JUNE-AUGUST 2020 | VOL 1 | ISSUE 12 ISSN 2515-8503
travel.lovePoland SPECIAL EXTENDED EDITION
The Centre of Slavs and Vikings Jomsborg – Vineta Wolin EXCLUSIVE FOR TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND MAGAZINE
"The sun is scorching hot, the warriors, united, try to do their best to win. Two rows of warriors wave like a snake, pushing the fighters one way and the other..." Marek Kalisiński on photo: Frank Wilke – Ukranenland archeological village – museum in Torgelow in north-east Germany
through the lens
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RENTRAP RUOT
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 12
from the editor
Dear Readers, We invite you to another, summer issue of the Magazine. We finished preparing it at the beginning of June, so well before the beginning of the high tourist season. However, due to the prevailing pandemic conditions, we encourage you to check information regarding travelling to Poland (also on our social sites). This time we start with a special length reportage by Marek Kalisiński: The Centre of Slavs and Vikings – Wolin, Jomsborg, Vineta. Staying in northern Poland, we encourage you to visit the Wolin National Park – and a little further, in Masuria – the war quarters of the Wolf's Lair. As always, we could not miss a visit to Polish cities – this time it will be medieval Toruń, beautiful Muszyna in Konrad Rogozinski's photography and a bit less known, but still worth visiting Chęciny with the text and photographs of Michał Piorun. And there are the conversations that we consider pretty special – with a windmill enthusiast Wiesław Szkopek and with two artists: Arkadiusz Andrejkow in the text Silent Memorial and with Sasha Nazim, now a Cracovian, a painter and a creator of photography documenting Kraków and its life. For literature and film enthusiasts, we recommend visiting places related to the famous series The Witcher based on books by Andrzej Sapkowski. Marcin Nowak will take you to these places. As usual, we devote some time to photographs associated with Polish nature – these time, these will be, beautiful in their simplicity, photos by Rafał Bojanowski. Kasia Skóra – as our regular guide to Polish traditions – will tell you about the customs associated with the birth of a child. After this interesting reading, Karolina and Konrad will invite you to Czorsztyn for slightly crazy adventures. August is also another anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising. This time, we offer you to learn about its history through a discussion about the book Faith of a Little Insurgent by Wendell Speer. Of course, in the magazine you will find many other topics, including another recipe of Polish cuisine. Don't forget to check what one of our partner 2Poland, has to offer. Feel free to check all of that on your own! artur tomasz tureczek Editor-in-Chief Travel.LovePoland
Contributors to this issue: Arkadiusz Andrejkow, Dominika Bednarczyk, Rafał Bojanowski, Konrad Janik, Marek Kalisiński, Sasha Nazim, Marcin Nowak, Michał Piorun, Marta Papierowska, Konrad Rogoziński, Jerzy Rajecki, Przemysław Sękowski, Katarzyna Skóra, Wendell Speer and Wiesław Szkopek. As always: our special BIG thanks to Kasia Śpiewankiewicz – graphic editor @britanniaweb.co.uk for your patience and support. Thank You. If you would like to support or cooperate with our magazine please contact us via: info@lovepoland.org
TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND online magazine published by love Poland ltd Registered office address: 178 Mitcham Road, London, England, SW17 9NJ Company number 10956488 Company registered in England and Wales. British Library ISSN 2515-8503 Copyrights by love Poland ltd and/ or authors of photographs and texts as indicated. All photographs and texts are published under the exclusive permission granted to travel.lovePoland Magazine by their authors. Please do not copy or publish without authorisation. WWW.LOVEPOLAND.ORG
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T R A V E L . L O V E P O L A N D
M A G A Z I N E
VOL 1. ISSUE 12 JUNE-AUGUST 2020
CONTENTS 0 5
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1 1 6
The Centre of Slavs and Vikings Jomsborg – Vineta Wolin by Marek Kalisiński
Windmills Project by Wiesław Szkopek
The Witcher: palaces to see in Poland by Marcin Nowak
Birds of Poland by Rafał Bojanowski
Silent Memorial by Arkadiusz Andrejkow
32 43 44 50 66 76 80 100 106 126 130 132 134 136
Słowiński National Park Book promo: The atmosphere o Podlasie Muszyna: Konrad Rogoziński Medival Toruń A tour gide Chęciny: Michał Piorun Places and Customs by Katarzyna Skóra Aye witness: Wolf's Lair Czorsztyn experience: Konrad Janik From Lwów to Kraków: Sasha Nazim The Faith of a Little Insurgent by Wendell Speer The past: Silver fowler of The Fowler Brotherhood Summer kitchen Dumplings with strawberries Visual guide Cultural Properties UNESCO Defiant Landscape: exhibition
photo on the front cover: Wolin, Marek Kalisiński, on photo: Frank Wilke Ukranenland archeological village – museum in Torgelow in north-east Germany
T H E
C E N T R E
O F
S L A V S
J O M S B O R G
–
A N D
V I K I N G S
V I N E T A
W O L I N
by Marek Kalisiński
find Marek on Facebook
on the photo: Grzegorz Pilarczyk, goldsmith, brazier and armorer in spare time
Marek Kalisiński
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Słupnik / Street Poler
The Orchestra of Dwarfs – The Violinist
Vincent Dwarf
The Friendly (Traveller)
photos: 1. Krzysztof Barański – taking this picture I showed great courage by not running away. 2. Staging of an early medieval process. Agnieszka Blaszak- accused, on the left a perch (priest) – Sławomir Uta, on the throne Pomeranian prince Warcisław I – Sławomir Górny, on the right: aide of the prey – Jakub Nil Broniecki, with closed eyes Ireneusz Adamczyk who could not stand such a severe sentence. 3. Time keepers, from the left: Marcin Lutomski, in the middle Tomasz Wojtczak and from the right Michał Łoń.
The Centre of Slavs and Vikings Jomsborg – Vineta Wolin
text and photos
by Marek Kalisiński
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Wolin – a town located in north-western Poland on the island of the same name, on the Dziwna Strait, which is one of the outlets of the Szczecin Lagoon into the Baltic Sea. Archaeological research in this area has shown that the first traces of settlement come from the Stone Age. They also confirmed the continuity of settlement in the Bronze Age, Iron Age, during the period pf Roman influences, as well as the Migration Period (4th-6th century AD) which was the same time when Slavs came to this area. The so called Bavarian Geographer in his account writes about the tribe of Uelunzani (Wolinians), who had seventy strongholds and this is the first written mention of Wolin from the mid-ninth century. And the information of the monk Rymbart from 870 shows the city from this period as one of the largest of Europe at that time. Jewish merchant and traveller, Ibrahim ibn Jakub, writes about Wolin in this way: "They have a powerful city by the ocean with twelve gates. It has a marina where they use half-trunks. They fight with Mieszko, and their combat strength is great. They have no king and cannot be led by one ruler, and their elders are those of charge...".
However, recent archaeological achievements and the addition of new cognitive tools contribute to changing these views and intensifying research on sagas. Reports about Jomsvikings in sagas differ significantly and for this reason there are two versions of the tradition, which are described as older and newer. The older one states that the first founder of the Jomsviking stronghold was the Danish king Harald Bluetooth, who was to conquer the Slavs and establish a fortified stronghold in Wolin- Jomsborg. And in the newer version, the first founder is thought to be a Viking called Palnatoki, the earl of the island of Fyn that became the first jarl (the title given to Scandinavian chiefs, warriors), who came to Wolin with thirty long boats and was to receive these lands from the Slavic ruler Buryslaw to manage on his behalf and protect them. Palnatoki is probably considered a legendary figure. The stronghold was to be surrounded by solid embankments with a palisade, it also had a sea gate closed with gates and was secured with iron chains and a stone bridge led to the fortress. Both accounts state that this armed formation was established to defend the Jomsborg area. I would add that in his work Gesta Danorum Saxo Grammaticus presents another version in which Harald Bluetooth conquered the settlement of Julinum and gave it to the Swedish prince Styrbjorn Olafsson. Only men who lived alone could belong to the Jomsviking order. Women could not stay in the castle either. Their most important task of Jomsvikings was performing famous deeds. They were famous for their incredible courage and bravery. The sagas describe a situation in which several dozen Jomsvikings were taken prisoners during fights with Jarl Hakon and all were sentenced to death by beheading with an axe.Facing death, they laughed and mocked their torturers.
nosdravdE nevS
Adam of Bremen also wrote about Wolin in 1074: "At its mouth, there is the serious city of Jumneta, a centre greatly visited by barbarians and Greeks living around. This is indeed the largest among the European cities. Slavs and other nationalities, Greeks and barbarians, live there. This city, rich in all north goods, has every possible pleasure and rarity. There is a Volcano pot, which the inhabitants call Greek fire”. Due to its convenient location and trade, Wolin developed quickly and became the centre of the religious life of Slavic worship of Svetovid and Triglav. They pursued independent policy until 967 when they lost the battle with Mieszko I and the city was incorporated into Poland while maintaining great autonomy. During this period, a hook construction rampart was erected around the city, which was a structure widely used in Poland. An interesting fact is that the Danish king Harald Bluetooth took refuge in Wolin in 987, fleeing his son Sven, and died of wounds here. Inhabitants of Wolin, apart from craft and trade, began to deal with piracy and it was so effective that some Danish islands were depopulated and their native population was replaced by Slavs. This situation forced the Danish King Magnus the Good to retaliate and in 943 he invaded the city, conquered and destroyed it. There is also some information provided about the invasion of Danish troops of King Eric in 1098, which conquered the boroughs, but they did not attack the city itself as the spoils from the borough were highly satisfying for them. After this period, the city was rebuilt and the Wolinians were independent until 1121, when they became subordinated to the Pomeranian prince Warcisław, who was a vassal of the Polish king Bolesław III Wrymouth. The second half of the 12th century was the fall of Wolin, which was associated with numerous invasions of the Danes, which caused the destruction of the stronghold, which was further contributed to the disappearance of trade, which was the basis of the wealth of residents, as well as the shallowing of the Daugava River, which resulted in the impossibility of using water transport. After this period, Wolin did not regain its previous splendour. What made Wolin the most famous today are the Scandinavian sagas in which he is called Jom or Jomsborg. Among many sagas, one of the most important is Jomsvikingsaga (The Saga of Jomsborg Vikings), which largely describes the history of the Vikings of Jom. It was created at the beginning of the thirteenth century in Iceland at the Thingeyra monastery and it can be said that it is a compilation of earlier records and traditional oral communications of Scandinavian skalds celebrating the heroic deeds of the Wolin warriors called Jomsvikings, and the second such rich source is the Olav Tryggvasons saga from the midtwelfth century. According to many historians, the sagas cannot be treated as a historical source, because history, literary fiction and differences in the description of the place and time are very much mixed up.
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photos: 1. Lubomir Aleksandrowicz – Prince, team of the Horodna Castle 2. Wolin 3. The rhythm and sound of the big drum encouraged the warriors to fight. Starting from the right: Łukasz Gackowski, Jacek Tesławski (constructor and performer of the drum), Krzysztof Dziewientkowski. Two of them were to bet on each other whether it is possible to feel anything after having your head chopped off. During the execution one of the Jomsvikings jerked his head so violently that the axe instead of his head chopped off both hands of the executioner's helper. Jarl Erik, son of Hakon, was full of admiration for his courage and decided to save his and the other Jomsvikings' lives. In order for the stronghold to be well managed, a strict code of principles and laws was created, followed and observed by every Jomsviking. Jarl and decided to accept a new member together with the squad, although the final decision belonged to him. The code consisted of twelve rules: It was not possible to accept people who were under eighteen or over fifty years old. Those who showed fear and escaped from an equal or superior strength and weapon could not join the team. They were required to avenge the death of a squad member just like their brother's. Whistle-blowing and starting arguments were forbidden. 08 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
They were obliged to report any new situation to their jarl. In a situation where a father, brother or relative of another member of the squad was killed, and it turned out that the aggressor had already been admitted to the squad, this matter had to be entrusted to Jarl to settle and individual hatred and desire for revenge must have been rejected. Women were not allowed to join the order for all time and the warriors were to lead a single life. Staying outside the stronghold for more than three days could not go without jarl's permission. Prey and spoils of war were to be put up for public sale and drawn between warriors. It was also forbidden to offend the other with insults, as well as to get into a quarrel with offensive words. No one could join the order on the basis of wealth, kinship and friendship. Worthy of Jomsborg were only those who would recommend their name to mortals. Those who did not comply with the law and rules, were sentenced to be thrown out of the order in the greatest disgrace.
The Jomsvikings became famous for their courage and bravery in many sea and land battles in Poland, Scandinavia and even England. According to scientists, the crew of Jomsborg after the year 1000 consisted mainly of Scandinavians and Slavs. Nowadays, the Icelandic sagas, and especially the Jomsviking saga, have become an inspiration to create a historical festival from this period, which took place in Wolin on July 2, 1993. The festival's organizers were contemporary Vikings from Denmark under the leadership of the late prof. Geoffrey Bibby. At that time, the events were taking place in Wolin in the city itself, only in 1999 the festival was moved to the nearby island of Wolińska Kępa, where the reconstruction of the Jomsborg castle was initiated. Already in 2002, the association "Centre of Slavs and Vikings Wolin Jomsborg Vineta" was established, which set itself the goal of building an early medieval open-air museum. The first fortified gate was built in 2003. As the founders of the association recall, it took several years from the dream to the implementation of the project. Finally, the dreams came true and the museum was officially opened on April 7, 2008. During this time, the museum has gained such fame that reconstruction teams from all over the world come to it. It happens that at the festival there are from 2000 to 2500 reenactors considered the largest in the region while the numbers of tourists visiting the festival are estimated at dozens of thousands. The main program of the festival takes place cyclically in the first days of August each year, while craft workshops usually begin two weeks earlier.
tnahcrem laveidem ylrae na fo tiartroP
The festival program is very rich. Entering the fortified gate into the museum area, you have the feeling that you stepped back into that era. This impression is further intensified by live medieval music, but many tourists do not perceive this effect. However, the performers who stand out from tourists, are really eye-catching. The place is crowded and colourful, tourists mix with musicians in colourful costumes decorated with rich, various jewellery. In addition, everywhere there are replicas of tents, inhabited by artists, traders and craftsmen. Wandering around the museum, we can see craftsmen who represent various professions, showing the manufacturing process of their products and they are blacksmiths, shoemakers, tailors, weavers, carpenters, potters, goldsmiths, armourers, boatbuilders, wickerwork masters, amber and horn crafters and many other professions. We will also meet the stands of traders specialising in our offer, on some we can buy swords, bows, spears and all other weapons, on other chainmail and helmets, leather and horns or antlers, robes and materials, jewellery and many other products. On the banks of the Dźwina River there is a port where replicas of Viking and Slavic boats moor.
Depending on the program, Viking and Slav fights are reenacted, showing sea skirmishes or boat races. Attention is also drawn to daredevils, who are showing off their agility and run along the rows of oars protruding from hoopoes above the water. Individual or group fights of warriors are shown. Archery competitions, spear or axe throws take place. There are also staging performances of the weddings, funerals, conquests, burning villages, showing assaults or skirmishes, baptisms of pagans and princes, trials on criminals. We can also use the fortune teller service and learn about our future. There is a temple in the open-air museum, where we can learn about the rituals and spirituality of that period from the Żerca (Slavic priest). The visitors may enter wooden cottages with thatched roofs decorated in an early medieval style illustrating how the inhabitants of the castle lived and what their living conditions looked like. There are talks, lectures and scientific sessions as well as meetings with authors of books referring to the peoples of the Baltic Sea. Starving tourists have not been forgotten, in many places you can taste a wide range of old-fashioned snacks and dishes. The festival's biggest attraction is the staging of the battle of Slavs and Vikings, in which 600-800 warriors take part. Depending on the wealth (as it was in the early Middle Ages), we can see warriors wearing wonderful chainmail and helmets and decorated weapons, and more modestly dressed warriors even without protective chain mail. Looking at them, you may feel that we are at those times. The sound of the big drum heralds that soon the warriors will appear on the battlefield. Its sound and vibration and rhythm put participants in a sublime mood and it encourages the warriors to fight. They stand in two rows facing each other, but before the fight comes, according to tradition, a fortune telling celebration shall take place to reveal their destiny.
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photos: 1. Piotr Sudnik in a Slavic outfit 2. Viking boat replica 3. In the evening, when the museum no longer have tourists, the performers jointly feast and lead social life in their own company The whole ritual is guided by a priest – żerca. After saying the prayer, he walks in front, followed by the warrior leading the horse, and at the back some of his helpers, on the sides there are the warriors standing with lowered spears and blades driven into the ground. If the horse raised its right leg before the left passing through the spears, it means that fortune-telling is auspicious. The ritual is repeated three times, and if the horse raises its left leg before the right one time, it was thought that divination for the inhabitants of the castle was inauspicious and fate would not be too kind to them. After completing the fortune telling ritual, before the general battle, skirmishers emerge from the ranks to fight in a duel in order to demonstrate their bravery and glorify themselves. On the battlefield, you can see men with bare torsos and poles in their hands, which can arouse surprise. I should explain – they are the judges who stand out with their naked bodies on the battlefield from the armoured warriors and cannot be attacked by them. This is a staging of the battle and there are rules for it. 10 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
One of these rules is that if the opponent deals a blow to the right place on the body, the so-called deadly place depending on the weapon it uses, the hit one (the victim) should lie down on the ground or leave the battlefield as he becomes excluded from it. But in the excitement of the fight and the emotions that are released, the warriors often do not notice that they were hit and become immortal. Such situations are to be caught by the judges, if the person hit does not listen to the judge, the stick in the hand of the judge quickly disciplines the rebellious warrior. The climax is approaching, two leaders get in front of two armies standing in two rows, facing each other and encourage their warriors to fight, the noise of swords and spears struck against the shields and the cries of the warriors are heard around the battlefield. Finally, the commanders give a signal for an attack, the squads clash with one another, the swish of swards and duns (smaller axes on a long handle) as well as spears hitting the shields are heard in the air.
The sun is scorching hot, the warriors, united, try to do their best to win. Two rows of warriors wave like a snake, pushing the fighters one way and the other. Suddenly a downpour comes, giving the fighters some cooling from the August heat. There will be wigs on the green. The commanders of both sides introduce reserves, which wedge into tight ranks to break or weaken them. The scale of victory tilts back and forth, until the opponent's forces break down and the fight is over. The battle is carried out three times, until it is won by one of the sides. The winners announce their victory in triumphant voice. The warriors, in squads, slowly leave the battlefield marching to their camps. There they meet with their commanders, their faces still show emotions and the signs of enormous effort. The commander gives a fiery speech, mobilising the squad to acting together. After the speech, the commander's camp slowly gets empty, the warriors go to rest.
The day is slowly coming to an end and tourists are leaving the open-air museum. In the evening, the performers gather around the fire, finally being able to eat a meal together, talk, sing and drink some noble beverages. During this time, they also visit other camps or host visitors. This moment, when the sun sets and in the sky you can still see red flames and darkness slowly covers the open-air museum, then the light of sparkling bonfires and lanterns comes out, the sound of music and singing surrounds everything, it is time of silence, contemplation of what happened and what is still going on, this is the moment of that era. Even the best descriptions and photos will not reflect the mood at the Wolin festival. You just have to be there, see and feel it for yourself. Come and enjoy! Marek Kalisiński
Szczecin, June 2020
.dnuorgerof eht ni reppeD nablA .dleifelttab eht no ymra s'grobsmoJ 11 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
photos: 1. Judgment council - armies ready to fight 2. The Judge" not a single immortal can hide from his eye. Tomasz Wojtczak – long-term president of the association "Center of Slavs and Vikings Jomsborg Vineta" 3. Vytautas Butvilas 4. Piotr Czcibor Bałakirew next page:
photos: 1. The staging of the battle of the Jomsborg defenders against the invaders. In the middle of the photo from the bottom with a red shield Maciej "Borys" Zalewski, on the left Tomek Murański and on the right Michał Moroz, and on the left side of the photo dressed in leather Krzysztof Herman. 2. Mandy Herrmann, Ukranenland archeological villagemuseum in Torgelow in north-east Germany 3. Drere Coldness
Skirmishers are fighting against two enemy armies to show their bravery and glorify themselves
Jomsborg Army. Starting from right to left from the bottom of the photo: Anie Lepper – Jarl of all world Jomsvikings, Igor D. Górewicz – voivode of the Castle Team 'Trzygłowa', commander Jomsborg East Storm, Szymon Hofman – team voivode Nordelag, Maximas Von Bracey – team founder Silver Wolf (Moskva), For many years the commander of the Armed Forces, Omat Bhatti – Quenan - Jomsviking and member of Ulflag (London), East Storm
THE CENTRE OF SLAVS AND VIKINGS JOMSBORG – VINETA WOLIN BY MAREK KALISIŃSKI
Sprinklers bring cool on hot days
photos:
1. Weavers at work 2. Early medieval merchant 3. Andrzej Kłosowski – member of the board of the Slavs and Vikings Center Wolin Jomsborg Vineta
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THE CENTRE OF SLAVS AND VIKINGS JOMSBORG – VINETA WOLIN BY MAREK KALISIŃSKI
photos:
1. Asia Babicz 2. Emilia Kajzler 3. Timo Abel 4. Early Medieval rope maker - Marek Skubisz
19 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
THE CENTRE OF SLAVS AND VIKINGS JOMSBORG – VINETA WOLIN BY MAREK KALISIŃSKI
Sprinklers bring cool on hot days
photos:
1. Igor D. Górewicz, commander-in-chief of the Jomsborg army during the battle 2. Paolo Pizzo viking from Italy 3. Aaron Geoffrey Ivarson viking from France
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THE CENTRE OF SLAVS AND VIKINGS JOMSBORG – VINETA WOLIN BY MAREK KALISIŃSKI
photos:
1. Agnieszka Gawron Kłosowska works in the Center of Slavs and Vikings Wolin Jomsborg Vinet 2. Karina Livia Hopp 3. Sławomir Górny - voivode of the "Svantevit" Bielsko Mercenary Team 4. Portrait of a Viking - Grzegorz Pilarczyk
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THE CENTRE OF SLAVS AND VIKINGS JOMSBORG – VINETA WOLIN BY MAREK KALISIŃSKI
Sprinklers bring cool on hot days
photos:
1. Jomsbor Army Wariors. The first giant from the right: Gregarus Magnus and Maxsimas Von Bracey, Omat Bhatti, Tim O’Sullivan 2. Viking disputes over a noble drink from the corner. From left Andreas Brückmann and Heiko Gerull from right 3. Wojciech Szlagura
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THE CENTRE OF SLAVS AND VIKINGS JOMSBORG – VINETA WOLIN BY MAREK KALISIŃSKI
photos:
1. Alicja Birna-Górna 2. Barbara Pilarczyk 3. Rabe Andastra 4. Aleksandra Pilarczyk
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THE CENTRE OF SLAVS AND VIKINGS JOMSBORG – VINETA WOLIN BY MAREK KALISIŃSKI
Sprinklers bring cool on hot days
photos:
1. The princely couple - Karolina Kuryj-Kiszkurno and Albert Kiszkurno 2. The port of Jomsborg, at the wharf replica of the boat, the first from the left Slavic, and the other two Viking 3. Michał Sadowski, potter
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THE CENTRE OF SLAVS AND VIKINGS JOMSBORG – VINETA WOLIN BY MAREK KALISIŃSKI
Sprinklers bring cool on hot days
photos:
1. Before each battle, there is a divination with a horse that mattered to them. Sławomir Uta, leading from the front of the forage, Maciej (Borys) Zalewski leading the horse, Andrzej Bąkowski with the lodge 2. The warriors are returning from the battlefield, the one who looks menacingly: Mateusz Ostrowski 3. Edwing Erik the Black 25 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
THE CENTRE OF SLAVS AND VIKINGS JOMSBORG – VINETA WOLIN BY MAREK KALISIŃSKI
photo: Piotr Wlizło, an Indian among the Vikings
THE CENTRE OF SLAVS AND VIKINGS JOMSBORG – VINETA WOLIN BY MAREK KALISIŃSKI
photo: Irek Ryś, fully armed
Attack under the cover of a spear
Jomsbork's leader Igor D. Gรณrewicz triumphs over the invaders
Słowiński National Park
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The bright beaches of the Baltic Sea border here on the largest stretch of moving sand dunes in Europe and extensive swamps.
