINGING THE POLISH PROJECT SONG

STAFF AT THE CELEBRATION DINNER AT HOTEL ANTARES AFTER THE CONCERT DAY 3

A SNOWY MORNING IN GDYNIA After breakfast we all departed by coach to Gdansk. It had snowed a little before we left and the snow came down again during the journey. The coach trip gave us the opportunity to see a little more of the ‘Tri-city’ area which includes Gdynia, Gdansk and Sopot. Trolley buses and trams link the three cities. Much of the housing was built during the communist era and is very utilitarian. Large, identical blocks of flats that have now been repainted in bright colours, making them look much brighter and more cheerful. Our guide told us that people building private houses during this time were also subject to restrictions, for example, only flat roofs were allowed as pitched ones were considered to be an extravagance unless you lived in a mountainous area with high snowfall.

It is hard for us to understand how different life was under the communist regime. It was in this area that Solidarity made their stand against it which eventually led to Poland becoming a free state. We saw monuments erected in memory of those who died in this struggle. Our guide told us about the history of Poland and the city of Gdansk in particular, which has been a free state in the past. It grew up as a major trading and industrial centre. Its strategic position was recognised by Hitler, and the Second World War began here in 1939. Much of the city, along with many others in Poland, was destroyed by bombing during this time.

A PHOTOGRAPH HANGING BY THE CITY GATE IN GDANSK Much of the city has now been rebuilt and some buildings are still in the process of being restored. The city centre is beautiful, with distinctive hall, narrow, colourful houses.

STAFF AND STUDENTS IN THE MAIN STREET Gdansk is famous for its shipbuilding and also for amber. Whilst there, we had time to visit some amber shops to buy souvenirs for friends and family. We all enjoyed a tour of the city, including its cathedral, which is one of the largest in Europe. Like the city, it has an interesting history, being used by both Catholics and Protestants at various times. The snow showers continued and we were glad to find a cosy cafĂŠ where we enjoyed a hot chocolate and cakes.

OUR PARTY BY THE STATUE OF NEPTUNE IN THE CITY CENTRE

THE WATERFRONT IN GDANSK CITY CENTRE

In the afternoon we moved on to Sopot. This was where the rich merchants of Gdansk had there summer houses and is now a popular seaside resort, although it was definitely not beach weather when we were there!

THE CROOKED HOUSE ON THE MAIN STREET, SOPOT

OUR STUDENTS AND BASIA BY THE PIER

SOPOT PIER, WHICH IS 500 METRES LONG (none of us were brave enough to walk to the end in the bracing wind!)

THE BEACH AT SOPOT FROM THE PIER Our final stop of the day was back in Gdynia where we visited the aquarium and city museum. The aquarium is situated at the mouth of the harbour which will host the Tall Ships Race later this year.

A VIEW OF GYDNIA HARBOUR FROM THE AQUARIUM

STUDENTS STROKING FISH IN THE AQUARIUM The large modern museum was really interesting and showed the development of the city from a small fishing village to a modern commercial centre and resort.

In the evening, after dinner at the hotel, we all went over to the school for a drama performance. It was a mime, based on the park next to the school and what happens there during the course of a year. It was something the students had put together having observed life in the park and they gave an excellent and memorable performance which we all thoroughly enjoyed. When it had finished we discussed drama and arts and how they fit into the curriculum in our different schools, with Miss Walisiak helping with translation. In many of the schools drama is only available as an after school activity.

STUDENTS FROM GIMNAZJUM 4 ANSWERING QUESTIONS AFTER THE DRAMA PERFORMANCE At the end of the performance it was time to say goodbye to our friends from the school in Southern Poland. They had a very long train journey home the following day. It had been difficult for them to attend as they were unable to use any of their funding for a visit to another school in Poland. We were so glad that they were able to come, it wouldn’t have been the same without them.

As we made our way back to the hotel it was snowing again and the students from England and Cyprus enjoyed a snowball fight!

DAY 4 In the morning we said goodbye to our friends from Bulgaria who were flying back home later in the morning. The rest of the party set off by coach to Malbork Castle, once the main fortress of the Teutonic knights who ruled the area for hundreds of years. After fighting in the Crusades they built a series of castles across Poland and Lithuania, Malbork being the largest and the centre for the order.

Our journey gave us the opportunity to see more of the Polish countryside, particularly the very floodplain of Poland’s main river, the Wisla. Large areas of land were reclaimed hundreds of years ago by Dutch settlers who had been driven from their own country; it is still rich farming land. Large areas of Poland are still covered by natural forest and hunting continues to be a popular pastime.

Malbork Castle is huge! It is the largest brick castle in Europe. Much of it was destroyed towards the end of the Second World War by Russian soldiers who launched an offensive on the German troops stationed there.

THE ENTRANCE TO MALBORK CASTLE (The long slits in the wall show where the drawbridge used to be.)

The castle is divided into three areas. Outside the moat was the Lower Castle which housed the stables, storehouses etc. The middle castle is situated around a large courtyard.

VIEWS OF THE INNER COURTYARD

The Higher Castle was the home of the Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order.

Renowned for their fighting, this was also a monastic order. Much of the castle is still being restored but much work has been done. Its walls were covered with murals and patterns. In the rooms used by the knights under floor heating was installed. Stones were heated in cellars under the rooms and the heat travelled up through round vents in the floors of the rooms above.

The attention to detail in the castle was amazing, tiny, but beautiful carvings on the pillars along the long corridors and murals on the fan vaulting above.