By the sea Słowiński National Park
source of information: www.slowinskipn.pl/en
The Słowiński National Park is located in the middle part of the Polish Baltic Sea coast, in the Pomorskie Voivodeship. It protects the Łeba Spit and the Gardeńsko-Łebska Lowland. The spit has separated numerous coastal lakes from the open sea, including Łebsko, the third-largest lake in Poland (on which ship cruises are organised); Gardno, which is also quite big, and Jamno. The Słowiński National Park is visited by thousands of tourists, fond of the beauty and variability of its landscape. In order to maintain one of the most precious tie of indigenous nature, which undoubtedly is the Land of Water, Wind and Sand, there have been appointed only representative, selected areas of the Park for tourism practicing. The information on regulations, under which the tourist movement comes on the terrain of the Park, one can find along the tourist tracks or at the car parks.
The park's pride is the largest stretch of moving sand dunes in Europe. The dunes, which move to the east by up to 10 metres each year, resemble a sandy desert stretching along the narrow split between the Baltic Sea and Lake Łebsko. They look really impressive, especially near their highest peak – Łączka, which is over 40 metres a.s.l. high. The highest peak of the entire Słowińskie Coast is the post-glacial Rowokół Hill (114.8 metres a.s.l.), which is now a nature reserve. At the top is an observation tower, which enables visitors to admire the landscape with Lakes Gardno and Łebsko and the Baltic Sea coast. In the Słowiński National Park, there are numerous peat bogs and swamps, which serve as mainstays for 260, mainly wetland, bird species. These include herons, cranes, ospreys and white-tailed eagles. The birds are most frequently seen in the area of Lakes Gardno and Łebsko; therefore, strict nature reserves have been established there. The entire park has been included by UNESCO in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves and listed among the areas protected under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. 33 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
Hints and tips when visiting The study of nature of the Słowiński National Park is feasible by dint of the network of foot tracks as well as educational nature paths. At present there are over 170 kilometres of routes. Tourist and didactic structures, which enable the direct contact with the Park nature without infringing the regulations of its protection, constitute the attraction for the determined tracks. Out from numerous towers and view footbridges, one can admire the opulence, diversity and mosaic arrangement of ecosystems and landscapes of the park. In the museum premises, you can find the exhibitions, which reflect the dynamics of the processes and phenomena observed in the Park at the scope of the whole year. A visit in a museum of Smołdzino, Rowy, Kluki or Rąbka will be the supplement for performed observations while usually too short holiday period. Foot tracks are rendered accessible for practicing bicycle tourism. We cordially invite to take the advantage of using this active form of rest. In case of not having one's own bicycle, the rental shops may be found helpful situated in Rowy, Smołdzino, Smołdziński Las or Rąbka. We suggest differentiating the excursions throughout familiarising with the bicycle tracks located in the lagging of the park, just to name the track of "Dissolved Railway" leading through old rail embankment from Ustka to Rowy, or the track of "The Checked Land". In the summer months there exists the possibility of cruising through the Łebsko Lake on the passenger boat "Ohar" with the itinerary of ŁebaKluki-Łeba, or taking the boats "Alka" and "Kormoran" with the itinerary Łeba-Rąbka-Wyrzutnia-Łeba. In addition – a dog enthusiasts do not have to separate from their favourites while being in the park. However, for the good of the animals and other visitors, the dog owners are requested to use the minimal limits with their pets like a leash and a muzzle. Horse-riding enthusiasts are recommended to have horse-riding classes in Nowęcin, Smołdziński Las and Smołdzino. In The Słowiński National Park there binds an absolute ban on using wheeled vehicles apart from specially designated areas. The number and the location of carparks facilitates to plan the sojourn and meet all the "corners" of the Park. Let us leave the car at the parking lot, considering the fact, the internal roads in the park do not constitute the highway. For people intending to use solely sun and sea bathing, special free of charge passages to the beach have been marked from the car park on the terrain of former military station in Czołpino and from the car park on the lake of the Dołgie Duże. 34 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
Additional info
The nature of the park characterises with unique values and is concurrently characteristic for the Baltic mid-coast. These peculiar features of the Park nature are appreciated not only in Poland but also abroad. The largest opulence of objects, phenomena and natural processes may be found at the Łebska Spit and seaside lakes. The opulence of different eco-systems and their unusually dynamic spatial relations need to be classified as the most unique value of the Park environment. For example, the alterations of positioning the Baltic Sea coast line in the macro-scale have been occurring throughout many thousands years, but almost every day on the beach, one can follow this process in the micro-scale, observing lagoons formation and filling them up with the sand being thrown to the shore by the sea waves. is also active. Also, when visiting the Słowiński National Park, remember about exploring the nature paths of the following characters: phyto-sociological, eco-cultural and ornithological. Their assignment is to present natural phenomena in the background of history.
Filming and photographing is permitted with no limits only on the selected tourist tracks and transit routes. The park does not possess its own accommodation amenities. In its lagging, there exists an ample offer of hotels, pension houses, private lodgings of diversified service standard and price conditions for all means. Information upon the rules of rendering accessible the park for land and water tourism practicing, may be obtained at the Head Office of The Słowiński National Park in Smołdzino as well as tourist information offices at the following telephone numbers: Słupsk (+48 059 8424 326), Łeba (+48 0598662 288) Smołdzino (+48 059 8117 215), Ustka (+48 059 8146 041), Rowy (+48 059 8141 818). Tourists can also visit the heritage park in Kluki near Smołdzino, which depicts the early life of Słowińcy, who used to inhabit the shores of Lakes Łebsko and Gardno. A 25 metre-high historical lighthouse in Czołpino and some other places (see list on the next page) is also worth visiting. 35 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
VISIT PLACES NEARBY 01
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ŁEBA Known as Skwer Kościuszki in Polish, it is the tourist hub of Gdynia. Built on an artificial peninsula, the Southern Pie, which stretches out far into the sea, with John Paul II Avenue, is an extension of the Square. The place features a monument to Maritime Poland, Modernist townhouses and a fountain. The ORP Błyskawica museum ship and the Dar Pomorza sailing ship are moored at the quay; a little farther ahead, you can see Poland’s only Passenger Ship Avenue and the Joseph Conrad monument, with the Sails monument closer to the sea.
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A village on the southern bank of the Łebsko Lake in the commune of Glówczyce. Izbica came into being only in the XVI century; the first written recordings come from the documents of Pomeranian knights and the families of von Stojentin and von Putkamer. In the village there is a church from 1930 decorated with a slim, partly timbered tower. The onion-like, turned to green helmet is the most splendid element. Inside, there are frescos with the biblical scenes of the fishermen lives. Nature sanctuary, partially of peat, "Izbica Marshlands" of the area of 281,18 hectares.
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SMOŁDZINO
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GARDNA
A fishing and summer village in the commune of Ustka situated at the mouth of the Łupawa River, nearby the Gardno Lake. A terminal moraine makes a cliff here at the height of 35m. The legend describes, that the village was founded by shipwrecked people, the refugees from Wolin after the attack of the Vikings. The church from 1844-49 in the Neo-Roman style built from post-glacial stones; the cemetery situated by the church where the seamen from the wrecked ships are buried. A summerhouse timbered in the croft no. 12, an oven from the beginning of the XX century in the croft no. 34.
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IZBICA
ROWY
KLUKI A fishing village in the commune of Smołdzino, situated on the western bank of the Łebsko Lake on the terrain of the Slovinski National Park. The name was settled in this form in 1769; following the local, verbal tradition, the village came into being from small crofts inhabited by the Kleks. The village became in the XVIII century and consisted of a few parts Kluki Smołdzińskie, Kluki Żelazne and Kluki Ciemińske. Throughout the centuries, strictly isolated from the world, until the World War I, it was adequately remaining as cut off from civilisation. The Skansen Museum in Kluki was established in 1963. The Skansen Museum still expands and it it will comprise 20 structures including 7 huts, 7 little cow-sheds, 2 barns, 2 bread ovens, a boat and fishing equipment stock as well as a fishing shelter.
A commune village situated at the Gardneńska Lowland on the Łupawa River, at the foot of the Rowokół, a cult mountain of the Slovians. The church of the XVII century in which there is placed the epitaph of the founder Anna Croy and her son; in 1823 the church was enlarged and in 1874 a cross aisle was added. On the ceiling there are 49 pictures from the original ceiling, 2 candlesticks, an altar and a baroque pulpit of XVII century. The tradition announces, that in the basements, there are bricked up the last Slovinian books sentenced for extermination in the mid of the previous century.
A village in Smołdzino commune, on the Gardno Lake. Currently it consists of two combined villages: Gardna Mała and Gardna Wielka. Slovian settlements and the first strongholds appeared on this terrain already in the VII-VIII century. The buildings' layout resembles along the street model with a square in the village centre, presumably the location of the middle ages stronghold. The relicts of traditional building: old fishing huts and utility buildings, brick nogged timber wall, often with pedimentalsmoke hole-roofs from the beginning of the XIX century. The church from the XV century, rebuilt in 1842. On the Stone Island there is an erratic bloc, called "a devil's stone", with which many legends are associated. The island is a strict sanctuary with the breading grounds of rare birds.
Park Tourist Information source and tourist information: www.slowinskipn.pl/en Head Office of The Słowiński National Park Warszawy Street 1A 76-214 Smołdzino Park is open: From 01.05 to 30.09 from sunrise to sunset: fees (1 day full price ticket 6 PLN) From 1.10 to 30.04 from sunrise to sunset: free entry For anglers The Słowiński National Park invites all angling amateurs to The Słowiński National Park fisheries. Fishing from shore or boat available at the following fisheries: Fishery: Łebsko, Fishery Gardno, Fishery Pustynka, Fishery Rowokół Car parks: Rąbka car park, Czołpino Leśny – forest car park, Czołpino car park (J.W.), Czołpino (J.W.), Czołpino Leśny – forest car parks
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' Słowinski National Park
INFORMATION source: www.slowinskipn.pl/en
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POLISH FOOTPRINTS
Wiesław Szkopek Passion to the windmills Project www. e-mojewiatraki.com "I have created this website in order to document the dying world of windmills. I am collecting every item with windmill imagery and every item which represents windmills in any way. The majority of my assemblage are photographs and postcards, as they tend to be excellent iconographic material".
We met with Mr. Wiesław Szkopek quite by coincidence. Namely, he wrote to us asking about the location of one of the windmills in Podlasie, in the photo by Jerzy Rajecki, probably already known to you. It gave us an opportunity to have a look at the link to the website sent to us in the message. After entering the attached website, we saw an amazing archive of windmills not only from Poland, but also from other parts of Europe and many corners from around the world. The windmills, which can be seen today only in old photographs, but also those that can still be found and admired in various parts of Poland. So we decided to invite Wiesław for a short conversation about the genesis of the project itself as well as his passion. Feel free to visit his website at www.e-mojewiatraki.com on your own. Some descriptions are in German and English, but most of them in Polish. Anyway, the photographs and images speak for themselves. TLP: Wiesław, apparently your passion for windmills started almost half a century ago. You say that you took this fascination over from an engineer – Feliks Klaczyński. What caused this fascination as probably the acquaintance with Engineer Klaczyński itself was not enough? Where did this fascination begin and what were the first exhibits collected?
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WS: Yes, I shall confirm; my adventure with windmills started in the early 1970s. Maybe I'll start with a reminiscence of my mentor. Feliks Klaczyński from Poznań (1900-1987) was a big fan of windmills. For several dozen of years he pedantically collected and created all documentation about windmills. On its basis, he made at least 60 faithful copies of windmills in a 1:40 scale, of which over 40 are presented at the Mill Museum in Jaracz, and a dozen or so models exhibited in other museums, e.g. in Brno, Gifhorn and Suhlendorf. This activity brought him wide recognition and international fame. Family "tradition" was also significant. Each of us used to collect something. For example, my father collected packaging (bottles and stoneware) for meads (a drink consumed in Poland and Lithuania since the Middle Ages), calendars and menus from gastronomic establishments. His collections were donated to the Raczyński Library in Poznań and the National Agricultural Museum in Szreniawa. Sightseeing was another inspiration for becoming interested in wind mills. For many years, like my parents and my brother, as a tourist guide, I showed tourists around Poznań and Wielkopolska (Greater Poland). Initially, I collected press articles and publications about windmills. Later I became interested in postcards with windmills. I paid more attention to the photos of wind mills when I received from a relative from Grodzisk Wielkopolski a collection of over 250 photos of windmills taken by him in the second half of the 20th century. The method he obtained them was interesting, too. Well, he searched for a windmill on the army staff maps, and then he rode a motorcycle there, often tens of kilometres, to take a photo of the mill – that was his hobby. Most of them presented objects from the Wielkopolska region. The collection began to grow rapidly when my children left the family home and in one of the rooms (approx. 10 square metres), I could display windmill treasures, so far buried deep in wardrobes and in cartons. TLP: How did it turn into a project to present your extensive collections in a form available to a wide audience? It was not an easy task to accomplish, was it? WS: As probably every collector, I wanted to show "MY WINDMILLS", but in the apartment it was not possible. Hence the idea to share them on the Internet as a virtual museum. I received help in this regard from the Kórnik Library of the Polish Academy of Sciences, which, since 2012 has been digitising "MY WINDMILLS Collection – Virtual Museum" and making it available on the Internet as a publication of the Wielkopolska Digital Library – I consider it ennobling for my passion.
Over the years, the presentation of "MY WINDMILLS" has grown rapidly. Currently, the study, made available on the Internet, contains a total of 5,250 pages / slides in 25 sections. It is also worth adding that starting this year, the "MY WINDMILLS Virtual Museum Collection" has been expanded to include inventory and technical-building documentation of windmills, from which you can learn, among others, numerous design details for wind mills. And if anyone would like to see "MY WINDMILLS" in a more varied form, I also share them in the Video Gallery. If anyone wanted to watch all these films, he would have to spend at least 7.5 hours on it. TLP: Your collection is probably an invaluable archive of knowledge combined with documentation of these disappearing architectural objects. Could you tell us about the cultural and economic function of windmills that they had throughout history and their gradual disappearance as an important economic component?
At the beginning of the 19th century there were already several dozen of them. In the second and third quarter of the nineteenth century there was a sharp decline in the number of water mills and windmills. It was caused by the creation of two industrial mills in Poznań. Their production capacity was equal to 15 traditional mills. There is only one windmill that has survived in Poznań to this day – made of brick, of American type. There are three basic types of windmills in our country: a postmill, the most common in Poland, which name derives from the base structure on which the whole body rotates, it is rotated with a drawbar to the wind direction, the first mills of this kind were built in the 13th century; a tower mill, called Dutch, has a movable cap (turret) with propellers, it is often made o stone; this kind of mills were erected since the 17th century; a rollermill, like the post-mill, in which the whole body rotates to the direction of the wind, is placed on rollers that rest on a circular base; mills of this construction were built from the 19th century.
ELPOEP
After all, WBC is a joint initiative of the Poznań academic community. The participants of the project are Poznań scientific and public libraries. In addition, I show exhibits from the Collection on the website I created 3 years ago www.e-mojewiatraki.com. As it turns out, it enjoys considerable interest. To date, it has been visited by over forty-six thousand people. However, the beginnings of the presentation project were modest. I remember that for the first time I presented the Collection to a wider audience in 2010. This presentation included 16 slides. At that time, I had not digitised the collections yet – a colleague helped me taking pictures of selected exhibits. For several years, all exhibits have been digitised (photographed and scanned) on a regular basis, thanks to which I can actualise the "MY WINDMILLS Collection Virtual Museum " frequently on the Internet.
ill ? a windm
Museum of Folk Architecture, Sanok, 1973 The post mill is the earliest type of European windmill. Its defining feature is that the whole body of the mill that houses the machinery is mounted on a single vertical post, around which it can be turned to bring the sails into the wind.
WS: Scientists should comment on this topic, but I will try. The oldest mention of wind mills come from ancient Sumerian sources. They are over 4000 years old. In Europe, the first records of windmills come from the 12th century. The oldest mentions about windmills in documents from today's Poland date back to the 13th century. Wind-milling flourished in our country in the 18th century. During this period there were 20,000 windmills, including 12,000 in Greater Poland. In 1924, 6.360 wind mills operated in Poland. After 1945, 2.5 thousand of them still remained in Greater Poland, and in the 1980s there were only 200 of them. In the 1960s, no windmill in the country was started by wind power. The matter looked particularly interesting in this respect in my hometown Poznań. No windmills were erected in the medieval stronghold of prince Przemysł. This was due to the fact that the numerous watercourses found there favoured establishing water mills. The windmills were not built here also because "water" millers had the privilege saying that in the areas of operating water mills, wind mills could not be erected. Windmills in Poznań and the surrounding area began to be built only in the last years of the 18th century.
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You are asking me to talk about the cultural and economic role of windmills. This is an interesting and broad topic, but if you agree I will talk about it on another occasion. TLP: (That's ok, we can come back to the subject). Let's talk about your collection now. How many objects did you manage to collect? What kind of documentation is it? What part of your collection still waits to be digitised? What meaning does the collection have for you? WS: It is difficult to count all the collected objects. I estimate that I have from 4,500 to 5,000 exhibits in the Collection. Indirectly, their quantity is evidenced by the size of the online publication MY WINDMILLS Virtual Museum Collection, which presents all the exhibits and which, as I said, contains 5,250 slides. I collect windmill exhibits in various ways. First of all, I search for them at flea markets and online exchanges. My son helps me a lot in online shopping. Over time, the collection has grown to an impressive number of objects, obtained from all continents. So my windmills come from Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America and Oceania – in total 164 countries. Over time, it turned out that as a result of my passion, a collection was created presenting wind mills from various, often simply amazing perspectives. However, in my opinion, its greatest value is that it is an important iconographic document. This is a great treat for history lovers, as many of the exhibits present objects that no longer exist today. You ask about digitising the collection. At the beginning it was not easy, because I started documenting the Collection only in 2010. Several thousand objects had to be photographed or scanned. For two or three years, this has not been a problem anymore. I archive all new acquisitions on a regular basis, and I prepare synthetic descriptions for postcards and photos with windmills. I will talk about the kinds of exhibits I have acquired while characterising the Collection.
recommend you to see the objects that are in the Museum of the First Piasts on Lake Lednickie. On the lake itself, right next to the ferry crossing to Ostrów Lednicki, where there are ruins of the palatium of our first historical rulers – Mieszko the First and Bolesław the Brave, there is the oldest windmill in Poland. It is a post-type mill, it dates back to 1585. In the neighbourhood, in the Greater Poland Ethnographic Park, you can see a group of three windmills, including a brick one. And further away, a few kilometers from Lednica in Moraczewo, on Wiatraczne Hill, three post-mills proudly present themselves. I would mention here one more object located near Poznań – in Rogierówek, where you can admire and visit the tower windmill from 1905. It is made of wood, which is an exception in the case of Dutch type mills. In turn, near Leszno, I would recommend visiting the private Museum of Milling and Agriculture in Osieczna. There is a unique complex of three historic post – windmills from the 18th century. In addition, the owner of the facility at the beginning of 2020 erected a fourth mill in Osieczna – it is a model of an economic windmill, in which milling into two types of flour is made. And finally, I would recommend visiting the Mill Museum in Jaracz. There is a meticulously restored post-type windmill from the end of the 18th century. In this building you can also admire 40 models of windmills mentioned by me, made by Feliks Klaczyński. TLP: You also collect objects connected widely not only with windmills themselves, but also studies on windmills and milling, coins, stamps or toys, to name a few. What are these objects, what role do they play in documenting the 'material culture' related to your main subject of interest? WS: Photos and postcards reign in the Collection – I have over three thousands of them. They constitute an important archival documents.
WS: It is difficult to answer this question. According to the National Heritage Board of Poland, on March 31, 2017, 85 windmills were found historic in the Greater Poland Voivodship, with a large part of them in poor technical condition or even in ruins. I am attracted to wind mills that are already in poor condition. In their case, I feel they have a soul. However, in my homeland – Wielkopolska I would
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Lednica, 2015
TLP: Despite the disappearance of windmills from not only Polish landscape, I have the impression that we can still see some of these objects. Are there still many windmills in Poland that perform their utility functions? Do you have any favourite, still existing windmills, that you would recommend to see?
Wyszanowo/ Wischen, early 60' (does not exist any longer) collection of prof Marceli Tureczek
It is worth noting that the discussed collection also includes at least several dozen unique photographs and postcards of wind mills that no longer exist today. It should also be emphasized that a few dozen of windmills, captured in photographs, are currently in poor technical condition, or even in ruins. These photos are perhaps the last traces of their existence. It also happens that these pictures show a more optimistic aspect of the history of windmills, showing that some of them are renovated or after renovation relocated to new, friendly places. You ask what other objects, despite postcards and photos, I collect. Actually, I collect everything presenting windmills in any form. It is impossible to list them all. In addition to philatelic, phillumenist and Breweriana collections, these include telephone cards, rally stamps, police uniform badges, all kinds of kitchen utensils and accessories, clocks, candlesticks, lamps, pipes, jewellery and buttons, collectible spoons, calendars, posters and gramophone records. The Collections includes as well a potty and glassware, a razor, an aquarium aerator, a baseball bat, office paper clips or guitar picks. Of course, there are images of windmills on all of these objects. TLP: Are there still any objects you know about that exist but you didn't manage to find them or the materials that would describe and document them? What are your future plans for the collection and its online presentation?
WS: There are certainly some that are still waiting to be discovered and bought. I am aware of the existence of a number of facilities that, due to their high price, are beyond my financial capacity. This is the case with several coins and banknotes with the image of a windmill, for example. It also happens that postcards and photographs from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries are too expensive for me and I have to resign from them. There are also objects that I've been hunting for years – the most desirable one is a postcard issued in Poznań in 1900, depicting an impressive post-type windmill, which was located on today Wildecki Market in Poznań. However, I am satisfied that I have, if not all, then almost all postage stamps on which the windmill is visible, starting with the oldest, issued in Spain in 1905. Among the numismatics, probably as the only one, I have a collection of over 100 "windmill" notgelds, i.e. German substitute money, issued at the beginning of the 20th century. The oldest dated exhibit in the Collection is an English token from 1794, and the smallest is a Spanish stamp of 14x18 mm from 1947. It is intriguing that the collection is expanding with further categories of exhibits. For example, from packaging and labels with a windmill, over time I separated 2 subsets: phillumenist, containing several hundreds of match labels and Breweriana, in which I also collected several hundred labels, stands and beer caps with the image of a wind mill. You ask about the possibility of reaching descriptions of windmills. It is not easy. There are, however, more and more scientific studies on wind milling. It makes things easier. On the other hand, when I tried to determine the history of a given windmill, it happened that its current owners or heirs do not know it. The greater the satisfaction, when, for example, a few years ago, I was able to determine the history of a brick tower windmill (the so-called Dutch mill) in the town of Jankowo Dolne near Gniezno. The more that I can now illustrate it with many unique photos and postcards. I am currently trying to get as many photographs as possible with the image of the windmill. My friends help me but I also get help from people I didn't know before. There are also sensational discoveries. Recently, my daughter-in-law spotted images of two windmills among the frescoes in the church, in the town of Małujowice, in Opole region. As it turned out, after consulting the scientists that these are wall paintings from the time just before or from the mid-15th century, thus it is the oldest painting depiction of wind mills preserved in Poland. So, I am happy to attach to the collection each new exhibit with the image of a windmill and each subsequent acquired photo with a windmill, because they enrich the knowledge about these old, impressive technical monuments.
Wiesław Szkopek
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Uniejow www. e-mojewiatraki.com
Turek, 1972
Suwałki , 1916
Rawicz/ Rawitch, 1907
Osieczna, 1960
Passion to the windmills
Book Promotion POLISH AND ENGLISH VERSION
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Jerzy Rajecki, the photographer from Podlasie debuting with this album, deservedly grouped his works according to obviously imposing subjects. Thanks to this, the Author of these photographs – avoiding conceptual riddles and pop-culture banalities – made this book a journey, and at the same time a story about people, places and time, which is sincere in its simplicity. The photographer co-creates a small cosmos of locality, which slowly rotates in unchanging cycles of the ritual year, between home and nature, between the sacred and the profane, between beauty and ordinariness. The titles of the chapters (there are six of them) lead the viewer through the still real world, which in Central and Western Europe is gradually moved to open-air museums and amusement parks. This world, captured on Jerzy’s unpretentious (un-retouched) photographs, however, opens up inter-thematic fields of associations, evokes key words whose content runs not only linearly, page by page, picture by picture, but also across chapters, diagonally of artistic intentions of the album author and editor. Here, as he completes this journey, he saves unnamed topics that are close to the pen: longing, light, silence, vitality, work, toil in other words life in harmony with the nature and order of God’'s wisdom. Krzysztof Szymoniak, art critic
get your copy via: rajeckijerzy@gmail.com or via www.facebook.com/Klimaty-Podlasia Book Title: "Klimaty Podlasia" – The atmosphere o Podlasie Hard cover, First edition: 2020, pages: 200 (300 photographs) catalogue price: 70 PLN languages: Polish/English example of postage: to the UK 64.20 PLN Chapters: Miejscowi – Local people Drogi i bezdroża – Roads and sideways Polami, łąkami -Through fields and meadows Rzeki i rozlewiska – Rivers and backwaters Domostwa – Homestays Podlasie mistyczne – Mystical Podlasie
Muszyna and surroundings photography:
Konrad Rogoziński
Muszyna has the characteristics of a piedmont spa and lies in the valley of the River Poprad and its tributaries the streams Szczawnik and Muszynka. The town lies at an altitude of about 450m above sea level in the Sadecki Beskid mountain range and only about 5km from the Slovak border. It also lies close to the Poprad Landscape Park which is one of the largest in Poland.
VISIT LESS KNOWN
towns and places
photos: Konrad Rogoziński, www.facebook.com/odkryjbeskid source: www.en.krynica.pl
This picturesque holiday-resort town is situated in the valley of the Poprad river and it's two tributaries – Muszynka and Szczawnik. Muszyna is located at an altitude of about 450 m above sea level and lies near the border with Slovakia (5 km), approximately 11 km from Krynica-Zdroj. Muszyna has about 5000 permanent residents, but in season this number increases several times. The genesis of the name "Muszyna" is not unequivocal. Probably it comes from the streams near which the town was located. Moisture makes the edges of streams and stones river covered with moss. Musci, Latin word for "moss" gave Muszyna it's name. There is also another hypothesis – centuries before there were fees collected for the use of a trade route. They were paid in goods exchanged for the corn, which in turn, was measured in socalled. "Mussach”. Still, another theory believe that the city takes
Muszyna
it’'s name from the bishop of Cracow Muscata, who in the early XIV century expanded the settlement here. Undoubtedly the origin and development of this settlement are closely connected with old Hungarian trade route. The eldest document from 1209 mentions this settlement. It is a document in which Hungarian king allow the parish priest Adolf to take a tax on the river Poprad. During this time Muszyna belonged to the Niegowicki family of Polkozic coat of arms. In 1288 the place was added to the properties of the bishops of Cracow. In 1356 Muszyna became a town thanks to King Casimir the Great’'s privilege. The present shape of the market square and the main streets dates back from that time. King Wladysław Jagiello gave the town to the Bishops of Cracow in order to get their support and friendship.
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With another town and 35 villages that land was treated as independent state with it’'s own jurisdiction and administration and even an army (an infantry troops called Harniki). It was named “Muszynian State”. Bishop’'s representatives ruled the land. They were called Starost and many of them made quite a name for themselves like famous Stanisław Kępiński (a friend of Polish poet Jan Kochanowski who wrote a poem about him). Merchants who passed the Hungarian track had to sell some of their goods in the town. Starost mercilessly dealt with all highwaymen and supposed witches. The army of the state had 5000 armed men, which was quite a lot. They defeated the Swedish troops during so called Swedish Deluge (1655-1660) in the battles near Cracow and Nowy Sącz. From the very beginning there was always a castle over the city which guarded the track and guaranteed safe passage for the travellers. It was a kind of keep, one of the guard castles between Poland and Hungary, situated high on the steeply mountain slope between the valley of Muszynka and Szczawik. At the beginning made of wood and earth with time developing into bricked structure. Many times it was plundered, burned and destroyed. At present only fragments of southern walls and the tower are visible. In fifteenth century Lemkos came. They settled in Krynica, Izby, Żegiestow, Berest, Czyrna, Polany, Florynka, Milik, Jastrzębik, Kamianna, Leluchów, Banica, Piorunka and Złockie. They were all of Greco Catholic confession, that’s why there are so many orthodox churches. Lemkos were mostly farmers and shepherds. In those days Muszyna was the only Polish enclave in numerous Lemko settlements. After the First Partition of Poland Muszyna was punished for supporting the Confederates who fought here in Poland’s defence in 1768 –9 (they founded their biggest camp here) The Austrian government confiscated the properties of the Bishops of Cracow and Muszyna itself was degraded to the role of an insignificant place. When the railway was introduced between Tarnow and Leluchów in 1876, Krynica and Zegiestów made a huge career as spa centres. For a long time Muszyna remained in their shadow. Luckily the World War I didn’'t leave any visible signs here and during the twenty years between the wars Muszyna became one of the most illustrious Polish resorts. The outbreak of World War II terminated effective development of the city. Thanks to it’'s strategic location it became extremely active point in the Polish Resistance Movement, mostly by being a good place to smuggle people from Poland by Slovakia to Hungary. A virtual centre of a secret teaching was created here (The Nazi allowed only grammar schools in Poland). Among the many activists was Antoni Kita who helped Polish pilots to escape from prison in Muszyna. They fled but he was caught and put to death. Apart from a few buildings Muszyna had not been destroyed by the Nazi. After the war the communist government made Lemkos to go. They were forced to desert their homeland and move either to Soviet Union or the west part of Poland. It was not until 1958 then the town regained it’'s status as a spa. Since 1973 it is the seat of the municipality, but Muszyna remains a quiet and peaceful place. Muszyna as a local centre of power and economy (former capital of "Muszynian State"). 46 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
On the Kita’'s street there is a building which once belonged to the starost of Muszyna – S. Kępiński. However, most of the buildings surrounding the manor house don’t exist anymore. Opposite to the Starosta's House there is a Regional Museum which contains a lot of interesting historic, ethnographic and artistic objects. In the market place a two small shrines are situated, both dates back from the end of eighteenth and beginning of nineteenth century. One devoted to St Jan Nepomucen, the other to St Florian. On the edge of the town a church of St Joseph The Bridegroom is situated. Most probably it was once a defending building as well as church because it still has embrasures in the wall. The church dates back from 1676.The interior decorations are typically of seventeenth century with unique sculptures of Virgin Mary with Child, and of St Hedwig. Main assets of Muszyna are numerous sources of mineral water with such elements as calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, selenium, and lithium. People who have trouble with digestive system or with respiratory system may seek help here.
Attractions The resort offers a lot of possibilities like lodgings in spa centres, resorts, boarding houses and lodging houses. One of the attractions is the possibility of free access to the pump-rooms or seasonal intakes of mineral water. In the middle of the town there is a quite extensive (around 100, 38 ha) reserve of lime trees “Obrożyska” set up in 1957. In 2008 Muszyna became connected with the ski centre in Wierchomla Mała through 10 ski lifts. In the south part of the town, above the Porad river, there is a railway station where you can catch the trains leaving Krynica and a night train Cracow –Budapest. In the Market Place there is a bus station where you can find a bus line: Szczawnik – Muszyna – Krynica – Słotwiny. There are also two tourist routes crossing the town: a green one (named after the Wincenty Pol). From Muszyna across Jaworzyna Krynicka in Wysowa’'s direction and a yellow one from Wojkowa, across Muszyna, Szczawik to Żegiestów. Today Muszyna is firmly on the map of recognised spa resorts. The operating sanatoria offer spa treatments and rehabilitation programmes as well as organising interesting pastimes for patients recovering after surgery. Muszyna specialises in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, diseases of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, neurological conditions, metabolic diseases and gynaecological and psychosomatic disorders. The city provides further cultural and recreational amenities. The landscape of Muszyna and its surrounding area offer an invitation to explore either on foot, by bike or on horseback. The resort is open throughout the year and visitors come for only a few days to escape from the stress of everyday life or to restore their physical and mental energies. In the vicinity of mountains it appears to be easier to put into perspective about what is most important, namely one's own health.
TOURIST INFORMATION CENTER Krzywa 1 Str 33-370 Muszyna tel. +48 18 534 91 61 e-mail: cit@muszyna.pl Spa
Today Muszyna is firmly on the map of recognised spa resorts. The operating sanatoria offer spa treatments and rehabilitation programmes as well as organising interesting pastimes for patients recovering after surgery. Muszyna specialises in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, diseases of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, neurological conditions, metabolic diseases and gynaecological and psychosomatic disorders. 47 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
PHOTOS: KONRAD ROGOZIŃSKI, WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ODKRYJBESKID
nearby: The Greek Catholic Parish Church of St. Jacob the Younger in Powroźnik
The Greek Catholic Parish Church in Powroźnik (currently a Roman Catholic Parish Church) was built in 1600 and is therefore the oldest Orthodox Church in the Polish Carpathians. It was repeatedly repaired, and in 1813-14, after a flood, it was moved to its current location. The interior layout is tripartite with square rooms. The walls of the sacristy are covered by precious figurative polychrome from 1607. The rich church fittings include an iconostasis from 1743-44, currently partially dismantled, an C18th baroque side altar with a painting of Christ at the Column, and many valuable icons including The Last Judgment from 1623.
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MEDIVAL TORUŃ
off the beaten track treasure
TORUŃTORUŃ Visit Toruń's tourist website: www.torun.pl/en
Toruń is a beautiful, medieval city in North-Western Poland, situated on the Vistula River. Its architecture has managed to escape bombing, and as such represents one of the only examples of true gothic architecture in Poland. Still reasonably off the radars of most European travellers, one can expect to have an amazing Polish experience here without the nightmares of a million and one interrail travellers. The city is located near the Geographic Center of Europe. Toruń's medieval Old Town or Starówka is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Toruń is a birthplace of world famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. The house where Copernicus was born and the chapel where he was christened are still standing in the city. From Middle Ages the town is known for its gingerbreads.
Toruń is famous for the biggest number, after Kraków, of authentic works of Gothic art and architecture in Poland. Gothic style is the most distinctive feature of the city. Thus the official promoting motto: Toruń – get gothic. Toruń was founded in the medieval times (the Foundation Charter was signed in 1233). Throughout the dramatic history of Poland, the city was fortunately saved from the considerable destruction. For that reason the city is abundant in monuments, many of which date back to the medieval period. Additionally, the significant number of the monuments was erected in accordance with the Gothic canon. The authenticity of the medieval and Gothic skyline of Toruń was one of the arguments supporting the decision to add Toruń to the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites on 4th December 1997. In the Middle Ages Toruń witnessed many historic events. This city took part in the process of Christianisation and colonisation of Prussia, was the main intermediary in the Hanseatic Commerce with Eastern Europe, became the major centre of creating the sense of townspeople’s identity, and a place of signing the Toruń Treaty in 1466. In Toruń numerous of medieval structures have been preserved to present times. Residential buildings are the biggest and the best-maintained examples of Gothic residential architecture in Northern Europe.
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Copernicus traces Nicolaus Copernicus, the most famous and the most outstanding citizen of Toruń. He was born here on February 19th, 1473 at St. Anne Street, today 17 Copernicus Street, which now houses a museum dedicated to the astronomer. The fame of Copernicus is connected with his astronomical theory, the heliocentric theory, which assured Copernicus a place among the most outstanding scientists in history. In the town of his birth, Copernicus was baptised in a parish church, today’s St. Johns Cathedral, spent his childhood there and a part of his youth. Nicolaus spent his early childhood probably at a home at 36 Old-Town Market Square (the present Powszechny Dom Towarowy – General Department Store). After his father's death, the financial situation of the family worsened and a rich uncle, bishop Łukasz Watzenrode, took care of them. Nicolaus began his education at a municipal school at St. John’'s church (the corner of Łazienna and St. John's Street). The basic knowledge that he acquired there enabled him to continue his education. He started to study at a university department of liberal arts. In 1491, at the age of 18 Nicolaus began to study at the University of Cracow. At that time he left his home city, but he never forgot his origins. During the four years spent at the university in Cracow, Nicolaus was exposed to many scientific disciplines and listened to lectures by many great scholars, among others, in Grammar, Rhetoric, Poetics, and also in Astronomy which had a considerable influence on his future. Thanks to these lectures he learned all the secrets of Astronomy. In autumn 1503 he came back to Lidzbark in the Warmia Land where for several years he lived at bishop Watzenrode's court. Already in Lidzbark, around 1507, Copernicus worked out the first heliocentric sketch of the construction of the universe (the so-called "Little Commentary"). It contained three theses about the triple movement of the Earth and it moved the Sun to the foreground in the universe. After 1510 Copernicus left for Frombork, where he gave up the church and his political career, and devoted himself to astronomy. The first edition of the work "On the Revolutions of Celestial Bodies" was ready in 1530. Nonetheless, out of fear of the reaction of church authorities, Copernicus did not want to publish it. At last, it appeared in print in March 1543. It rationally presented the real existence of the world and was to cause a revolution in the opinions on the construction of the universe. However, at the end of 1542 Copernicus fell heavily ill and was unable to see his printed work. On the 24th of May, 1543, Copernicus died in Frombork and was buried in the local cathedral. In 1853 a monument in honour of the great astronomer was erected in Toruń, and the street in which he was born was named after him. One of the best Polish universities bears the name of the great astronomer: The University of Nicolaus Copernicus in Toruń, and also the producer of the most famous Polish cookies, the Toruń gingerbread cookies: The Confectionary Factory "Kopernik" (Fabryka Cukiernicza "Kopernik"). 52 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
on the list: what to see Stare Miasto (Old Quarter) A UNESCO World Heritage List site dating back to medieval times. Nicolaus Copernicus Museum Ul. Kopernika 15-17 (Old Town). Astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was born in Toruń in 1473. The museum is situated in Copernicus's house which is a pretty building. Unfortunately the museum's "collection" mostly comprises of copies and facsimiles with very few explanations. Ratusz Staromiejski (Old Town Hall) Rynek Staromiejski 1 (on the Old town square). One of the most beautiful Gothic town halls in Europe. Despite its many treasures it is however not too rewarding for foreign visitors as it is almost entirely explained in Polish. Translations are very sparse or non-existent. The Museum consists of Gallery of Gothic art, Exhibition of old Toruń 1233-1793, Exhibition of Toruń coins, Court hall, Hall of Polish kings etc. Climb the tower for a beautiful view! Cathedral of SS. Johns' Ul. Żeglarska. Gothic church where astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was christened. On its tower hangs Tuba Dei bell from 1500, one of the largest Medieval bells in Europe. View from left bank of the Vistula Rive Excellent panorama from left bank of the river Vistula. Bydgoskie Przedmieście (Bromberger Vorstadt) (west of the Old Town) Mostly residential district build in the late 19th and early 20th century. It comprises many monuments of architecture, as well as a city park and zoo-botanical garden. Przedmieście Świętej Katarzyny (Wilhelmstadt) Built in the late 19th and early 20th century east of the Old Town, is a specific combination of residential and military architecture. St. Catherine's church is located at Wilhelmstad's main square; with its over 80 meter high tower it still remains the highest building in Toruń. Teutonic Knights Castle Ruins ul. Przedzamcze. 10 am-6 pm. An outdoor museum. The castle is almost completely destroyed except for one tower and a dungeon that you can set foot on. Admission tickets. Dybowski Castle Ruins Opposite the river and small walk from the bridge (From the Old Town, cross the bridge to the other side of Vistula, then turn right and walk a cobblestone road you found under the bridge). An old skeleton of what is left of the old Castle, built by Polish king Władysław Jagiełło in 15th century. You can explore the ruins at your own leisure and walk the walls (can be dangerous) Krzywa Wieża (The Leaning Tower) Ul. Pod Krzywą Wieżą. Part of old Toruń defense wall system built in the 13th century. Poor foundations led the tower to substantially lean at an angle soon after its construction. Ethnographic Museum An open-air museum showing the folk architecture of many regions of Poland. Dwór Artusa (Artus Court, Artushof) Rynek Staromiejski 6. Monumental building on the place of medieval Artus Court in the end of 19th century. Now it hosts cultural centre. Planetarium One of the biggest tourist attractions in Toruń. It is the most technically advanced planetarium in Poland. Due to its characteristic architectural design the semicircular dome and rotunda shape, the building is easily recognisable among other structures of Toruń Old Town.
medival Toruń
Walk Away fot. press materials
China Moses fot. Sylvain Norget
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Toruń under the care of the angel The angel is an element that distinguishes the crest of Toruń from among the heraldic signs of other Polish cities. The profile of the angel appeared in the crest of Toruń after the end of the thirteen-year war in the 15th century and has survived to our times. Thanks to this, the angel is one of the most important symbols of Toruń. The figure of the angel was not used in the municipal signs of Toruń from the beginning of the city, i.e. from the moment of the foundation of Toruń by the Teutonic Knights in 1233. The oldest seal of the city, inspired by the presence of the Teutonic Knights in Toruń, represented two round donjons with a gate in the middle. In the arc of the gate the Virgin Mary with infant Jesus sat on a throne. The Madonna from the seal was dressed in a veil, she had a crown from three lilies on her head, and a locket hung on her breast. Its imprint was made on e.g. the famous Peace Treaty signed in Toruń in 1411 after the battle of Grunwald, but also on the document that confirmed the annexation of Toruń by the Prussian Union in 1440. Toruń broke administrative relations with the Teutonic Knights in 1454. The homage paid by the townsmen of the Chełmno Land in Toruń to King Kazimierz Jagiellończyk marked an actual incorporation of the city into the borders of the Republic of Poland. The first document with the new seal was issued in Toruń in January 1470, when, for the first time, appeared the motif of the Toruń angel supporting the earlier used escutcheon which represented the three municipal towers with a half-open gate in the middle. The introduction of the angel into the coat of arms of Toruń in the context of the long lasting and the very war which was a burden for the city can be explained by the will of the inhabitants to appeal to divine help. Towards the end of the 15th century, a new version of the seal was introduced, on which the angel was presented in a slightly changed position: kneeling and slightly leaning over the escutcheon it held. The angel in this version of the seal remained for over 300 years. The angel of Toruń appeared also on the seals of the Magistrate of the main City of Toruń in the period of the Warsaw Duchy, and also during the partitions in the 19th century. The angel guarded the city also in the period between the two world wars. In 1936 the Minister of Internal Affairs approved of the crest of Toruń on which „the escutcheon is held by a kneeling angel in a blue gown with silvery wings. The hair of the angel is black, the face and the hand of the natural colour”. The angel from the Toruń crest was removed, however, after World War II. Fortunately, it came back to its place at the end of 1991. Today the angel of Toruń guards, as in the past, the whole of Toruń. Its image is present especially in the Old Town of Toruń. Among other places, it is present on the gable of the building in the Caesar Arc, on the facade of the Arthur’s Mansion, over the gate of the Old Town Hall or in the stained-glass window over the entry to the main building of the Office of the City of Toruń. 54 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
how to get to Toruń By Car from Warsaw: road no. 7 (direction: Gdańsk), before Płońsk turn onto road no. S-10, direction: Bydgoszcz, to Toruń. Distance: 214 km. from Gdańsk: A1 Motorway (distance: 152 km) or road no. 91 (former road no 1), direction: Łódź, to Toruń. Distance: 182 km. from Bydgoszcz: road no. 80 (direction: Warszawa, Toruń) to Toruń. Distance: 46 km. or Toruńska street to road no. S-10, direction: Szczecin, Toruń and road no. S10 to Toruń. Distance: 51 km. from Poznań: road no. 5, direction: Bydgoszcz, in Gniezno turn onto road no. 15, direction: Toruń, to Toruń - via Strzelno, Inowrocław. Distance: 156 km.