A CORRIDOR LEADING TO THE CHURCH IN THE CASTLE Saint Mary’s Church was perhaps the most moving place in the castle. Before seeing it in its current state we had seen a photograph taken in the 19th century, showing it in all its splendour, with opulent decorations, lighting and furniture.

What we saw was very different; the restoration has begun, but there is still a great deal to do. Much of it was destroyed by Russian shelling and although the walls have been rebuilt and a temporary roof has been put on to protect it, the inside is still very much a ruin, with shrapnel marks in the walls that were left standing. The people who showed us around were obviously, and justifiably, proud of the castle and all the work that has been completed so far. Our guide told us that it would take two days to see the castle properly, I can see why!

SAINT MARY’S CHURCH, MALBORK CASTLE We left Malbork and travelled on to Torun. This is one of very few cities in Poland that was not damaged during the 2nd World War, so much of its medieval centre remains. Torun is famous for two things, firstly, it was the birthplace of Nicholas Copernicus, who discovered that the Earth moves around the Sun, rather than the other way round, and secondly gingerbread!

Copernicus was the son of a rich merchant and we visited the museum dedicated to him, which is situated next door to the house where he was born. We learnt that he was not just a great scientist and astronomer but also a doctor and very well educated man who spoke many languages.

The merchant’s house itself was interesting, with special metal windows on the first floor, which was the grain store. The grain would be hauled up and in through the windows which opened from the bottom.

THE COPERNICUS MUSEUM IN TORUN Situated on the Wisla river, Torun was an important trading centre in medieval times.

THE CENTRAL SQUARE AND TOWN HALL IN TORUN We headed for the gingerbread shop and stocked up for friends and colleagues at home and then had time for a hot chocolate and cake before going back to the coach. As you can see from the picture below, this was real chocolate!!

THE DONKEY IN TORUN

Merchants and others who misbehaved were made to sit on the donkey and the people of Torun would throw rotten fruit and vegetables at them!

OUR GROUP UNDER THE STATUE OF COPERNICUS IN THE MAIN SQUARE, TORUN It was then time to head back to Gdynia after an action packed day during which we all saw and learnt so much. It also gave staff and students from other countries time to talk and get to know each other better. It’s become almost a tradition now to have a sing song on the coach as we travel back to base. This time we able to use the microphone at the front of the coach. Everybody sang the project songs and other songs from all the different countries.

Back at the hotel we enjoyed our last evening together and had the opportunity to thank our hosts for a wonderful and memorable trip. I’m sure it is something that we will always remember. All of our students got on really well and gained in confidence. They would all love to go on another trip, as would the staff!

DAY 5 It was an early start, off to the airport and more sad goodbyes. The great thing is that we all keep in touch and will be together again at future meetings.

The flight back was on time and we all arrived home tired, but with our heads full of the wonderful experiences we had shared.

Poland by Slovenia On Monday, the 16th March 2009, a five days long music adventure for four students from our High school (Gymnasium Slovenske Konjice) began. By the Comenius project Intercultural Dialogue through Music we were taken to see Gdynia in Poland.

When we arrived, we were welcomed warmly by our hosts in the company of Italians, Bulgarians, Cypriots, English, Poles, Czechs and Germans. First we met our polish coevals, who gave us a place to stay while being there.

The next day we participated in the activities connected to interculturalism: we translated some basic questions to all the languages involved in the project.

Afterwards, the journey around the city began.

On the train station

With our friends We had a trip to Gdansk ( Danzig ), which is one of the oldest and the biggest cities in Poland. It is also the capital city of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is on the Baltic coast in northern Poland where the river Visla outflows into the Danzig bay.

In the 2005 there were about 464 000 people in Gdansk, with Gdynia and Sopot which together form a metropolitan area called the Tricity it has about 1 200 000 of population. In the days in Poland we visited the whole Tricity.

We also visited the Mikolaj Kopernik's house, who was a polish astronomer, mathematician , physician, lawyer and Economist. His greatest contribution to the mankind was his heliocentric model with the Sun at the center of the universe.

Nicolaus Copernicus was born on 19 February 1473 in a house on St. Anne's Street (now Copernicus Street) in the city of Toruń (Thorn). That city, situated on the Vistula River, had since the Second Peace of Thorn (1466) been part of Royal Prussia, a region of the Kingdom of Poland. When he was 10 his father died and his mother’s brother took over the care. Because Kopernik spent most of his time with his uncle, who was German, he mostly spoke in German. He also mastered Polish but he didn’t use it in public. His scientific works are written in Latin.

We tasted traditional polish food too, which is much spicier than ours. The traditional Polish food, such as bigos, golonka and the salad were different and we didn’t like it as much as Slovene food. We also visited the aquarium where we were presented the development of living beings through the history.

The last day came too soon and with it our joint concert. The four musketeers, Ana Kroneker, Sintija Leva Bukovnik, Mojca Županc and Rok Štravs presented Slovenia with Slovenian songs respectively and we showed the audience how the genuine Slovenian music, played with accordion, sounds. We were accompanied by the three teachers Tatjana Hren, Mihaela Ribič and Jožica Orož Berginc, who often brightened our days with their ideas and tell us new things.

On the way home we stopped in Munich, where among other things, we heard how the song performed on the glasses sounds.

We spent an amazing time we would never forget. For all of us it was one of the most beautiful experience we would certainly like to have again.