By plane The nearest airport is located in Bydgoszcz (about 50 km). The journey from the airport to Toruń is possible by car or by train. Toruń is likewise accessible from the airports in Gdańsk (the most comfortable journey from the Gdańsk airport - highway A1 to Toruń), Poznań, Warsaw, Łódź, Kraków and Wrocław. By train Toruń has direct railway connections with all large cities in Poland.
don't forget to travel around
Bydgoszcz – the 8th biggest city in Poland with a nice riverfront, 40 km from Torun. Włocławek – has many historical monuments (Cathedral Basilica, Copernicus Square polish Plac Kopernika, Vistula's Boulevards, Church of St. John the Baptist), museums (Diocesan Museum polish Muzeum Diecezjalne have paintings of Francesco Barbieri (Guercino) or group of Caravaggio, Museum of the Kujawy and Dobrzyn land, clubs and nature parks. Chełmno – beautiful well preserved medieval town in 40 km north from Toruń. Chełmża – beautiful old town with a lake beach that is perfect for relaxing and sunbathing- 15 km from Toruń. Golub-Dobrzyń – former Teutonic Knights' Castle, 40 km east from Toruń Szafarnia – Frederic Chopin museum, 45 km east from Toruń Ciechocinek – famous Polish spa, 25 km south from Toruń Biskupin – archaeological reservation of the Lusatian Culture settlement (650-550 year BC), 90 km from Toruń
medival Toruń
China Moses fot. Sylvain Norget
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TORUŃ BAKE TRADITIONAL GINGERBREAD AT THE LIVING MUSEUM OF GINGERBREADS Rabianska 9 Street, very centre of the old town Opening time: 9am-6pm
photos: Mariusz Cieszewski / www.polska.pl
First admission at 10, last at 5pm.
www. muzeumpiernika.pl/en
Visiting The Living Museum of Gingerbreads in Toruń get involved in an interactive show. Throughout visitors are guided by Master of gingerbread bakery and the Witch. Having sworn the oath you become member of the guild. First you will prepare dough the way it has been done for centuries, you will kneed it. You will also use traditional baking-moulds then you'll bake your own gingerbread. As the museum is located in an old granary you'll be shown how to produce flour using old mill stones as well. And remember – should you break the oath you shall be punished. If you hace passed with flying colours little examination and endured hardships of working at bakery you'll be also promoted and become a craftsman. Show takes up to one hour. This museum forms part of gingerbread tradition which Toruń is famous for. The Museum of Gingerbreads is the first so interactive museum in Europe. It has existed since 2006 and it is located at 9 Rabiańska street, in the middle of the city center (199 steps from The Nicolas Copernicus Monument). 56 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
Crossing the gates of the Museum will guarantee you two time travels. The first floor magically takes the visitors to the Medieval times. Here you can learn about every ritual connected with baking gingerbreads. It all takes place under the watchful eyes of Gingerbread Master and charming Gingerbread Witch. The visitors prepare dough by themselves and then bake the specialties of Toruń in traditional wooden molds. The second floor is a manufacturing room from the 19th and the early 20th century, managed by the Rabiański siblings. Here the visitors will see, for example, the original German machines (which were used to bake ginberbreads), a vintage baking oven and the collection of wax gingerbread molds. What is more, everyone has a chance to decorate their own gingerbread with icing and take part in gingerbread decorating workshop led by the rzez Painter. Museum welcomes all those who want to learn about the tradition of baking gingerbreads in Toruń, the history of our city and its medieval culture.
photos: Mariusz Cieszewski /Â www.polska.pl
During peak season you should book your visit beforehand unless you plan to show up on Sat-Sun. Open from 9 am to 6 pm. Off-peak season (from January to the end of March) open from 10 am to 6 pm. There must be at least 5 persons to start show, this condition does not apply at 4 pm. Need more information? Do not hesitate to phone this museum or e-mail them at muzeumpiernika@muzeumpiernika.pl
photo: Maciej Bledowski and Netflix press materials
OGRODZIENIEC & CZORSZTYN by Marcin Nowak co-author: | www.gdziewyjechac.pl and the channel: Wędrowne Motyle
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When "The Witcher" was filmed several years ago, the film and series directed by Jacek Bromski received locations, among others, in the castles of Lower Silesia, but this time, unfortunately, the film crew decided to choose, as their main base, not Poland but Hungary and the film studios near Budapest. The reason was supposed to be connected with tax issues and concessions, which work better in the country of our 'Hungarian brothers' than in Poland. It does not mean, however, that there are no Polish accents in the series that can be watched all over the world. There are even two of them, although they could have been three. During her first visit to Poland, a screenwriter Lauren Schmidt Hissrich was looking for places that the film makers would be able to smuggle into the script and scenery, which was to be a kind nod to the country of the series' author. The first place that attracted her attention was the characteristic castle of Rabsztyn near Olsztyn. It became later a source of mistakes, made by some American media, which wrote about this place as if some of the film shots were actually taken in Rabsztyn. The truth is that the most spectacular scene of the first season of the series or the mages' battle of Sodden Hill were located in the Ogrodzieniec Castle in Podzamcze and on the surrounding hills. Jurassic landscape, the walls of the largest fortress on the Trail of the Eagles' Nests as well as limestone cliffs and monadnocks were watched by the crowds of people around the globe.
It is true that specialists in computer special effects actually changed the landscape around the castle quite seriously, adding, among others, a gorge that is not there. Today, the castle is the most frequently visited and most popular of the Jurassic castles, which, as the "Eagle Nests" in the form of ruins, permanent ruins or watchtowers, can be seen on the beautiful landscape route from Krakow to Częstochowa. The exception is the Bobolice Castle, restored and renovated according to preserved sketches and plans. This one, however, gained great popularity as a location of the popular Polish historical soap opera "The Crown of Kings". Does the choice of Ogrodzieniec mean that tourists will massively come to Poland to discover Jura? We hope that this will happen after the epidemiological conditions are over. It is worth mentioning and inviting to you to the second castle, which also, for a moment, appeared in the show. It is also situated on a limestone hill and surrounded by beautiful landscapes. And yet, it is not in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. The castle in Niedzica, hanging over the surface of the dam Lake of Czorsztyn on the border of the Pieniny and Spisz, is one of the most beautiful Polish castles with an interesting PolishHungarian history. It's a kind of a symbol, considering the Hungarian recording centre of the series. In the series, the Polish fortress was presented twice, in winter scenery, as Vizima, the stronghold of King Foltest. Special effects' specialists and computer graphics' designers were tempted to conduct an interesting gimmick also here. Well, they erased, or literally removed the surface of the lake from the film frames, replacing it with a thick coniferous forest. This is how this landscape was presented. That is why only the most attentive watchers noticed from the first glance the similarity of both castles. The neighbouring castle, Old Vizima, was to be the place where Geralt fights with Striga. Symbolically, it was shown in the place where the ruins of the Czorsztyn castle are today, however Old Vizima was actually played by another object, the castle in Leobendorf in Austria. Undoubtedly, as the example of another popular series – "Game of Thrones" – shows, film tourism, built on the basis of a new phenomenon in pop culture, known too many people at once, is a new but frequent trend. Everything indicates that after a successful, in terms of audience and reception by the community, first season, a large group of people will appear in Poland, only to see for themselves Pieniny landscapes or the castles along the Trail of the Eagles' Nests. This is called "setjetting", or traveling to places recognisable from movies or TV series. Of course, as soon as the situation normalises. This is what New Zealand tourism is heavily based on, as it is strongly dependent on the success of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. It is only regrettable that there is so little of Poland there, that the film makers did not like the mystical Podlasie swamps and backwaters, the castles of Lower Silesia, the Tatras or for examples the cities such as Gdańsk or Toruń and that the second season is to be filmed mainly in the British Isles. 61 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
CZORSZTYN visiting the sites Ever since the big fire of 1790 the castle has remained in ruins. There is a beautiful panoramic view from the balcony of the upper castle across the Pieniny Spiskie, the Tatra mountains and Zbiornik Czorsztyński. Inside there are exhibitions covering the history of the castle and its surroundings, “The Pieniny in old picture postcards”. Near the trail you can see the endemic Pieniny treaclemustard Erysimum pieninicum. There is a free car park next to the ticket office. Getting from the car park to the castle takes 5 minutes via the green trail.
photo: Paweł Kawecki
The ruins of Czorsztyn Castle are located in the southernmost part of Poland in Czorsztyn (Nowy Targ County in Lesser Poland), at Czorsztyn Lake within Pieniny National Parkborders. On the other side of the Czorsztyn Lake is located Niedzica Castle. The Czorsztyn Castle stands at the top of the hill nearby Dunajec. According to Jan Długosz, in 1246 the owner of the castle was Piotr Wydżga. This stronghold, from the second half of XIIIth century, was the old home of the noble men and the customs office on the trade trail from Krakow and Sącz to Hungary.
THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL PANORAMIC VIEW FROM THE UPPER CASTLE ACROSS THE PIENINY SPISKIE AND THE TATRA MOUNTAINS Once you are there don't forget to visit neighbouring castle in Niedzica – a mountain stronghold, and one of the most interesting structures in the region. It was built at the beginning of the 14th century on a limestone rock high above the Dunajec, and for centuries, belonged to Polish or Hungarian magnates. It features stone courtyards, ballrooms, and salons, and bedchambers with furniture from the 16th to the 19th century, as well as dungeons and torture chamber. A mystery of the castle is the legendary Inca treasure, claimed to have been hidden in its recesses in the 17th century. 62 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
Legends say that any adventurers seeking the treasure will face danger in the quest. Admire the panorama from the terraces and visit the on-site restaurants and cafes. Czorsztyn castle is open to visitors: From 1st October till 30th April; from 10 am to 3 pm (except for Mondays). From 1st May till 30th September; from 9 am to 6 pm. (every day). On 1st January, 1st November, 25th and 26th December and Easter holidays the castle is closed. Visiting fees: 3-6 PLN.
OGRODZIENIEC visiting the sites Surrounded by high rocks, the castle was well integrated into the area. The defensive walls were built to close the circuit formed by the rocks, and a narrow opening between two of the rocks served as an entrance. According to local folklore, the Ogrodzieniec is haunted by the "Black Dog", seen prowling the ruins at night, pulling a heavy chain. The dog is to be the soul of the Castellan of Kraków, Stanisław Warszycki, whose soul also supposedly haunts the ruins of the Dańków Castle, where it appears as a headless horseman.
photo: Maciej Bledowski
Ogrodzieniec Castle is a partly ruined medieval castle in the semi-mountainous highland region called the Polish Jura in south-central Poland. The castle is situated on the 515.5metre-high Castle Mountain, the highest hill of the KrakówCzęstochowa Upland. Located on the Trail of the Eagles' Nests, the ruins are open to visitors. Established in the early 12th century, during the reign of Boleslaus III Wrymouth, the first stronghold was razed by the Tatars in 1241. in the mid14th century a new gothic castle was built here to accommodate the Włodek Sulima family.
IN 2018, THE RUINS OF THE CASTLE WERE USED DURING FILMING OF THE WITCHER - NETFLIX'S 2019 SERIES
You can explore the ruins of the Ogrodzieniec castle for 8 months within a year – starting in April and ending in November. What is more, the standard offer is also enriched with seasonal attractions, like e.g. knight fights, holidays with ghosts and lots of surprises for children and adults alike – check website for details: www.zamek-ogrodzieniec.pl. The opening hours of the Castle in given months: April: 9.00 am-6.00 pm, May – August: 9.00 am-8.00 pm, September: 9.00 am-7.00 pm, October-November: 9.00-nightfall. From November until April opening of the object is not guaranteed if the weather conditions are not favourable.
Ogrodzieniec
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Ogrodzieniec Castle Ogrodzieniec Castle is a ruined medieval castle in the semi-mountainous highland region called the Polish Jura in south-central Poland. Rebuilt several times in its history, the castle was originally built in the 14th– 15th century by a wealthy noble family. The castle is situated on the 515.5-metre-high Castle Mountain (Polish: Góra Zamkowa), the highest hill of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. Located on the Trail of the Eagles' Nests, the ruins are open to visitors. According to local folklore, the Ogrodzieniec Castle is haunted by the "Black Dog of Ogrodzieniec", seen prowling the ruins at night, pulling a heavy chain. The dog is to be the soul of the Castellan of Kraków, Stanisław Warszycki, whose soul also supposedly haunts the ruins of the Dańków Castle, where it appears as a headless horseman.
Checiny by Michal Piorun
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Chęciny Castle Erected on the limestone hill in 1306 by king Władysław Łokietek
BY A TOUR QUIDE
CHĘCINY A SMALL TOWN FULL OF HISTORY
Michał Piorun – a geographer, tourist and tour guide, traveller, author of numerous travel guide books around the Świętokrzyskie region. For several years he has been dealing with landscape photography. Winner of many photo competitions, author of photo exhibitions. Involved in tourism. Cofounder of Włoszczowa Informal Hiking Tourism Club „Łajza”. Vice President of the Foundation Education for Development Centre. Volunteer of the Świętokrzyski National Park. Chęciny is a town in Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. It was first mentioned in historical documents from 1275, and obtained its city charter in 1325. Let's go for a trip with Michał !
The Świętokrzyskie Mountains are the oldest mountains in Poland. They are located almost in the centre of the country, which makes them attractive for tourists. Here, you can find rich wildlife (e.g. Świętokrzyski National Park), numerous architectural monuments (e.g. Romanesque churches in Sandomierz, Opatów), objects of ancient mining and metallurgy (bloomeries), interesting geological specimens (rocks from distant geological eras) and history. In the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, there are also picturesquely located towns, i.e. Sandomierz, Nowa Słupia, Szydłów. One of them is Chęciny, spread between rocky Zelejowa Mountain (372 m asl) and Castle Mountain (360 m asl). The city's history dates back to the Middle Ages. It belonged then to the principality of Sandomierz. Originally, the settlement was located a few kilometres south-east (now Starochęcin), but along with the construction of the castle by Wenceslaus, the King of Bohemia and Poland, about 1300, Chęciny was moved to its present location. Around 1325 Władysław Łokietek, the king of Poland (in English known as the "Elbow-high" or Ladislaus the Short), granted Magdeburg city rights for mining cities to Chęciny. This decision contributed to the development of the settlement. It began large-scale exploitation of the local rock and mineral raw materials. At that time, the castle became the seat of the district office. In the years 1310 and 1331, conventions of the nobility took place in the castle. During the turmoil of war, the royal treasury was kept in the fortress. The St. Bartholomew Church, existing to this day, dates back to the reigns of Władysław Łokietek. The city enjoyed special favour of King Casimir the Great. He was the one who surrounded Chęciny with defensive walls, built a church with a Franciscan monastery and a town hall there.
During the reigns of Władysław Jagiełło, the castle, then serving as a prison, was expanded. After the battle of Grunwald in 1410, victorious for Poland, Teutonic prisoners of war were detained at the castle. In 1465, after a great fire in the city, King Casimir IV Jagiellon renewed the city's privileges. In 1487, the residents were granted the mining rights. In 1494, these privileges were further increased by Jan Olbracht, arranging mining rights in the manner of Olkusz rights. Thanks to this, Chęciny became one of the most important mining cities in the Crown. Limestone called marble, as well as copper, silver and lead ores were mined here. After another fire of the city in 1507, King Sigismund I the Old renewed the city rights of Chęciny. The wives of Polish rulers used to live in the castle of Chęciny. Adelaide, the second wife of Casimir the Great used to stay here and the sister of that king, Elizabeth, ruled from here on behalf of her son, Ludwig Hungarian. The castle had an honour to host Bona Sforza, who, veiled in mystery, became an easy prey for sensation mongering storytellers. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the starost district of Chęciny was managed by representatives of wealthy magnate families. Among them, there were Piotr Gonzaga Myszkowski and Stanisław Branicki from Ruszcza, of the Griffin coat of arms. The latter contributed to the development of Chęciny, restarting the mines and expanding the castle. Another head of the district (starost), Jan Klemens Branicki, moved the headquarters of the district from the castle to a newly furnished residence in Podzamcze Chęcińskie. In the mid-seventeenth century a monastery of Poor Clares (now Bernardine nuns) was established. In 1607, Chęciny was damaged during the open rebellion of Mikołaj Zebrzydowski, the Grand Marshal of the Crown and the Voivode of Kraków, against King Sigismund III. During the Swedish wars, Chęciny declined. The castle also suffered. In June 1657, troops of Transylvanian prince George II Rákóczi, allied with the Swedes, burned the city down. Shortly after this event, Chęciny was affected by an epidemic that spread until 1662. Some help for the town were then further privileges granted in 1666 by King Jan Kazimierz. 67 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
During the partitions, Chęciny came under the Austrian partition. They slowly lost their significance, becoming a provincial town in the shadow of Kielce, developing nearby. In 1809, the town of Chęciny was incorporated into the Duchy of Warsaw, and in 1815 into the Kingdom of Poland This period was fatal for the Chęciny fortress. The castle, deserted and deprived of proper care, was partially demolished by the local people who obtained construction materials there. The World War II was a tragic period in the history of Chęciny. On June 2, 1944, the occupation authorities pacified the city. Dozens of the city citizens and the residents of surrounding areas were murdered. The fate of the Jewish population was particularly cruel. In 1941, approx. 4
thousand people were imprisoned in the ghetto, and then in September 1942, they were transported to the German Nazi extermination camp in Treblinka. Chęciny is a town of numerous monuments. The most famous is the medieval castle. Towering over the area, it is visible from a considerable distance. In the 1960s, battle scenes for "Colonel Wolodyjowski" film, directed by Jerzy Hoffman, were shot on the slopes of Castle Hill. For the needs of the film, a magnificent reconstruction of the castle in Kamieniec Podolski was erected here. From the castle towers you can admire a picturesque panorama of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, with their highest peak – Łysica (614 m asl). With good visibility, you can see the Beskids and the Tatra Mountains.
Parish Church of St Bartholomew The Parish Church of St Bartholomew is located at the rock terrace cut in the slope of the Zamkowa Mountain (300 m above sea level). The construction was started around 1315 and was finished in the times of Kazimierz III the Great. Radkowska 4 Str, 26-060 Chęciny
On the slopes of Castle Mountain, above the Chęciny market, there is a gothic temple – St. Bartholomew Church. In 1614, a Renaissance chapel of the Three Kings, also called the chapel of the Fodyga family, was added to it. According to the legends, the church is supposed to be connected with the castle by an underground passage. Below the church, the market square is located, which is a part of the historic, medieval spatial arrangement of Chęciny. There is a town hall, some tenement houses, a monument to Władysław Łokietek and a monument dedicated to the victims of June 2, 1944.
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At Małogoska Street, the oldest tenement house from 1570, called Niemczówka, has been preserved. Its first owners were Walenty Września and his wife Anna from Niemczów. You can view the historic interiors here. There is also a Tourist and Historical Information Centre of the Commune of Chęciny and different meetings, exhibitions and concerts are organised. The episode entitled "Gardener" for the series "Father Matthew" with Artur Żmijewski in the lead role was made in Niemczówka in 2011. In the vicinity of Niemczówka, there is St. Mary Magdalene Church and the Monastery of Bernardine Sisters from the 17th century. Originally, it belonged to the Poor Clares.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the tsarist authorities forbade the admission of novices, contributing to the slow liquidation of the Chęciny order. In 1930, Bernardines nuns came from Vilnius and started to take care of the church and the monastery. Opposite the church of St. Mary Magdalene, you can see a monument to the Victims of World War II. Within the medieval town, there is also a Franciscan church and monastery, founded in the fourteenth century by King Casimir the Great. In 1817, Tsar Alexander I issued a decree to confiscate the church and monastery from the Franciscans and to allocate the buildings to prison. Within the walls, they also organized a "marble factory," or a marble processing plant.
Chęciny is a unique town. It combines the history of a rich, developing mining city with the tragic fate of the fall, destruction of the Swedish wars and enslavement of the partitions. Its narrow streets hide numerous monuments which often become topics of mysterious tales and legends, told by local residents. The soaring towers of the royal castle are well visible from every alley. "Marble city" breathes with calmness and nostalgia. From Chęciny, we can go to unusual places scattered around the area. Marked tourist routes will lead us to the Piekło Cave, to Zelejowa Mountain, Miedzianka or the Paradise Cave.
The prison existed for 110 years. It was liquidated in 1927. Then there was a town court and a school. During the Second World War, the monastery was taken over by the German army. After World War II, it housed a primary school, a stonemason's school, a hotel, and a restaurant. From 1991, the object returned to the Franciscans. A Jewish synagogue from the 17th century has survived on Długa Street, and a Jewish cemetery on the southeast slope of Castle Mountain. The Rzepka quarry houses the European Centre for Geological Education - a research and development centre of the Faculty of Geology, the University of Warsaw, created in 2015.
We can get to Kielce or to a historic town of Małogoszcz. Nature lovers will find numerous nature reserves here, and an interesting geological structure will let us discover the ancient history of not only the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, but also of the whole Earth. I invite you to the Świętokrzyskie Mountains.
Chęciny
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Chęciny points of interest Royal Castle – The construction of the fortress probably began around the 13th or 14th century. Around this date the upper part of the castle, consisting of the upper courtyard with housing unit and two rounded defensive towers, was built. The castle had its own chapel, located by the eastern tower. The castle treasure was being kept in the room above the chapel. It is certain that the castle existed in 1306, when King Ladislaus I presented it to the Archbishop of Kraków, Jan Muskata. In following years a dispute on ownership title of then Lesser Poland has been raised between the king and the bishop. As a result of the dispute, after detection of a plot against the royal power, the castle was returned to the king. King Ladislaus soon made the royal castle in Chęciny the centre of his political and military power. In 1318 the treasure of the Archdiocese of Gniezno was transferred and hidden inside the castle to prevent it from being captured by Teutonic Knights. The castle played a significant role as a place of concentration of Polish troops departing for Battle of Płowce with the Teutonic Knights in 1331. In the first half of the 14th century the stronghold was enlarged by King Casimir III the Great. Then the lower courtyard with a rectangle tower was constructed, forming the existing shape of the castle. At that time Chęciny became a residence of the king's second wife Adelaide of Hesse. It was also a residence of Elisabeth of Poland, Queen of Hungary, Sophia of Halshany and her son Władysław III of Varna and Italian by origin – Polish Queen Bona Sforza, who departed Poland in 1556. Later it was used for many years as a state prison with main dungeon located underneath the eastern tower. Among imprisoned here were: Michael Küchmeister von Sternberg future Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, Andrzej Wingold, King Jogaila's half-brother. The castle briefly regained its former glory due to reconstruction initiated by Stanisław Branicki, Starost of Chęciny. However, in the second half of the 16th century, the castle began to decline. In 1588 the parliament ordered to transfer the castle's inventories to the Chęciny Parish Church. In 1607 the Castle was captured and burned by the Zebrzydowski Rebellion. In 1657 the Castle was again partially destroyed by the Rakoczy troops. During the Swedish Deluge the Castle turned into a ruin and remains in that state to this day. The ruins of the Castle have been preserved several times. First major construction works were undertaken in 1877. Between First and Second World Wars the castle was preserved by then mayor of the city Edmund Padechowicz. After the Second World War the castle was again preserved and partially reconstructed with middle tower rebuilt. Since then the eastern tower serves as a scenic viewpoint. The Parish Church of St Bartholomew is located at the rock terrace cut in the slope of the Zamkowa Mountain, 362 metres (1,188 feet) above sea level. It was probably founded by Ladislaus I. 70 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
The construction was started around 1315 and was finished in the times of King Casimir the Great. In 1568–1603 it served The Polish Brethren – members of the Minor Reformed Church of Poland, a Nontrinitarian Protestant church that existed in Poland from 1565 to 1658. Brethren were popularly known as "Arians" or "Socinians" and after their expulsion from Poland, "Unitarians". The church gained its contemporary appearance during the last alteration in the years 1830–40. In the tomb the mummified bodies of miner and alderman of Chęciny – Kacper Fodyga as well as his wife Zuzanna of Grodzianowice are buried. Niemczowka tenement house built in the Renaissance style, in the terrace building development, with the spacious transit entrance hall. It belonged to Walenty and Anna Niemiec Wrzesień. It was built in 1570. In the past it was an inn. On the ground floor in the big room there is a threepiece window with Renaissance columns, and also the ceiling joist, on which there is the date 1634 and the surname of the contemporary chęciński mayor Walenty Soboniewski. Originally the building was one-storey, at present it also has the mezzanine built into the roof and adapted to council flats. There are also cloister vaulted basements.
A Renaissance burgher house known as Kamiennica Niemczówka
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visit Franciscan monastery complex is an interesting place. It was established In the second half of the 14th century, founded by King Casimir the Great in 1368. The church is built of stones in the gothic style. The whole courtyard is surrounded by buildings and stone-wall from the 17th century. In 1465 the church was burned with the majority of house estates. Between 1581–1603 the temple, captivated by Protestants, was seriously devastated. After the reconstruction undergone by the starost Stanisław Branicki the monastery was again destroyed by the troops of George II Rákóczi, who, plundered the monastery in search of treasure, murdered three monks, which is commemorated on the marble plaque inside. Another difficult time was the expulsion of the monks during the reign of Tsar Alexander I Then the monastery was turned into one of the strictest prisons in the świętokrzyskie mountains. Later, the building was used as public lavatory and tourist shelter. In the 1960s, the complex was restored and adapted for tourist purposes: the church housed the restaurant and the hotel. Despite continuing protests addressed to the then communist government party and state, this state lasted 19 years. In 1991, the monastery was turned back to the Franciscans.
Synagogue was built in 1638 due to the privilege of King Władysław IV Vasa, who granted Jews the right to build a double-chamber house of prayer. In 1657, after it was partially destroyed by the troops of Rákóczi the building was reconstructed and refurbished. In 1700 the entrance to the prayer chamber was lowered with a new door portal placed founded by noble and affluent members of the Jewish community. New interior paintings were added in the 19th century. In 1905 the building was again partially destroyed with a fire. In 1906 due to the funds of the Jewish community the synagogue was renovated with a new roof, staircase and interior paintings. During the II world war the interior was completely demolished by the Nazi soldiers. After the war it served as the public library and cinema. In 1958 the roof was reconstructed and synagogue was refurbished to house the local cultural centre. In 1991–1992 some works were also done mainly with respect to the floor, walls and main entrance door. The synagogue was built on a rectangular plan in the late Renaissance style. The building is covered with a Polish-style shake roof. The windows are framed with a late Renaissance stone frames. The corners of the building are reinforced with buttresses. The main chamber is lowered to the level of the street, and is covered with a barrel vault with lunettes. Preserved remains of stucco and polychrome decoration from the mid-19th century, and on the east wall the Mannerist Aron Kodesh (the Torah Ark) of the 17th century are to be found inside the main chamber. Aron Kodesh is made of black Dębnica marble inlaid with Chęciny marble in the form of a portal topped with cartouche and crown of the Torah. In addition, it is decorated with marble cannonballs placed on the stone imposts on a simple cornice.
Medieval shape of the center of the town, with a market square and 17th- and 19th-century houses. 72 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
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Checiny ,
Michał Piorun www.facebook.com/piorunografia
PLACES AND CUSTOMS
by Katarzyna Skóra
Katarzyna lived almost all her life in the Low Beskids. She is particularly interested in everyday life in the former Lemko region. The imagination plays an important role in her life, helping to feel the atmosphere of the visited places. She is into handicrafts, and specifically crocheting. Working on various projects allows you to relax, in a sense it has become a way of life. She is also passionate about photography. She tries to capture in her frames inanimate nature, landscapes and the transience, in the broad sense of the word. Weekly photo trips have already become a tradition.
Old customs and beliefs associated with births in the Lemkos Land and the Uplands www.magurskiewyprawy.pl
The family became full when they had children. Having a child was important not only for the family, but also for economic reasons. When children grew older, they could help in the farm and later take it over, which allowed villagers to maintain continuity of ownership and management. Fertility was widely recognised as God's blessing. It is amazing how many of the old habits have survived in an unchanged or slightly modified version to this day. Let's take pregnancy as an example. Have you ever heard that a daughter steals her mother's beauty? Already at the end of the 19th century it was believed that a nice appearance and a smooth complexion of a pregnant woman predicts the birth of a boy. On the other hand, spots on the face and worse condition of the skin said that a daughter should be expected. It will be a story about beliefs, traditions and rites related to the expectation, birth and baptism of a child in the Low Beskids and the Foothills region. Pregnancy
Family members and the local community were required to treat a pregnant woman in a special way. If It's not becoming of every woman to act is any specific way, then during pregnancy it might be all right. It was widely believed that a woman in the family way could not be denied anything. If she asked for something and got a negative answer, then "mice would eat everything". Hence, everything we would refuse to offer to a pregnant woman, would go to waste anyway. When the belly was pointed, it announced the birth of a boy and the round belly forecast a girl. The "sweet tooth" of a pregnant woman heralded the birth of a daughter, and the desire for salty and sour things was a clue that a son would soon be born. A pregnant woman, like a woman during menstruation, is considered unclean, so she can't be invited for a christening or a wedding. She is also not allowed too many mundane daily household activities, such as preparing preserves in jars for winter. It is believed that If she starts making the preserves, everything will get rotten. Pickling cabbage or cucumbers are the activities forbidden for pregnant women. It is still widely believed in my hometown in the Upland that a woman during menstruation or pregnancy cannot undertake such works. 76 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
Baby's birth
Today, as a result of the development of medicine, these are much rarer cases, but in the past miscarriages were quite common. Pregnancy was not monitored or controlled in any way. So, the cases of such natural selection used to occur. The biggest problem of a premature, dead foetus was the lack of a baptism. Such children were buried outside the cemetery, where, usually on windy evenings, soft voices could be heard crying: "baptism, baptism...". The Lemkos believed that the miscarried foetus should be temporarily buried in the room under the table and only on the day when it was due, it ought to be symbolically baptised and buried in the cemetery. The soul of an unbaptised foetus, buried in a non-sacred place, after years of wandering around the world, will become a devil seven years after being born. If no one baptises such a child, it will become a kite that flies in the sky and sparks. It flies over empty fields, it looks like a large bird with very long legs and a long neck. Having children was important, but often, due to material reasons, too many children used to become an excessive burden – unfortunately long time ago no methods of preventing pregnancy were known. Therefore, the attempts to cause miscarriage were nothing unusual. The most common ways included jumping from a height or lifting weights. Plants causing early abortion, such as juniper berries and willow bark, were also known. At the end of the 19th century and until the middle of the 20th century, most rural women gave birth to children at home, and village midwifes helped in these cases. These were women specialised in labour assistance, they had knowledge of folk medicine and magic. In addition to delivering babies, they also helped with bathing and caring for the newborn baby. It was commonly believed that when a child is born, the mother cannot have any knots on her and everything around her must be open. Therefore, wardrobes, drawers, chests were opened.
It was believed to facilitate the labour, but despite such operations, difficult deliveries were still frequent. In such cases, the woman was seated on a pot with a hot herbal infusion, which facilitated body loosening and, as a consequence, used to make the childbirth easier. In Gładyszów, a midwife rubbed the loins of a pregnant woman using vodka with a "strong herb" - that is, bluebonnet (interesting fact is that the bluebonnet is still called "strong herb" around Gorlice today). New-born boys had their umbilical cord cut on an axe – to become a craftsman. A child who was born with hair on its head was considered happy, and a baby with teeth – for wise. Mamuna
First bath
The first bath was very important because it was supposed to guarantee strength and health. Various herbs were added to the water, as well as items related to popular and well-paid professions. Such a bath was prepared by a grandmother. Health and strong bones were to be ensured by the bath in a decoction of hazel or oak leaves. Herbs such as sedum, thyme and chicory were also popular. In the village of Rabe, it was customary to add peas to the boy's bath – to make his hair curly, and to the girl's bath – long rye straw – for her hair to grow long. The most popular was throwing coins into the first bath to ensure wealth. Child's baptism
A few days after the baby's birth – usually up to a week – a baptism celebration was organised. It usually took place on Sunday just as it is usually today. According to information from Łoś, before World War I there was a custom of inviting 18-20 mates (called kumy) to a boy's, and 4-6 people to a girl's baptism celebration. Two most worthy of these people used to become godparents.
Florynca, 1934 photo: Roman Reinfuss
females in Bednarka, photo: Hans Hildenbrand
field rocking cradle photo: NAC
Nymphs called 'mamuna' were depicted as women dressed in ribbons, who at night washed their underwear in the quiet of the forest streams, taping their "titties" against the washboard or throwing their baggy breast over their shoulders. It was believed that they were souls of bad women or mothers who died during childbirth. They exchanged the babies of young mothers. To this end, they came to the village, looked out through the windows to locate a young mother with a baby and, using a moment of inattention, kidnapped the new-born baby, and tossed there their own child, which was nasty, clumsy, had bulging eyes, was still crying and did not want to eat anything. And when there was nobody home, that baby would come out of the cradle and eat everything out from the pots. The way to get rid of the freak baby was to carry it to the ays-tall and beat it
with a birch rod until the mamuna, attracted by the cry of the child, comes out of the forest and gives away the kidnapped infant, taking back her own. In some villages, for example in Bieśnik, they used reportedly more "humanitarian" method, beating the trash around a child, because the child was screaming anyway, and the effect was supposed to be similar.
Fot. Zdzisław Postępski
Nobody could refuse the invitation for this type of ceremony. Godparents were considered second parents, and when the child became an orphan, for example, they were obliged to look after their godchild. The name for the new-born was chosen together, usually it was simply the name of a saint memorised on the day when the baby was born or baptised. Pretty often children were given the names after the patron of a local temple. It happened that the names were given by the clergy themselves. They used to do it especially in the case of illegitimate children. These were unusual names, e.g. Kordian, Maurycy, Pelagia, Urszula. The invited guests would bring gifts to the feast taking place after the baptism. The women were supposed to bring canvas called "chrism", while the male guests brought money and vodka for the party. Shortly after baptisms, 'rodowiny' took place, constituting another excuse to celebrate the birth of a child. This type of celebration was arranged especially if the first boy was born. Wywód (Escort)
The official ending of the postpartum period, meaning the isolation of the woman, was the "escort" (in Polish called "wywód").
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What was it about? Well, after a few weeks spent at home (1-3 weeks), the young mother would go to the church, where the priest led her to the altar and prayed for her. From that moment, the woman could go to church, visit her neighbours, and work in the field. Young mothers were usually in a hurry to "escort", because after this ceremony, mamuna had more difficult access to the mother and her child. Care for a new-born baby
What can I say, in the past there were not so many facilities for young mothers as now. There was no baby powder or versatile Sudocrem. The skin burns were eliminated by sprinkling mulch from linden wood, turned by a worm directly on them. A similar role was played by mashed and sifted linden wood coal. Babies were breastfed for quite a long time, from one to two years. Currently, many mothers do not feed at all or do sit only until the age of 6 months. On the one hand, such a long period of feeding with natural mother's milk certainly made the children have good immunity, but on the other hand, nursing mothers often did it for three years, believing that it would protect them from becoming pregnant again. Today's medicine leaves no doubt – it doesn't work that way...
The baby cradle was positioned in the place where neither the sun rays nor moonlight could fall on it. The former were harmful to the eyes, while moonlight could have caused the child to be a sleepwalker. The tansy decoction was to help with the parasites. The second way – quite effective, because it still applies today – was to drink acid from sauerkraut. Children were often taken to the field, where they were given characteristic, makeshift cradles. There was not much time for raising the babies. They were usually taught prayers, sometimes sent to school. Even small children were engaged in work on the farm – they looked after geese, took care of their younger siblings. Older children used to graze cattle, herds and horses.
Such examples can be multiplied. They survived hundreds of years and will survive next decades since they are passed down from generation to generation. Although most people think that it is inappropriate to believe in such things, but still, just in case... There is never enough caution, it is better not to tempt the fate – and many people follow these recommendations. However, nobody believes in kidnapping children anymore. Usually, slightly larger children are baptised, usually after 3 weeks of age. Nowadays, just as it was earlier, the birth of a child is the most important event in a newly formed family. It merges and makes it complete. Katarzyna Skóra
What’s the situation like today?
www.magurskiewyprawy.pl
Sanok Museum photo : Kasia skóra
Milik, 1936 photo. Roman Reinfuss
Sanok Museum photo : Kasia skóra
Over a hundred years, there have been huge cultural changes. The Lemkos were also displaced from their land. It is interesting that for centuries the Lemko and the Upland cultures have been intermingled in some way. Therefore, even after displacement, some beliefs remained in a similar or slightly changed form in the Upland. Nowadays, it is commonly believed that a pregnant woman should not look at the crippled, ugly or old people for a long time, because she will "get stared" and the child may become similar to them. Going under a ladder, tying knots...there are many restrictions and things that should be avoided for the good of the child. There is also vivid belief that "similar gives birth to similar", for example, a woman expecting a child should not take part in a funeral, and it is particularly dangerous for her to look into the grave, because the child may be born dead.
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Gdańsk
WOLF'S LAIR
Olsztyn
Wolf's Lair
WILCZY SZANIEC Photos:
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I must admit that history has always had a special place among my interests. That's why you can find many references to it in our magazine. This history passion is probably a kind of national trait of Poles. This is probably due to the particularly rich historical tradition of Poland. There were numerous past events that stayed recorded in the collective consciousness of Poles in a remarkably positive way, but there are also traumatic events to which we return as we do not want to forget about the tragic part of our history and the lesson we can learn from it. I would like to invite you today to an expedition taking us back to World War II. In an unusually picturesque part of Poland, there are ruins of one of the most important war quarters of Adolf Hitler, i.e. the Wolf's Lair. About the object itself we are writing below, but I would like to encourage you, if you are already in Masuria, to visit other objects related to this dark part of history, including: Goering's Headquarters in Szeroki Bór or the Headquarters of the Supreme Command of Land Forces OKH in Mamerki (maybe someday we will write about these places as well). You can start your trip, or actually sightseeing of the Wolf's Lair, already in its car park. Almost in its centre, there are the ruins of the former drinking water pumping station with water filters station No. 0. On its walls you can see perfectly preserved original masking plaster, imitating moss and lichen. Right next to it, there is a board showing the plan of the headquarters and the route of the sightseeing visit, which you can see below. 80 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
Warszawa
PRACTICAL INFO:
Address: Gierłoż 5, 11-400 Gierłoż GPS: 54.0804°N 21.4941°E
Tickets:
15 PLN full price, 10 PLN reduced Parking: 5 PLN (easy access, no booking needed)
Food: street food style/ snacks/ drinks other: payments: cash or cards dogs are permitted remote location
All photos have a historical purpose and they absolutely do not propagate ideas related to Nazism or Fascism.
The next item to see is facility No. 1 – nowadays, a restaurant. During the operation of the headquarters, the building housed the garages at its bottom, while at the top floor there were living quarters for Hitler's Guards (FBB) and Reich Security Service (RSD). After the front passed by, the building was only slightly damaged, so it could continue functioning. After renovation and adaptation, a restaurant (downstairs) and a hotel (upstairs) were created there. The pipes protruding from the walls of the building are original. They drained the excess of water from the roof, where, as masking elements, grass, trees and shrubs used to grow in special roof bowls, filled with soil. The superstructure visible on the roof was constructed after the war, for the needs of the restaurant and the hotel. On the opposite side of the restaurant, you can see the ruins of the former emergency power supply building. Behind the restaurant and the car park, concrete fragments of the shelter (without a number) that was once the headquarters of Otto Dietrich, the head of press service, are visible in the forest, on the right. On the left side, the ruins of a brick building with number 2. Its entrance stairs and front wall with terrace are still visible. It is a remnant of the building of the Reich Security Service and Hitler's Guard. High up, at the edge of the roof, you can see half-round handles of thick rods protruding from the wall. These handles were used to attach some wires, which were later pulled to the trees nearby and tied to them. These wires were used as a frame to fasten some masking nets. Today, the remains of masking consist of a bunch of wires ingrown into the oak on the right side of the road.
Wolfsschanze is derived from "Wolf", a self-adopted nickname of Hitler. He began using the nickname in the early 1930s and it was often how he was addressed by those in his intimate circle. "Wolf" was used in several titles of Hitler's headquarters throughout occupied Europe, such as Wolfsschlucht I and II in Belgium and France and Werwolf in Ukraine. Although the standard translation in English is "Wolf's Lair," a Schanze in German denotes a sconce, redoubt or temporary fieldwork.
The Wolf's Lair (German: Wolfsschanze; Polish: Wilczy Szaniec) was Adolf Hitler's first Eastern Front military headquarters in World War II. The complex, which became one of several Führer Headquarters in various parts of Central and Eastern Europe, was built for the start of Operation Barbarossa (the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941). It was constructed by Organisation Todt. The top-secret, high-security site was in the Masurian woods about eight kilometres (5.0 mi) east of the small East Prussian town of Rastenburg, (Kętrzyn in presentday Poland). Three security zones surrounded the central complex where the Führer's bunker was located. These were guarded by personnel from the SS-Begleitkommando des Führers, Reichssicherheitsdienst and the Wehrmacht's armoured Führerbegleitbrigade. Despite the security, the most notable assassination attempt against Hitler was made at Wolf's Lair on 20 July 1944. Hitler first arrived at the headquarters on 23 June 1941. In total, he spent more than 800 days at the Wolfsschanze during a 3 1⁄2-year period until his final departure on 20 November 1944.
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Wolf's Lair
In mid-1944, work began to enlarge and reinforce many of the Wolf's Lair original buildings. The work was never completed because of the rapid advance of the Red Army during the Baltic Offensive in late 1944. On 25 January 1945, the complex was blown up and abandoned 48 hours before the arrival of Soviet forces. The decision was made in late 1940 to build Wolf's Lair in the middle of a forest, far from major roads and urban areas. The 6.5 km2 (2.5 sq mi) complex was completed by 21 June 1941 and consisted of three concentric security zones. About two thousand people lived and worked at Wolf's Lair at its peak, among them twenty women, some of whom were required to eat Hitler's food to test for poison. The installations were served by a nearby airfield and railway lines. Buildings within the complex were camouflaged with bushes, grass, and artificial trees on the flat roofs; netting was also erected between buildings and the surrounding forest so that the installation looked like unbroken dense woodland from the air. Sperrkreis 1 (Security Zone 1) was located at the heart of the Wolf's Lair, the perimeter was ringed by steel fencing and guarded by the SS Reichssicherheitsdienst (RSD). Within the compound, security was managed by Dienststelle I (command I) from the SS-Begleitkommando des Führers (FBK) which operated under the auspices of Obersturmbannführer Bruno Gesche. These were the only armed guards Hitler allowed to be near him. They never had to surrender their weapons and were never searched whereas the RSD were required to remain at positions some distance away from Hitler. The zone contained the Führer Bunker and ten other camouflaged bunkers built from 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) thick steel-reinforced concrete. These shelters protected members of Hitler's inner circle such as Martin Bormann, Hermann Göring, Wilhelm Keitel, and Alfred Jodl. Hitler's accommodation was on the northern side of Führer Bunker so as to avoid direct sunlight. Both Hitler's and Keitel's bunkers had additional rooms where military conferences could be held.
photos: archive historical photos
Sperrkreis 2 (Security Zone 2) surrounded the inner zone. This area housed the quarters of several Reich Ministers such as Fritz Todt, Albert Speer, and Joachim von Ribbentrop. It also housed the quarters of the personnel who worked in the Wolf's Lair and the military barracks for the RSD. Sperrkreis 3 (Security Zone 3) was the heavily fortified outer security area which surrounded the two inner zones. It was defended by land mines and the Führerbegleitbrigade (FBB), a special armoured security unit from Wehrmacht which manned guardhouses, watchtowers, and checkpoints. A facility for Army headquarters was also located near Wolf's lair complex. The FBK and RSD had responsibility for Hitler's personal security within the Wolf's Lair while external protection of the complex was provided by the FBB, which had become a regiment by July 1944. The FBB was equipped with tanks, anti-aircraft guns, and other heavy weapons. Any approaching aircraft could be detected up to 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the Wolf's Lair. Additional troops were also stationed about 75 km (47 mi) away. Hitler's secretary Traudl Junge recalled that Hitler repeatedly spoke in late 1943 or early 1944 of a possible bomber attack on the Wolfsschanze by the Western Allies. She quoted Hitler as saying, "They know exactly where we are, and sometime they’'re going to destroy everything here with carefully aimed bombs. I expect them to attack any day." According to Speer, between 28 July 1941 and 20 March 1942, Hitler left Rastenburg only four times for a total of 57 days. Afterwards, Hitler spent the next three months in Obersalzberg before returning to Rastenburg for the next nine months. Hitler's entourage returned to the Wolfsschanze from an extended summer stay at the Berghof in July 1944. The previous small bunkers had been replaced by the Organisation Todt with "heavy, colossal structures" of reinforced concrete as defense against the feared air attack. According to Armaments Minister Albert Speer, "some 36,000,000 marks were spent for bunkers at Wolf's Lair."
1. Claus von Stauffenberg meeting Adolf Hitler at the Wolfsschanze five days before the 20 July plot in 1944 CC BY-SA 3.0 2. Hitler meeting Reich Commissioner Robert Ley, automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche, and Reichsminister Hermann Göring at the Wolfsschanze in 1942 CC BY-SA 3.0 3. Hermann Göring surveys the conference room destroyed by the suitcase bomb left by Claus von Stauffenberg on 20 July 1944 CC BY-SA 3.0
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Hitler's bunker had become the largest, "a positive fortress" containing "a maze of passages, rooms and halls". Junge wrote, "We had air-raid warnings every day" in the period between the 20 July assassination attempt and Hitler's final departure from the Wolfsschanze in November 1944, "but there was never more than a single aircraft circling over the forest, and no bombs were dropped. All the same, Hitler took the danger very seriously, and thought all these reconnaissance flights were in preparation for the big raid he was expecting. No air attack ever came. It has never been revealed whether the Western Allies knew of the Wolfsschanze's location and importance. The Soviet Union was unaware of both the location and the scale of the complex until it was uncovered by their forces in their advance towards Germany in early 1945. Hitler would begin his day when he was in residence by taking a walk alone with his dog around 9 or 10 am, and at 10.30 am he looked at the mail that had been delivered by air or courier train. A noon situation briefing was convened in Keitel's and Jodl's bunker and frequently ran for two hours. This was followed by lunch at 2 pm in the dining hall. Hitler invariably sat in the same seat between Jodl and Otto Dietrich, while Keitel, Martin Bormann, and Göring's adjutant General Karl Bodenschatz sat opposite him. After lunch, Hitler dealt with nonmilitary matters for the remainder of the afternoon. Coffee was served around 5 pm, followed by a second military briefing by Jodl at 6 pm. Dinner could also last as long as two hours, beginning at 7.30 pm, after which films were shown in the cinema. Hitler then retired to his private quarters where he gave monologues to his entourage, including the two female secretaries who had accompanied him to the Wolf's Lair. Occasionally, Hitler and his entourage listened to gramophone records of Beethovensymphonies, selections from Wagner or other operas, or German lieder.
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The Red Army reached the borders of East Prussia during the Baltic Offensive in October 1944. Hitler departed from the Wolf's Lair for the final time on 20 November when the Soviet advance reached Angerburg (now Węgorzewo), 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) away. Two days later, the order was given to destroy the complex. The demolition took place on the night of 24–25 January 1945, ten days after the start of the Red Army's Vistula– Oder Offensive. Tons of explosives were used; one bunker required an estimated 8,000 kg (18,000 lb) of TNT. Most of the buildings were only partially destroyed due to their immense size and reinforced structures. The Red Army captured the abandoned remains of the Wolfsschanze on 27 January without firing a shot, the same day that Auschwitz was liberated farther south. It took until 1955 to clear over 54,000 land mines that surrounded the installation. The area was cleared of abandoned ordnance such as land mines following the war, and the entire site was left to decay by Poland's Communist government. The Wolf's Lair has been developed as a tourist attraction since the Fall of Communism in the early 1990s. Visitors can make day trips from Warsaw or Gdańsk. Hotels and restaurants have grown up near the site. Plans have periodically been proposed to restore the area, including the installation of historical exhibits. As of 2019, the site was drawing almost 300,000 visitors a year. The District is also considering building a hotel and restaurant, and staging re-enactments with static figures in Nazi uniforms. Critics worried that the planned changes could turn the site into a place for neo-Nazi pilgrimages, although the District's spokesperson said that they would "make every effort" to maintain "due seriousness and respect for historical truth". "The scars left by the war should be preserved and presented as a lesson, a warning. Exhibitions should explain the history, contextualise the place, but not completely overshadow it."
Ruins of Adolf Hitler's bunker (No. 13). It was the largest object in the quarter (60 × 36 m with outbuildings, the shelter itself measured 36 by 36 m). Today, only one wall and the ruins of outbuildings remain relatively well preserved. Unlike other shelters, it not only had a protective function, but was also Hitler's apartment. His personal rooms (study, bedroom, bathroom, wardrobe etc.) and the rooms for his service assistants, secretaries, security workers etc. were located here, as well as telephone exchange and teletypes. On the remains of the roof, above the entrance, you can see three pines planted in 1944 as one of the masking elements of this object. On the side wall, on the right, there is a ladder leading to the roof, used by soldiers from anti-aircraft positions.
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Birds by Rafał Bojanowski Birds like people have some personality traits. A particular species, depending on whether it is from urban or more remote areas, may have a different behaviour. But not only because of the location. Sometimes in the same place birds of the same species behave differently.
BIRDS OF POLAND BY RAFAŁ BOJANOWSKI THE PEARL THE POLISH WILDLIFE WORDS & PHOTOS Rafał Bojanowski
www.rafalbojanowski.pl www.facebook.com/RafalBojanowskiFotografiaPrzyrodnicza
Rafał Bojanowski: My adventure with nature photography began in 2007. Then, while I was observing the breeding struggles of the couple of fieldfares, the desire to change the binoculars into a camera was born, in order to capture these wonderful, interesting, but fleeting moments. Engrafted with bird fascination during my field trips, I began to notice that in the nature that surrounds me there are many beautiful and interesting birds that I have not known so far. Hence, I decided to photograph subsequently all newly known species. At the beginning, it was only an intention for documentary photography. However, over time, I decided to improve my photographic workshop by gaining new theoretical and practical knowledge, as well as investing in more professional equipment. And so, till the present, I have been totally devoted to my passion, i.e. observing and photographing moments in the life of birds, which are the main subject of my photos.
About birds, birds' nature and photography, we would like to talk to Rafał Bojanowski: wildlife photographer – especially interested in the birds of Poland.
As our proverb says: "One swallow does not make spring" (in the UK it does not make summer) but starting from early spring you can already hear and see more and more species of birds outside the window. Summer, in turn, is a real bird paradise, although it is not probably the best time of a year to observe them. Poland may boast of huge diversity of habitats and the variety of bird species. Although for several winter months we cannot see swallows or storks here, other species take their place. Summer, however, abounds in great variety of them. To see slightly more unique species, however, you need to go to more remote places where nature dominates over urbanised life. TLP: Rafał, on your website you say that "nature photography is one of the most beautiful, but also the most demanding fields of photography. It's a constant search for the dream frame, giving joy and delight in communing with wildlife. The main topic of my works are birds. These photographs are the result of hard work, many hours spent in the field observing, preparing the place for photography, building hideouts." I would like to use your introduction to further conversation about birds and your photography.
Do you remember your childhood, especially things related to nature? I come from very green areas of Lubuskie Voivodeship myself and I still remember trips or even kind of 'escapes' to the surrounding forests. Has nature accompanied you from a young age? Has it influenced what you are into today? RB: I remember my childhood very well, but it was not oriented towards nature in any special way. I grew up in Porajów, a small village, but not a typical one that comes to mind when we think about the Polish countryside. It's a post-German suburb of Zittau, so more a settlement, but nicely situated in the Lusatian Highlands among fields and meadows of small forests, so of course nature was visible and heard from all sides. In my childhood, the forests were more like a playground for guerrilla games than for observing their inhabitants. Catching newts, frogs, water beetles, this was my communion with wildlife. I remember that the sight of a flying stork, crane or heron always impressed me a lot, probably because of their large sizes. I also remember very well an event from my preschool age, when for a few days, with a fever, I despaired over a wounded Norwich Cropper, which is a breed of fancy pigeon, that my father used to keep. Maybe it was the germ of my future passion for birds. It took me a long time to understand how much this passion means to me. It began in my adulthood, at the age of 30, with an observation of a pair of fieldfares on the tree just outside the window of my house, which fiercely defended their nest against birds larger than themselves.
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Curious about bird adventures, I bought binoculars, a bird atlas and then I began to notice that there are many interesting species in the close surroundings that I had not noticed before, it was just then that I realized it was exactly what I want to fill with every free moment of my time. TLP: So you take pictures of nature. It would seem that this is one of the most enjoyable activities possible, but you say: nature photography is a 'hard work'? What is the reason for this 'nuisance'? Can the effects of work compensate for hours spent in uncomfortable conditions waiting for the right shot? RB: Saying that I deal with nature photography, one would think that photography is my passion, and as the subject of my work I chose nature, especially birds. Well, actually these are bids which are my real passion, you could say that I am a birdwatcher in the first place, and the camera serves me only to capture them. So I don't consider myself a photographer, I think the photographer has a different approach. I use the camera like millions of people around the world photographing my passions (chefs or confectioners photograph their dishes, pastries and show them on their blogs, we will not call them photographers). The way birds are photographed can be divided in two ways: The first is easier without much commitment, i.e. a method using 'stalking approach", we can use it on any walk, bike ride and other situations, just have a camera on hand and take advantage of the opportunity that comes. Of course, you can also get more involved and walk up birds using camouflage clothes. In such case, we creep quietly to the object, taking a picture every few steps. At the beginning of my adventure, I would use this method to take documentary pictures of newly discovered species. I remember my beginnings with great agitation, when I discovered how many previously unseen species live around us. All I had to do was to open my eyes a little wider. With time, when I was looking at the pictures in another atlas (as I collected more and more of them on my bookshelves), I decided that maybe I would give it a try too, because if I take pictures, then why not make them look exactly like those in the atlas. And here we go to the second method of photographing birds, which I use now – photography out of hiding. Such pictures are not accidental, in the case of most bird species they are planned several months earlier. To take such a photo you need to spend a lot of time in the field exploring, then preparing the place for shooting, supplementing your knowledge about the habits of the genre, learning about the sounds they make. Everything is planned, the place for a hideout, even a stick, a stump or a tree on which the bird is to sit. And this is what I love the most, this time in the field, looking for the place of occurrence of a given species that we want to photograph, building a hideout, waiting for a dozen or 88 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
so hours in it, so that at the very end you can press the shutter to capture the whole story. Looking at my photographs, I can see the whole sequence of activities that had to be completed before the picture could be taken. So when I write about hard work, I mean the whole process, from the emergence of an idea of a species to be observed to the final snapshot. It can be said that depending on the species we photograph using this method, we prepare for the photo for a day, week, month, year, and taking the photography itself lasts from a few seconds to several minutes. And the path to the goal, i.e. the dream photo of a given species, can last for several seasons. TLP: You come from a little known and seldom visited part of Poland – from its edge – the border between the Czech Republic and Germany. Can you photograph rare "specimens" near Bogatynia, where you live? Something to boast of in Poland, or maybe in the world? In Poland, despite appearances, bird watching is probably not well developed and more bird lovers in our area come from abroad and especially from Germany? RB: With a few exceptions I mainly photograph in my poviat and here you can observe about 160 species of birds. Actually, there are a few that you can boast with not only in the country but also in the world, and these are Eurasian pygmy owl, boreal owl and horned owl. Bogatynia is located between the Lower Silesian Forests and Sudetes, which are one of the most important habitats of these species in the country. Therefore, smaller forests around Bogatynia are also dominated by these species due to the fact that they are in the corridor of their flights between the mentioned regions. It is true that there are not as many bird lovers in Poland as in the UK, a leader in this field. There are many websites where bird enthusiasts share their observations or photos taken. This hobby is rapidly developing, gaining more and more enthusiasts of this passion. Around this passion, there are numerous, commercial hide-outs being created, frequently visited by guests, also from abroad. Tourist offices organise trips to the Białowieża Forest, Biebrza Marshes. From year to year, a large increase in birdwatching can be observed. TLP: Our conversation takes place in early spring but the article will be published in summer. What is the best time for bird watching – in terms of season and time of a day? Apparently spring is a great period for ornithologists and all nature lovers – and how does it look like in the summer? During the day, most of the birds probably hide to avoid heat, but you can probably observe birds of prey and wading species, hovering in the chimneys of warm air during this time?
above: The black stork (Ciconia nigra) is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. below: The White-tailed eagle & Eurasian Magpieofext
Birds of Poland by Rafał Bojanowski www.facebook.com/RafalBojanowskiFotografiaPrzyrodnicza
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RB: Spring is the best time to observe birds and listen to them, because it is a fact that we are more often able to hear the birds rather than see them, and some species are so secretive that only their singing makes us aware that they are nearby and here, of course, it is useful to recognise bird singing, which is a skill that you can learn from recordings. Already at the turn of February and March we can hear the songs of the lark, and 30% of the European population of this species lives in Poland. At the same time, cranes appear, followed immediately by storks in the second half of March. But for many of us, it is the swallow which is a real harbinger of the upcoming spring and although, as the saying goes "one swallow does not make spring", this species heralds the upcoming spring warming. Spring is the season of returns for a significant proportion of birds. From early morning to late evening, males lure females with their singing and inform competing males of their breeding sites. A real concert for thousands of beaks. The weather is also very important. Birds sing to be heard. Therefore, when the conditions are unfavourable, it rains, a strong wind blows and it gets cold, the birds go silent. Then, they would rather look for food. Then, after pairing and choosing breeding sites, they begin to build nests, cavity nesters look for suitable places. And then the time to raise and feed the offspring comes, bird-parents are then busy from down till dusk, trying to satisfy the chicks, constantly calling for food. It's the perfect time to observe birds all day long. Early summer can still be counted as increased activity period. It is getting worse since July, the birds are becoming quieter, of course there are also species that are more active in summer due to their late arrivals unlike most species, but these birds are not numerous and summer months are no longer as interesting as spring ones. The next interesting period is autumn, and even late summer, when some noticeable movements start in the birds' world; birds prepare for autumn migration, gathering in larger clusters, so it's a good time to observe and photograph wetland birds, seeders. In winter, in turn, you can observe birds at feeders, to which you can lure over 20 species, including such rarities as the hawfinch, bullfinch, brambling. At this time, we are also visited by the birds which cannot be seen at any other time of the year, as waxwings or bramblings. Winter is also a great time to photograph birds of prey. White-tailed eagles, buzzards. TLP: And where is the best place to look for birds in Poland? Is there any specialised knowledge needed for it? it may seem that they are everywhere, in the countryside, on the river, on the lake, by the sea and even in the city. So it may seem that all you need is patience and careful observation. I do not know whether to agree with this opinion? It is hard for me to remember any peculiar encounters with birds and it seems to me that this requires specialised knowledge? 90 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
RB: It depends on what birds we are interested in, but we can safely say that we can observe birds everywhere, in city parks, squares, in home gardens, fields, trees, forests, rivers, lakes, by the sea. A dozen or even several dozens of species can be found in the vicinity of several kilometres, regardless of where we are. Birds are everywhere, so we can meet for example tits, thrushes, ravenous birds. It is enough to pay some attention to them. But there are also a lot of places for more demanding birdwatchers, visited not only by Polish bird lovers come, but also those coming from Europe, and from other parts of the world In spring, these locations include the Biebrza River region, which is a real paradise for observing water birds such as various ducks, battalions, and plovers. In early summer – Karsiborska Kępa – where we can observe over 100 species of various birds, and what is the most interesting – unique Aquatic Warbler Refuge. The mouth of the Vistula River at the turn of summer and autumn is another interesting location, where hundreds of thousands of birds stop in the "Seagull Sandbank" reserve. The Warta River estuary in the fall gives an opportunity to observe hundreds of thousands of geese as well as cranes and a large number of white-tailed eagles. And in winter, the Baltic coast provides an opportunity to observe goldeneyes, ring-necked ducks, mergansers and newcomers from the north, as it is the only possible time for the observation of i.e. common eider, longtailed ducks. There are other places like Milickie Ponds, Białowieża Forest, they are the most famous places in Poland, but there are many more and you can find something interesting in almost every region. TLP: Do you have any interesting observations regarding birds? They are supposed to be very communicative. Do birds have their moods? Can birds do politics? Build a coalition to do something together? Are birds also ruled by emotions or emotions are given only to people? RB: Birds like people have some personality traits. A particular species, depending on whether it is from urban or more remote areas, may have a different behaviour. But not only because of the location. Sometimes in the same place birds of the same species behave differently. As in humans, there are more courageous individuals, one could indicate here the distance of escape, i.e. how far a given individual of one species will allow us to approach. Some bird species use the close proximity of other species, e.g. due to the fact that the black-headed gulls gather in clusters during the attack of other birds and thus alert about the threat which helps to chase the intruder away, other smaller species nest nearby using their so-called umbrella protection that the blackheaded gulls give them thus improving their safety. One could also mention the fieldfare, from which my adventure with birds began.
above: The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), also known as the Eurasian kingfisher and river kingfisher below: Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus)
Birds of Poland by Rafał Bojanowski www.facebook.com/RafalBojanowskiFotografiaPrzyrodnicza
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These birds, while in danger, join forces and jointly chase away the intruder. There are cuckoos that as the only European birds do not build their own nests and toss eggs in the nests of other birds. So I think it's safe to say about bird politics. TLP: What kind of photos are you particularly happy with? Do you have any of your favourite species of birds (apparently it's a kind of owl)? Observations of which bird species gave you the most pleasure and satisfaction? Are there any you didn't manage to photograph or the ones 'hunted' for long before you finally managed to take their photographs?
These include such species as a hoopoe, a kingfisher. Last year the list was completed with another bird species – a European nightjar, a bird which like owls is a nocturnal species, a very interesting one that gives a lot of joy from just observing and listening to the sounds it makes. One could say that this species gave me a lot of fresh energy and I look forward to their arrival in the first days of May. Thank you for the interview. We wish you great reception of your works, both in Poland and abroad. / see more Rafal's photos on
RB: Hmm, I'm still not 100% satisfied with my photos, there are a few that I like, but knowing the shell of the story that accompanied the creation of the photo, I know it could have been better. Maybe I'm too critical when it comes to the pictures I take, but it's probably good, because thanks to this I don't stand still and try to improve myself in what I do. I also try not to show photos that I think are worse than those I took earlier. Probably because of that I have taken so few of them recently. Ever since I started my adventure with birds, owls have fascinated me and I have been focusing on photographing owls for 3 years. This is probably the most difficult bird family to photograph but maybe because of the fact that it so challenging and needs so much time of preparation I find it so appealing. There are also species that I return to photograph every year if I have such an opportunity.
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www.facebook.com/RafalBojanowskiFotografiaPrzyrodnicza www.rafalbojanowski.pl
Below: The western capercaillie, also known as the wood grouse, heather cock, or just capercaillie. The largest known specimen, recorded in captivity, had a weight of 7.2 kg. Found across Europe and the Palearctic, this ground-living forest bird is renowned for its mating display. The species shows extreme sexual dimorphism, with the male twice the size of the female. The worldwide population is in the category "least concern" of the IUCN, although the populations of Central Europe are declining and endangered, or already extinct.
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www.facebook.com/RafalBojanowskiFotografiaPrzyrodnicza
LONG-EARED OWL BIRDS OF POLAND BY RAFAŁ BOJANOWSKI
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WWW.RAFALBOJANOWSKI.PL
EURASIAN SPARROWHAWK BIRDS OF POLAND BY RAFAŁ BOJANOWSKI
WWW.RAFALBOJANOWSKI.PL
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The Eurasian pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinum) is the smallest owl in Europe. It is a dark reddish to greyish-brown, with spotted sides and half of a white ring around the back of the neck. This species is found in the boreal forests of Northern and Central Europe to Siberia. This is a sedentary species, meaning that adults are resident throughout the year in its range. The exception may be during harsh winters, when the adults may move south. Young of the species usually move in autumn or winter. / Bojanowski Birds by Rafal
www.facebook.com/RafalBojanowskiFotografiaPrzyrodnicza www.rafalbojanowski.pl
The Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops). It is a medium-sized bird, 25–32 cm long, with a 44–48 cm wingspan. It weighs 46–89 g. The species is highly distinctive, with a long, thin tapering bill that is black with a fawn base. The strengthened musculature of the head allows the bill to be opened when probing inside the soil. The hoopoe has broad and rounded wings capable of strong flight; these are larger in the northern migratory subspecies. The hoopoe has a characteristic undulating flight, which is like that of a giant butterfly, caused by the wings half closing at the end of each beat or short sequence of beats. Adults may begin their moult after the breeding season and continue after they have migrated for the winter.
/ Bojanowski Birds by Rafal
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summer excape to
Czorszyn by Konrad Janik
www.wyskoczna.pl
EX PERI ENCE
photography:
Konrad Janik text:
Dominika Bednarczyk
100Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
By paddling the SUP on the lake, you can admire nature and monuments from a slightly different perspective. While paddling with our couple of enthusiasts, you will have the chance to see the ruins of the castle in Czorsztyn, the castle in Niedzica, the historic buildings of the open-air museum on Stylchyna, but also discover the beauty of nature in the form of the Zielone Skałki reserve.
the trip
Czorsztyn is a village in Poland, in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Nowy Targ County. The village lies in Pieniny, the mountain range on the current Polish-Slovak border. It is famous for the ruins of a 14th-17th-century castle, which was the scene of the Kostka-Napierski Uprising in 1651. Czorsztyn gave its name to the man-made reservoir also known as Lake Czorsztyn, completed in 1994. The village along with its mountainous surroundings is a recreational destination with well developed tourist infrastructure: accommodations, pleasure-boats dock, and numerous marked hiking trails.
Close your eyes. Imagine a lake, quite a big one. With hills, limestone rocks and forests around it. And a little further some mountains. One range from one side of it, and some more on the other. From the south, other peaks look at all of it – much higher, snow-covered for most of the year. Can you hear that birds’ singing? Can you feel the wind in your hair? And now, think about the bottom of this lake, lined with the spirit of the old days. Sounds mysterious, right? Open your eyes. This place really exists. In a moment you will find out what you saw in your mind's eye. The lake in question is Czorsztyn Lake. It is located in the south of Poland, on the border of two regions: Podhale and Spisz. It is surrounded by national parks: Pieniny, Gorce and Tatra National Parks spread nearby, and the high snowy mountains mentioned earlier are the Tatras, of course. The peaks surrounding the lake are Pieniny and Gorce, but from the west you can also see the distant range of the Żywiec Beskids. A fable? Keep reading, that's not all. The lake is actually an artificial, man-made reservoir, created in the place of the village of Maniowy. The whole village was somehow built again, in slightly higher area, on the slopes of Gorce, thus the population had to be resettled. This entire process began in the 1970s and lasted approx. 20 years. Hence the mention of the "spirit of the old days," because the "old" Maniowy were practically completely flooded and only a few elements of the old buildings were moved to the new village.
Kraków
www.wyskoczna.pl
Czorsztyn
prepared in partnership with lovepoland.org
Czorsztyn
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This is not all that can be said about this picturesque area, but before I continue, I will introduce you to a couple: Karolina and Konrad. They are already married now but their history started a dozen of years ago. They are as thick as thieves, they share interests and have lots of passions in common. And on this kind of foundation and on the basis of local patriotism they have created something that will definitely interest you. Instead of searching the Internet for information about the region, you can go ahead and visit them. In addition to knowing the surroundings like the back of their hand, they have a handful of activities for you that will make the time spent at Czorsztyn Lake even more pleasant. The first of such attractions is SUP, i.e. stand up paddle. It's just a pneumatic board on which you can paddle with an oar. You don't have to be in great shape or possess any special skills. Anyway, Karolina and Konrad will not leave you alone with it! Either they will show you how to use the board or they will go paddling on the lake with you. There are plenty of possibilities. You can paddle the board sitting or standing, you can drift lazily on it or race with friends, you can also use it to do some training. Anyone up for it? By paddling the SUP on the lake, you can admire nature and monuments from a slightly different perspective. While paddling with our couple of enthusiasts, you will have the chance to see the ruins of the castle in Czorsztyn, the castle in Niedzica, the historic buildings of the open-air museum on Stylchyna, but also discover the beauty of nature in the form of the Zielone Skałki reserve, where the water turns unearthly green and the rocks rise up to 100 meters above the lake level. To add some variety, some SUP models can be converted into a kayak. One more thing for enthusiasts of strong sensations: if you paddle your SUP to the castle in Czorsztyn, you can take the aerial ropeslide ride over the lake. It's not the end of attractions that Karolina and Konrad can offer. If you have already tried the taste of the SUP adventure, now it's time for a bike! Our couple also has a bike rental service that will take you anywhere you want. Around the lake, there is a picturesque 40 km long bicycle path. Thanks to this route, you can visit the historic church in Dębno, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, or the old wine cellars in Frydman. You can get to places that you previously admired from the lake, including e.g. the castle in Czorsztyn and to the open-air museum in Stylchyna. But let's not limit ourselves! Bicycles are also adapted for mountain riding, so you can easily cycle to the top of an extinct volcano on Wdżar Mountain or explore the surrounding forests. There is a gondola service to the other side of the lake, so that you can easily take your bike to continue cycling on the opposite shore. If you still don't have enough of cycling, you should know that the path around the lake is only a part of the very long VeloDunajec cycling path, which stretches over 237 km and includes many attractive tourist destinations. Rafting down the Dunajec is also one of nearby attractions. This river flows directly into Czorsztyn Lake. Usually, rafting takes place on the boards of a rafting boat, but Karolina and Konrad can organize this pleasure for you in the SUP version. 102 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
And when you get tired of these water-land activities, Karolina and Konrad will invite you to the relaxation zone on the shores of the lake, where, lying comfortably in a hammock, you will sip lemonade to the accompaniment of an evening concert under the cloud. It still sounds magical, right? Now you can close your eyes again. However, there is no more need to imagine anything. You are there. This place really exists. also worth to see nearby: Niedzica Castle Niedzica Castle also known as Dunajec Castle, is located in the southernmost part of Poland in Niedzica (Nowy Targ County in Lesser Poland). It was erected between the years 1320 and 1326 by Kokos of Brezovica on the site of an ancient stronghold surrounded by earthen walls in the Pieniny mountains. The Niedzica Castle stands at an altitude of 566 m, on a hill 300 metres (980 ft) upstream from the Dunajec River mouth, measured from the center of the dam on Lake Czorsztyn. The outline of Niedzica Castle can best be viewed from the ruins of Czorsztyn Castle on the other side of the lake. It is known as one of the most picturesque castles in the country and adorns the covers of many books. Dunajec raft trips The Dunajec River Gorge runs through the Pieniny Mountains. The gorge is characterised by some of the most interesting geological structures and area-specific natural ecosystems. It is featured on UNESCO's Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in Poland. Dunajec Gorge is also one of the best-known tourist attractions in the Pieniny Mountains. Wooden raft trips have been organised daily by Pieniny Gorals since the early 19th century when their customers consisted mostly of guests of nearby Niedzica and Czorsztyn castles. The trip begins in the village of Sromowce Wyżne-Kąty, and ends in the resort town of Szczawnica, 18 km downstream. It takes about 2–3 hours. The second leg of the tour is only 5 km long. It begins in Szczawnica and ends in the town of Krościenko nad Dunajcem. The Gorge makes 7 loops in its length. The surrounding rock reaches 300 m in heigh almost all the way through.
Czorszyn by Konrad Janik www.wyskoczna.pl
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by.�
www.wyskoczna.pl
TRA.VORABIZAHSAS/MOC.KOOBECAF.WWW
Sasha Nazim
PEOPLE AND PLACES. FROM LWÓW TO KRAKÓW "I try to get closer to people by taking a picture, just enough to create the impression of presence..."
www.instagram.com/sashanazim_steampunk www.instagram.com/sashanazim_photos www.instagram.com/sashanazim
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COLOURS, BLACK AND WHITE The country where I was born no longer exists. Or maybe it did not exist at all... The Soviet Union was somewhere further away, and here in Lvov – another planet – Galicia. Here, in Lvov, we had such a world where every detail was beautiful – from the mosaic on the floor in my bathroom, to the carved garden grates. This is a city where for the first time I opened my eyes to the truth and beauty, it had nothing to do with the dullness of communism. In this city of mine, there will always be some longing for something lost. The Portuguese call it 'sodade'. My childhood in Lvov was full of light – I remember it this way, those summer long shadows of huge trees. It was full of books, friends and inherent lonely wandering around the city with a briefcase for music notes. It was also full of beautiful dreams. The dreams were very real sometimes. Childhood was a great, endless freedom. I remember putting metal coins under the wheels of passing trains, and waiting for the train to flatten them. We used the shortcuts to walk around the city. We used to climb every fence and tree. I have the impression that it was the city that raised me. I knew all the yards and secret passages. I also remember when my painting started, when I dipped the brush in thick watercolour for the first time and I remember it was blue. I was maybe five years old then, probably no more. At that time, I used to say with full conviction that I would paint one day. I've never had other plans. I also remember a friend from kindergarten. He told me all the time that he was a king and in details he talked about his subordinates – maybe this is not such an important detail but I heard from him that there are music schools and I asked my mother to take me to the exam. It was another important step in my life. When I was 10 I was removed from the art class at the House of Pioneers because, after the first lesson, I laughed too loudly. Probably it was nothing to regret as I think I wouldn't have learnt anything there. So I drew for five years alone at home, every day, and then I got to art classes at a community centre, and this was probably another turning point in my life. There was an amazing atmosphere there. We used to go together to the old cinema for the films of Tarkovsky and Fellini. These screenings were semi-legal then. These screenings were semi-legal then. Our teacher showed us Cirlionis' slides and read Japanese haiku. He painted a lot and demanded it from us. He was not an easy man, he could say, coming into the studio, that even a donkey can be taught to draw, but we can't. However, he once told me that I have an absolute sense of colour. Now, he has been living in Serbia for many years.
walking throug the streets of Kraków
photo: Sasha Nazim
part 1. Roots (Gypsy from Galicia)
Other important people in my life: My brother I was the second child of my parents. My older brother was born very sick. Intellectually capable, but he could not walk until the age of four. He slept badly at night, it was hard for him to breathe, doctors said he would not live to adulthood. My mother once told me that I was a blessing to her and to father. They could finally stop worrying. I was healthy, I didn't cry very much. My mother also told me that she hadn't wanted to have more children and that if my brother had been healthy, I wouldn't have been born. So I'm in the world thanks to my brother. Dad My dad was a good wizard. He touched the wall and knew the magnitude of the earthquake. Not very useful in our areas, but Dad lived for 11 years in Central Asia (which also probably had an impact on my development and awareness in adulthood). The parents met because my Dad's motorbike. They rode the motorbike like crazy, escaped from the wall of rain, rode up steep slopes. The Family There were a lot of us: five people in a 100-meter apartment, but then in 6 years my father died when I was 21, my grandmother when I was 23 and my mother when I was 28. I managed to talk to my grandmother a little more seriously, probably never managed to do it with my dad. Many times I thought I didn't really know him. I know he loved me. He told me that when I was little. 107 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
However, the truth is we were very happy. I often think about my street and my neighbours. I could go to a friend who lived a few houses away almost at any time and knock on the window. And then we talked and drank tea. That's how we talked, during all our childhood, on our way back from school. I lived in such a little fabulous world of my fantasies, books and beauty. I think I was liked although I was not always shown this. However, I had freedom. I remember that when I wanted to paint on the walls at home, nobody forbade me this. I wanted to stay home instead of going to school and read, I could do it sometimes. When I went out in a new dress and returned after an hour in it torn in pieces, no one said a word to me and we had never been a wealthy family, rather an ordinary one. Cat the Creedence We also had cats at home, there was even a moment that there were a few of them. There was one of ours and the other of grandmother, and one more that
When I came back, new books appeared. However, I was accepted to the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków and decided to sell the apartment and take my brother with me. That's how my Lvov life ended. I've probably given up arranging other elements of it. It's not possible to organise everything. Today. Pandemic. It's a hard time for me. However, something good happened as well. One day, not long ago, a young Californian girl locked up at home during a pandemic, took up the history of her family. She turned out to be my relative. My grandfather had six siblings. I did not know that I have such a large family. Who am I? I am an adult, sensitive person who does not succeed in everything in life. Punk forever? As a child, once I brought a huge, dead rat home, I thought he was sleeping. The older children I met in the staircase were screaming in terror. I do not speak about my plans aloud.
part 2. Kraków.
photo: Sasha Nazim
sometimes lived with our neighbour and sometimes with us, and everyone thought it was his cat. Our apartment was on the ground floor and there were a lot of gardens around, so cats came to eat something and returned to action. Our cat's name was Kridens from the band Creedence Clearwater Revival. Growing up. Buddhists, karma and Kraków. I remember that as a child I also knew that I would be interested in something related to the East, it probably happened when I read something about reincarnation. It was all after my father's death. It seemed to me that someone was still sitting in the kitchen at home. There were always more cups above the sink. At that time, our home was always full of life. It happened that after I left, guests stayed there and received other guests. I remember when I came back once, my mother was in Kalmycia at the opening of a Buddhist stupa, and a couple of our friends lived in the house. There used to be a Buddhist centre at home, probably for 5 years. This affected my decision regarding moving to Poland. I just went to Kraków to see some Buddhist friends. I had a piece of paper with a plan in pencil on it, showing where to get off the bus and how to find the centre. Then, after my mother's death, as I lived in Kraków, there was always someone from our friends who lived in our apartment, so that my brother would not stay alone. People were gathering, playing various instruments.
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Kraków reminds me very much of Lvov. When I was a child I remember that once, when we were driving a car, my dad stopped and showed something, pointing his finger at something in the distance, saying that there is a border. And I remember that I was sure I would never cross it. But because of coincidence, it turned out differently. I have the impression that I did not choose Kraków, but it was Kraków that chose me. And seriously, I have some nomad genes, I'm still running away. Probably because my dad showed me then that there is a different world somewhere, although it seemed inaccessible to me then. I think it stayed in me somewhere and waited for the right moment. It is a very specific place. When I came back to it after long absences, I felt relief that I was already there, that I was back. It seems to me that Kraków has changed in recent years and there is less and less of that quiet Kraków. City is changing its face, commercialising.
Similarly, there is no longer this Lvov from my childhood, where the Main Square was sometimes completely empty and the city was much calmer and there were less tourists. Now in Kraków you can even meet a team from Bollywood making a movie and the famous figures of the city are already disappearing from it like the violinist Stefan, who died a few years ago. I saw him playing on the Market Square with a gypsy band. A long time ago. In Kraków, Kazimierz is particularly close to me for some reason. I feel at home here. And I'm not just talking about pubs. I have this feeling of closeness to Kazimierz from the very beginning. Here, I just walked for years, I also painted, although sometimes I didn't even have time to buy coffee. I have my usual places here. In 'Mleczarnia' in the summer, when they open everything wide, you are sitting by the window reading a fresh press and watching what is happening outside, like from your own apartment. Nobody is in a hurry. Coffee has cost
photo and artwork: Sasha Nazim
the same for years. They do not sell it to take away, so that they do not produce garbage. This is a place where the saying that "if a man does not have fifteen minutes for coffee, he does not have time to live" really works. Opposite "Mleczarnia", there is probably the most famous gate in Kazimierz, where scenes were shot for many well-known films, including "Angel in Kraków". But Kazimierz is more than pubs and monuments. It's a place and a district that reminds you of impermanence. We all know it. Polish Jews have lived here for generations. And now there is emptiness left by them. Of course, Kraków is not only Kazimierz. Krak Mound is my other favourite place – It has always been. I lived a few years nearby and often went for a walk there, at different times. After Easter, it is worth going to the Sleeves festival or to the unofficial summer solstice festival (no organizer) on the Krak Mound. Its atmosphere is 'like greeting the sun during the summer solstice'. I also like the silhouette of the neo-Gothic church of St. Joseph in old Podgórze. For those who like communing with nature more, there is one perfect place to swim at any time of the year (also in winter): it's 'Twardowski Rocks'. There are also other small magical places here, for example: "Alley of the infidel Thomas" (reference to Tomasz from "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" – the iconic book by Kundera). And many other more or less known places. And there are definitely angels here in Kraków. I know some of them look down.
And when you get hungry, remember that in Kraków, the number of people equals the number of "best dumplings". I like and choose the atmosphere, not the places chosen by people with lots of money. My personal Kraków culinary top: Pierogi: 'Vinsent' at Bożego Ciała Street, specific interior design, tasty pierogi; Mleczarnia: homemade cheesecake (!) Good Italian ice cream: the corner of Bożego Ciała and Józefa Streets: sale from the window. Vegetarian cuisine: Chimera (!) św. Anny Street, a yard with flowers, Humus at ul. Meiselsa in Kraków's Kazimierz: "Amamamusi", Wege: "Vegab" on Starowiślna Street. 109 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
And finally, people: I have friends here. Here you can dress in a second hand shop and feel good, people read here. Szymborska and Miłosz walked down these streets. A special intercom was hung in the door of the Nowa Prowincja cafe – Poetry intercom. After pressing the button with the name, well-known poets reading their poems will speak, including Ewa Lipska, Adam Zagajewski, Ryszard Krynicki, Czesław Miłosz and Bronisław Maj.
Gift Such a joyful day. The mist cleared early, I was working in the garden. Humming birds were stopping above the caprifolium flower. There was nothing on the earth I wished to possess.
Professor suddenly got really nervous. And in a moment she said it was a story about her husband. She asked who wrote this book and I didn't remember. Her future husband then and in the future prof. of The Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków who went to the camp during the war and there he met a yogi who taught him to meditate. She told me that later, much later, her husband said that he recognised this yogi (it was about reincarnation) in a boy who once went to their home. This boy, many years later, was in India and became a Buddhist Lama, although he was born Polish. I felt so good in this atelier of the professor that I would happily never leave it.
I knew no one it would be worthy to be jealous of. All the bad I had experienced, I forgot. I was not ashamed to think that I had been who I am. I did not feel any pain in my body. Straightening up, I beheld blue seas and sails.
Such is the magic of the Royal City. part 3. Art For me, Kraków is also, or maybe above all, a place related to art. Probably because of my field of study and the fact that in addition to painting I was also involved in the conservation of monuments. It was here that, after graduating from the Academy, I met a great Kraków artist who was such a luminous person that now when she is gone, I still miss her. I'm talking about Professor Janina Kraupe-Świderska. I remember the meetings held at her home, in her studio, on Tuesdays when we talked all evening until late hours about everything, about art, life and many more or less important matters. It was a huge workshop, high on the top floor with large windows, paintings and books everywhere. The tenement house where she lived is near the famous Jubilat store. It was supposedly designed for the once famous opera singer and the stairs were to resemble the stairs from the Teatro La Scala in Milan. There was amazing acoustics in the staircase. High ceilings. Flowers on the stairs. Not all apartments were inhabited and in a very narrow elevator, only two people could get together. Someone always had to go up or down the stairs while visiting our Professor. Now, as I mention it, I don't know how to describe this amazing atmosphere in her apartment. Often when I came, there was a new picture and it stood on the easel. I heard a lot of magical stories there. Somehow it happens with some people that we spend relatively little time with them, and the trace they leave is strong. She also had such an incredibly long life perspective, full of memories. She once mentioned that she was in Lvov before the war (probably on a school trip). I would like to tell one particular story related to her here. Once, when I came to Poland, I read a book that seemed to be a complete fiction. Unfortunately, I did not remember the title or author. It was a book about the times of World War II in Poland. The action took place in a concentration camp. And there was an Indian yogi in this camp. An unexpected start, right? The Jog helped those who could be helped and even taught some of them to meditate. A fairy tale, I thought. A fake story. Once, however, on one of Tuesday I visited the professor again in her studio. As usual, we drank tea and were alone. And I, (why?), started telling her the story from the book. 110 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
I used to live with her at her home in the mountains, in Zawoja. There, Professor used to spend two summer months. Her workshop was upstairs and her husband's downstairs. She sat on the terrace every day and read. Sometimes she smoked. Interesting guests arrived and told stories about everything. Unfortunately, when she died early in spring 2016, I was very far away, in Bali. Our last call was in autumn, on the phone. But go back to Kraków at the end. I show you my photographs of this city, which are perhaps slightly different from those you see every day. I just like reporter photography, where we change nothing. I try to get closer to people by taking a picture, just enough to create the impression of presence. Like looking through a keyhole. For me, photography is a document. To pass on information, feeling, presence, what we can see to experience it as if it were with us. The world is huge, and not everyone is a traveller. Black and white photography is more expressive to me, it doesn't distract the viewer.
photo: Dmitry Berkut
Sasha Nazim 111Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
photo: Alexi Witwicki
Sasha Nazim Kraków's photography & paintings
"I try to get closer to people by taking a picture, just enough to create the impression of presence. For me, first of all, photography is a document. To pass on information, feeling, presence, what we can see to experience it as if it were with us." Sasha
112 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
streets of Kraków 113 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
"I remember when my painting started, when I dipped the brush in thick watercolour for the first time and I remember it was blue. I was maybe five years old then, probably no more. At that time, I used to say with full conviction that I would paint one day. I've never had other plans."
MEMORIES For me, Kraków is also, or maybe above all, a place related to art. Probably because of my field of study and the fact that in addition to painting I was also involved in the conservation of monuments. It was here that, after graduating from the Academy, I met a great Krakow artist who was such a luminous person that now when she is gone, I still miss her. I'm talking about Professor Janina Kraupe-Świderska. I remember the meetings held at her home, in her studio, on Tuesdays when we talked all evening until late hours about everything, about art, life and many more or less important matters. It was a huge workshop, high on the top floor with large windows, paintings and books everywhere.
I lived in such a little fabulous world of my fantasies, books and beauty.
KNUPMAETS_MIZANAHSAS/MOC.MARGATSNI.WWW
www.andrejkow.pl
Arkadiusz Andrejkow Silent Memorial www.facebook.com/andrejkowarkadiusz
Silent Memorial. A nostalgic travel thought Podkarpacie.
ARKADIUSZ ANDREJKOW www.facebook.com/andrejkowarkadiusz
"A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of art such as sculptures, statues or fountains and parks".
Arkadiusz Andrejkow was born in 1985 in Sanok. Graduated with the degree in Artistic Education at the State Higher Vocational School in Sanok and at the Faculty of Arts from University of Rzeszów. Artistic diploma completed in painting in the studio of prof. Marek Porywka in 2010. He is a painter, does drawing and street art. His very rich artwork was presented at numerous solo and group exhibitions at home and abroad.
TLP: Before we get to art, I would like to start our conversation with your place on Earth – Podkarpacie (SubCarpathian region). I would like it to be a kind of introduction, especially for those who do not know or maybe do not understand Podkarpacie. You probably travel around a lot. How do you, personally, perceive Podkarpacie? Can its specific landscape be an inspiration for a creator, an artist? What are the people living here like? Is tradition and memory still important for them? AA: I have spent almost all my life in my hometown of Sanok. I love this small town located in the San River Valley, surrounded by large areas of greenery. Coming out to the outskirts of the city, from practically every side, we have trails for walking and communing with nature. This type of area probably instilled in me the integration of painting activities with nature, which is a very important element of my work. It becomes not only an inspiration, but also, in many cases, a significant part of the entire painting composition. I am pleased that quite a lot of old wooden architecture has still remained in our province. In my case it means that I still have the grounds for implementing my own project Silent Memorial. I can still fulfil the dreams of many farmers in the villages of Podkarpacie by painting their decedent family members on the barns. This way I can requite for their great hospitality and affection. With the benefit of hindsight, I notice that painting murals in the countryside runs much smoother than in the city. In our village, almost everything
can be done "on the spot". If someone does not have the scaffolding that is needed to make a mural, then his neighbour or an uncle have it for sure. Not only that, they will also bring it and help to set it up. TLP: After this introduction into Podkarpacie, let's move on to art and to what you do from an artistic point of view. Let's start with your probably best known project, the Silent Memorial. When did you create your first works connected with the Project? Where shall we look for its origins and causes and what actually the Silent Memorial is? Are you going to continue this Project? AA: I started the Silent Memorial project in mid-2017. I was looking for new and unusual substrates for my murals. As far as I remember, the barns for the first time appeared to me as ready-to-paint walls probably during my Sunday expeditions with the family, to my in-laws for dinner. Then, following the route to Solina and observing subsequent wooden buildings, I imagined there an outdoor art gallery that tourists could admire from the road, while driving their cars. It all started from that. I submitted an application for a six-month scholarship from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The project went through, which motivated me to work. I decided to look for old wooden barns to paint the former inhabitants of the village. The inspiration for all murals were old family photographs from the towns where I create a particular painting. 117 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
AA: The first murals from the project differed significantly from those painted even in 2020. This difference was mainly due to the selection of old photographs that were the inspiration. In the initial work I focused on typical posed photos. Taken by a photographer during important family events. I didn't always manage to get the right photographs, sometimes their scans were of poor quality. It didn't bother me then. I tried to process my works during painting; I used to act more expressively. The end result was quite inaccurate, dark, I was said to paint ghosts.
Bzianka 2019 ,photo: Arkadiusz Grzyb.
In the Silent Memorial I have combined two creative paths which I follow as an artist. The first is the fascination with old photography as an inspiration for painting, which has been with me since my student days when I created the "Family Matters" series of works. The second is the search for unusual painting surfaces. Naturally damaged and marked with the "tooth of time". This type of surface is usually the background for the characters I portray. As of today, over 50 works have been created as part of the Silent Memorial project. I continue to develop the project even more.
It is obviously going to be continued. A lot of people come to me, also from outside the province, who want to change the face of their barn. TLP: As you once mentioned, your main form of painting expression is the 'portrait' approach. In the case of the Silent Memorial, however, this is much 'more', entire characters emerge from the works, often included in genre scenes – conversation, work, sometimes just the whole silhouette contained in a kind of natural context – is it the way you imagined this project in the initial stage, or maybe you changed your mind about how to implement it? 118 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
Now I pay a lot of attention to preparation for the implementation of each work. Both when it comes to scans of old photos and their proper selection for a particular barn. I also look for other motifs in the pictures. I am interested in situational photos, taken during various rural works or in the company of animals and machines. When it comes to the location of individual works, I don't care as much as before to make sure the work was clearly visible, e.g. from the road. It is interesting that some barns are deeply hidden. As a result, tourists seeking these works can explore various nooks and crannies of the Podkarpacie countryside. A map, both online and a paper one, may be of some help for them.
TLP: You paint a little sketchy, your pictures are transparent, you do not cover the severity of the walls or boards – where from such an approach to painting? I saw you saying somewhere that "the walls of the barns have become an ideal ground for you because they are a surface, or an image that nature and the passage of time began to paint long before my first brush stroke".
Wola Matiaszowa 2019 photto: Arkadiusz Andrejkow
AA: I like the so-called walls with character, marked by "the tooth of time". This background goes very well with the
countryside. The scans of photos are sent to me by people who are the current owners of a given barn. I usually paint their old ancestors who often built a given object, raised animals or simply worked in it. In most cases, the entire project organisation and preparation process is carried out remotely. People who like what I do send me via Facebook or email the photos of their barns and scans of old family photos. Later, I consider whether something can be created this time and eventually we move on to action. Almost all works are created in one day. In Bieszczady Mountains and around my hometown
characters from old photographs. Old planks of the barns or shabby walls are a ready warp for my paintings. I try to paint the characters so that the raw surface makes an integral whole with them. So that the characters would literally come out of the wall. TLP: Where do you get topics for your works? Apparently, residents often send you photographs themselves and ask for work to be done? Who is the 'hero of your works'? AA: Inspiration for murals from the Silent Memorial project are the old photographs of former inhabitants of the Polish
Sanok I paint these works for free , well, maybe not entirely because I get various rural delicacies: eggs, honey, vegetables, tinctures. TLP: Memorial is not the only form of your painting expression. You also create more 'typical painting' works – I know for example your picture painted on an old map and exhibited, among others, at the Ulm Museum in Markowa. I have also seen quite unusual experiments such as pictures painted in the snow. In Sanok you are working on a project regarding people who have already passed away. I would like you to tell us a bit about these two latter topics. Works in the snow are quite an unusual 119 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
form of expression since it is difficult to imagine something more fleeting – often during their creation the form itself changes, after all the snow melts. I also have an impression that the project of Sanok murals has a deeper meaning for you.
TLP: And finally, some self-promotion – where in the media sphere can we see your works? Some of them can also be bought – how? There is also a map available for those who want to follow the trail of your works. I've heard that you would also like to publish an album of your works? AA: You can follow all my works on my fanpage. This is a place where you can keep up to date with my activities and ideas, as well as send a message to me that I will definitely answer. A more compressed set of my works can be found on my website www.andrejkow.pl. This year, the "Map of the Bieszczady Murals by Arkadiusz Andrejkow" was issued, which
Trepcza 2019, photo: Arkadiusz Grzyb
AA: Of course, the series of works on snow was created during the winter, which for me as for a painter working in the field, is partly a "dead" season. After a few weeks of painting in the studio, when the weather conditions do not allow me to work outside, the need to create something in the open air grows rapidly. The works in the snow were very spontaneous. I was mainly inspired by old concrete elements protruding from the ground, with white caps of snow due to heavy snowfall. This combination gave a very original object to paint. First of all, I created portraits inspired by photographs of older people. These were very quick actions. Each work was created in about 20 minutes. I painted them with spray paints, because only spraying would not destroy the snow layer. Photographic documentation at the end of the activities was a very important element of the whole action. These portraits in the snow did not have "live" viewers at all.
tourists, to places that are outside the mainstream of the city's attractions. They were places overlooked in guidebooks, but also points where life was once vibrant and which constituted the identity of the city. The works in such locations have a much greater impact on the viewer. They are not surrounded by things that bother them or compete with the paintings for their attention, like ads and billboards. Painting in such places also has its advantages, because it is accompanied by peace and quiet.
They were given their second life online. Last year, during the MuralMapa project, I was looking for nooks and crannies located in the city centre of Sanok. I needed to find the walls which are very damaged for my paintings. These damages and cracks were supposed to provide a natural background for the characters, namely the former inhabitants of the city. Thanks to this, I led viewers, who are both Sanok residents and
can be purchased at www.compass.krakow.pl. The map contains also the photos of almost 40 murals with descriptions of their heroes. As far as the extensive album is concerned, we are at the stage of making the last spring session of works, which is done by the outstanding Krakow photographer Adam Golec. For now, I am collecting material; later I will look for a publisher.
Arkadiusz Andrejkow: "Bratanice" (Niece),oil paint, spray on canvas, 100x100cm, 2014
Zwierzyń 2018, photo: Arkadiusz Grzyb
VISIT
Arkadiusz Andrejkow
WWW.ANDREJKOW.PL
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ANDREJKOWARKADIUSZ
OFFICIAL PAGE
121 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
Photo: Komańcza 2019, Arkadiusz Grzyb
Photo: Malinรณwka 2019, Arkadiusz Grzyb
The Faith of a Little Insurgent Wendell Speer illustrations: Marta Papierowska
Wendell Speer
interview
The Faith of a Little Insurgent Synopsis: John and Kate use a magic wand, and a spell goes wrong. It brings the statue of a young Polish Boy Scout to life. It also casts John and Kate into World War 2 in Poland! Now the kids must face the horrors of the Warsaw Uprising. The little insurgent, who wants to fight the Nazi enemy, helps John and Kate search for their parents. Soon they also take part in the struggle, acting as couriers and guides for the Polish Home Army. Along the way, the children learn the meaning of faith, miracles, sacrifice, and patriotism. The German bombing and destruction worsens every day. But the faith and sacrifice of the brave young Scout is the light that saves John and Kate. A dozen illustrations highlight this wonderful story. Interview: As every year, on August 1 Poles will celebrate the anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising. You will probably read something on this topic on social media, maybe in the newspaper or see film material on television. Some of you will also probably visit the Warsaw Uprising Museum. For many, history is just ‘memories, ‘nostalgia' maybe not worth remembering, and for others it is an important lesson, something to think about and something to learn.Today, thanks to a conversation with the author Wendell Speer, we'll take you on a short journey to Warsaw back in 1944.
WS: I previously self-published two children's fantasy books and thought it would be interesting to write one that takes place in Warsaw. Around the Old Town there are figures of dragons, unicorns, and a statue of the Little Insurgent. I thought my book could be about children having a magical adventure during WWII with the Little Insurgent. But I soon decided that the subject is much too serious for pure fantasy, and decided that the faith, patriotism, and sacrifice of the Polish people during the Warsaw Uprising would be much more suitable for a story. It is a story that should be remembered and told to the world. After all of my research on the Uprising, this horrific event in the history of Poland made a huge impact on me. Seldom has such heroic struggles been undertaken in the world. TLP: Do you think this topic will be understandable for children and their parents somewhere outside Poland? or is it quite hermetic, confined to one nation, one latitude? What is really the message of this book, writing it what did you want to convey?
TLP: Wendell, you once wrote to me wanting to draw our attention to your new book, The Faith of a Little Insurgent. You published it last year, just after the end of the next anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising.You are an American, born in Florida, so before I ask you about the idea behind your book, please tell me how you got interested in Poland, do you think you know our county well, what are your connections with Poland? WS: Actually, I know Poland very well. I lived there for 21 years between 1978 and 2002, including 2 years in 20112013. As a university student I went to London to travel around Europe in the summer of 1979. I met a Polish girl, and we hitchhiked around Europe together and then I went to Poland with her. That was the beginning of my connection with Poland. TLP: We can probably say that the subject of your book did not appear by accident. What is its genesis, where did the idea to write a story for children recalling such a difficult historical event come from? And what meaning does the Warsaw Uprising personally have for you? 127 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
WS: This story is universal and could be understood by anyone in the world. Wars have always existed and have touched the lives of all people. The message of the book is that faith can be extremely important in times of crisis. It can help people endure such horrible struggles as the Warsaw Uprising. It is also a message of how patriotism and sacrifice helped the Polish people to endure the war and come out victorious – with the help of allies, of course. The book also emphasises the great importance the Catholic Church has always had for Poland. TLP: In the book, faith is present in many places, you refer to it in the experiences of the children, sometimes asking difficult questions through the mouths of children. This is not a fashionable approach in current times, but you have decided to highlight it. How do you see religion and its role in shaping awareness, responsibility and civic attitudes?
Poems by Wendell Speer
IN THE LINE OF DUTY Sweet Angels of most glorious beauty Praise those fallen in the line of duty. With voices of gold, in honor they sing Of great heroes to the Heavenly King. Brave officers who fill our hearts with awe Gave all that they had to uphold the law. They sought not fame for the job that was done, Nor in the face of danger did they run. Now we must cherish the life that they lost And honor their names, whatever the cost. So much we will lose if silent we stand When our crime fighters fall across the land. For the valiant who pay the highest price, No proclamation would ever suffice.
WS: My purpose in writing is to be genuine and not fashionable. I believe that faith and religion are subjects that can be presented to children from a young age and that children are capable of considering these topics from their child's perspective. And, after all, if children could be involved in such war and deeply affected by it, then other children are capable of reading about it. In Poland the Church has always played an important role in society. I remember how strong and courageous the Church was and how it served as a protective umbrella for the Polish people during the years of Communism. Those bonds have greatly loosened in contemporary Poland, but I think that both the Church and the people should engage in dialog and seek reconciliation, as the Church can continue to play a very important role in Polish society.
Unable to compose a fitting hymn, Only this can I say in thought of them: Oh, dear heroes filled with the good Lord’s grace, Sacrifice makes this world a finer place.
AS IF NINE AGAINA As if nine again,
TLP: The Faith of a Little Insurgent is not your only book. What others did you write, what are your writing plans for the coming months or years? What motivates you to write and what do you miss or need to keep you going? Apparently you publish books from your own resources, is it difficult to find a publisher? Where are your books available? WS: My first book, Simon Peppercorn, Log In To Magic Space, is a fantasy adventure story about American children who must prove their use of magic in medieval Europe. Part of the story actually takes place in Poland, ending in Krakow. It makes use of important Polish legends and tales. After that I read wrote several short spin-offs, one of which I published as a literacy drive for children in my hometown. It is impossible to find a big publisher without having an agent, and getting an agent is harder than winning a lottery. That's why I decided to self-publish and sell my books on Amazon. 128 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
I placed the penny on the railroad track And slipped away then, Avoiding the temptation to look back - Hoping not to fall Into the trap of adult suspicion, Or to heed the call Of pre-adolescent superstition. And if Abe should shout That one my age should not be forgiven For fooling about With the ideals for which he had striven, I would dare say He must have mistaken my intentions, To compare child's play With anti-democratic inventions. Then I'd run off fast, Lest he cause me to be discovered At living the past, As if innocence could be recovered.
The Faith of a Little Insurgent (Wiara Małego Powstańca) author: Wendell Speer illustrations: Marta Papierowska book design: Britta Martinez Paperback: 102 pages Publisher: Magic Space (November 18, 2019) Languages available: English and Polish Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.3 x 8.5 inch ages: 9 and up
get your copy :
"There was rubble everywhere, nowhere to hide – just imagine us, children, dragging this box of ammunition in the warm morning sun. Then we saw a medical orderly being carried by two other soldiers, both his legs torn off and dangling from his waist, blood covering the two men who were helping." Wanda Olkoska-Wolkonowski
129 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
the past Silver fowler of The Fowler Brotherhood Digitalisation: RDW MIC, Małopolska's Virtual Museums project public domain
Author: unknown Date of production: 1564–1565 Place of creation: Kraków Dimensions: height: 41.5 cm, length: base: 22 cm, width: 15.5 cm Museum: Historical Museum of the City of Kraków Material: silver Object copyright: Historical Museum of the City of Kraków
Brotherhood of the Rooster The silver fowler of the Kraków Fowler Brotherhood is one of the most valuable objects in the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków. This is an example of the work of an outstanding goldsmith of Renaissance Kraków. Unfortunately, we do not know either the artist's name or the goldsmith's workshop responsible for the creation of the bird's sculpture. Very few of the marksmen's societies can boast of an original, wellpreserved, cockrel of this type.
It is the symbol of the organization and insignia of the King of the Marksmen — the best shooter — the winner of the annual shooting competition. The rooster is a gift of the City Council to the Kraków Marksmen's Society. However, probably for reasons of prestige, it has been maintained for centuries that it was a gift from King Sigismund August.
This outstanding work of craft was made at the turn of 1564 and 1565 by an unknown, probably Krakow-based, goldsmith. Its maker, undoubtedly a talented artist, made the magnificent bird with a height standing 41.5 cm tall and weighing 3.6 kg. With a crown on its head, it resembles an eagle than a cock that it really originates from. The Silver Fowler is the most prized possession of the Fowler Brotherhood, which it received in 1565. The Rooster’s handover to the Shooting Society is associated with a legend, saying that the Polish King Zygmunt August himself gave the silver bird to the Brothers. This alleged event was even immortalized in a 19th-century painting by Władysław Łuszczkiewicz. However, the facts are different. It was Krakow city authorities who gave funds to make the bird's image. The Krakow magistrate decided to carry this expense in connection with the reorganization of the Krakow-based fraternity, which received a new statute and shooting ordinance, constituting the organizational and legal basis for the functioning of this shooting society. These changes were reflected in the silver fowler, where the names of the then selected society authorities were engraved under the footer. The silver fowler is not only a symbol of the organization, but also the passing insignia of power for the next Fowler King. Other elements: On the neck, we may observe a wreath with a hanging pendant, in the shape of a polygonal cartouche, topped with cliffs, with the coat of arms of Kraków, made of colourful enamel. Below, is the signature: KRAKÓW. On the reverse side, there is an engraved inscription: GŁÓNEJ REPERACYI / KURA / DOKONAŁ / KAROL CZAPLICKI / JUBILER / 1899. Because the magnificent bird weighs 3.6 kg, the chain used to carry the jewel by the King of the Marksmen, during the ceremonies of this society and others, is attached to the torso. At the bottom of the base is the inscription: DAS.SYNDT.DIE.ELTEST / EN.IN.DEM.YAR / 1.5.6.5/ CHRSTOF.ZURICH./ ERASMUS.ZURUS / SIMON.STOLARSZ / IAN.KROTZECK / ENDRIS.FOGELWADER / STENTZEL.GROSCH / JAN LANG / FRIDRICH.LEYTZNER . description: www.muzeumkrakowa.pl
Summer kitchen Dumplings filled with strawberries
Dumplings, filled with strawberries (Pierogi) June is the strawberry season in Poland (yes, just one short month – with minor exceptions). This may seem strange, especially to some Westerners or Americans who are not used to it. When there is strawberry high-season – then we make pierogi. Not everybody enjoys the taste of sweet filled dumplings. However, I like them very much (my family probably a little less). We want to share with you one of the best and simplest ways to make strawberry-filled dumplings, or pierogi. It's a delicious dinner idea for the whole family. How to make strawberry-filled pierogi: Let's start with the dough for strawberry dumplings. Pour 500 grams of cake flour or all-purpose flour into a large bowl. It is a half of a kilo pack, which is normally sold in stores. If you measure the flour with a cup, it will be three cups with a capacity of 250 ml (however, you do not pour the flour to the full. Always leave about 1 cm of free space from the inside edge). You can use a kitchen scale as well. Crack one large egg into the bowl. Pour melted and cooled butter. Very soft, melting butter will also be perfect. 50 grams of butter is 1/4 of a shop-sold block, weighing 200 grams. Add a pinch of salt and pour the water in. Take 250 ml of water (one cup). First, mix all of the ingredients for a while, then combine into a uniform dough and knead for a while with your hands. The dough will not be super compact. It can be slightly sticky. If the proportions of ingredients were kept, then there should be no need to add any water or flour. Form a ball of dough and wrap it with cling film. Put the dough into the fridge for 30 minutes. After this time, the dough reaches its final structure and rests enough to prevent it from shrinking again during rolling. While maturing the dough in the fridge, We recommend preparing a rolling board or a large wooden kitchen board, a rolling pin and a dumpling cutter as well as flour for sprinkling the dough. If you do not have a metal cutter, you can use a glass with a diameter of about 7-8 cm or a round cookie cutter.
timeing: Preparation time: 40 minutes Dough cooling time: 30 minutes Cooking time: about 20 minutes (3-5 series, 4 minutes after the pierogi start floating) Servings: 50 dumplings You also need: a board, a rolling pin, a round dumpling cutter or a glass about 8 cm in diameter, a cotton cloth, a wide pot and a colander for straining the dumplings.
Wash fresh strawberries under cold running water and remove stalks. Dry the strawberries gently with a paper towel. Cut them into smaller pieces. The smaller pierogi you plan to make, the smaller the pieces of strawberry prepare. It will be easier for you to wrap them with the pierogi dough. After unwrapping the dough from the cling film, it can stick slightly to it. Before you put the dough on the board, I recommend taking it out with your hands lightly sprinkled with flour. Place the dough on a floured counter top or on a rolling board. Divide the dough into three pieces. Cover the two parts with a slightly damp cloth. Form the third ball ready for rolling. The dough will be sticky... this is how it should be. After sprinkling with flour it will roll fantastic. Sprinkle some flour under the ball of dough. Give also some flour to the top of the ball and flatten it slightly. Roll out the dough thinly on the board. Cut circles. Put the strawberry stuffing in the middle of every circle. In every dumpling, you should wrap a full teaspoon of strawberries. Fold the dumplings in half and stick their sides. Put the strawberry pierogi side by side on a board sprinkled with flour. To prevent the dumplings waiting for cooking from drying, cover them with a slightly damp cotton cloth. After cutting the dough, knead the left dough again, roll it and cut out other pierogi circles. Place each batch, about 15 pieces at a time, in a large pot with salted, boiling water. Water should not bubble heavily. After about a minute, the dumplings with strawberries will come to the surface and start floating. Take them out of after about 4 minutes after they started floating. In the same way, cook all batches of prepared pierogi. Before serving, I topped my pierogi with cream or natural yogurt with some sugar.
ingredients: 500 g of cake flour 1 large egg 50 g butter 1 cup of water pinch of salt 500 g strawberries
133 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
visual guide
Cultural Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List
Historic Centre of Kraków.
5.
former capital of Poland, is
guide by: lovePoland
The Historic Centre of Kraków, the
situated at the foot of the Royal Wawel
Castle. The 13th-century merchants' town has Europe's largest market square and numerous historical houses, palaces and churches with their magnificent interiors. Further evidence of the town's fascinating
Poland is a country of 1000-year-old history, rich traditions and abundant cultural heritage. The legacy of bygone centuries that includes monuments of architecture, historical mementos and masterpieces of art is perfectly combined with the wealth of Polish nature and its original landscapes. Millions of tourists visit Poland every year. All those who wish to deepen their knowledge of history and see outstanding art pieces should travel to our country in order to admire Poland's UNESCO sites entered on the World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. The list created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) distinguishes buildings and sites that constitute the most valuable examples of peoples’ material culture, products of human genius or unique nature reserves. The states that possess those special sites on their territory are bound to protect them from destruction.
history is provided by the remnants of the 14th-century fortifications and the medieval site of Kazimierz with its ancient synagogues in the southern part of town, Jagiellonian University and the Gothic cathedral where the kings of Poland were buried.
6.
Historic Centre of Warsaw.
troops.
After
the
war,
a
five-year
reconstruction
campaign
by
its
citizens resulted in today's meticulous restoration of the Old Town, with its churches, palaces and market-place. It is an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century.
7.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska.
The
Mannerist
Architectural
and
Park
Landscape Complex and Pilgrimage Park. Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is a breathtaking natural
Auschwitz Birkenau.
During the Warsaw Uprising in August
1944, more than 85% of Warsaw's historic centre was destroyed by Nazi
cultural
setting
–
in
landscape which
a
of
great
series
of
spiritual
symbolic
significance.
places
of
Its
worship
and
relating to the Passion of Jesus Christ and the life of the Virgin Mary
Extermination Camp (1940-1945). The fortified walls, barbed wire,
was laid out at the beginning of the 17th century – has remained
platforms, barracks, gallows, gas chambers and cremation ovens
virtually unchanged. It is still today a place of pilgrimage.
1.
German
Nazi
Concentration
show the conditions within which the Nazi genocide took place in
Krzemionki Prehistoric Striped Flint Mining Region. Located in Świętokrzyskie, Krzemionki is an ensemble of
the former concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz-
8.
Birkenau, the largest in the Third Reich. According to historical
the mountain region of
investigations, 1.5 million people, among them a great number of
four
Jews, were systematically starved, tortured and murdered in this
dedicated to the extraction and processing of striped flint, which was
camp, the symbol of humanity's cruelty to its fellow human beings
mainly used for axe-making. With its underground mining structures,
in the 20th century.
flint workshops and some 4,000 shafts and pits, the property features
mining
sites,
dating
from
the
Neolithic
to
the
Bronze
Age,
one of the most comprehensive prehistoric underground flint extraction 2.
Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork.
fortified
monastery
belonging
to
the
This 13th-century
Teutonic
Order
was
and
processing
information
systems
about
life
identified
and
work
to
in
date.
The
prehistoric
property
settlements.
provides It
is
an
substantially enlarged and embellished after 1309, when the seat
exceptional testimony of the importance of the prehistoric period and
of the Grand Master moved here from Venice. A particularly fine
of flint mining for tool production in human history.
example of a medieval brick castle, it later fell into decay, but
Medieval Town of Toruń.
was meticulously restored in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
9.
Many of the conservation techniques now accepted as standard
Order, which built a castle there in the mid-13th century as a base for
were
the
World
evolved War
it
here. was
Following once
severe
again
damage
restored,
in
using
the the
Second detailed
conquest
and
Torun owes its origins to the Teutonic
evangelisation
of
Prussia.
It
soon
developed
a
commercial role as part of the Hanseatic League. In the Old and New Town, the many imposing public and private buildings from the 14th
documentation prepared by earlier conservators.
and 15th centuries (among them the house of Copernicus) are striking
Centennial Hall in Wrocław.
3.
The Centennial Hall, a landmark
evidence of Torun's importance.
in the history of reinforced concrete architecture, was erected in
Muskauer Park / Park Mużakowski. A
multi-purpose
10.
recreational building, situated in the Exhibition Grounds. In form it
ha
is a symmetrical quatrefoil with a vast circular central space that
Germany, it was created by Prince Hermann von Puckler-Muskau from
can seat some 6,000 persons. The 23m-high dome is topped with
1815
a lantern in steel and glass. The Centennial Hall is a pioneering
landscape, the park pioneered new approaches to landscape design
work of modern engineering and architecture, which exhibits an
and influenced the development of landscape architecture in Europe
important interchange of influences in the early 20th century,
and America. Designed as a ‘painting with plants’, it did not seek to
becoming a key reference in the later development of reinforced
evoke classical landscapes, paradise, or some lost perfection, instead
concrete structures.
using local plants to enhance the inherent qualities of the existing
1911-1913
by
the
architect
Max
Berg
as
a
astride
to
the
1844.
Neisse
River
Blending
and
the
seamlessly
landscaped park of 559.9
border
with
the
between
Poland
surrounding
and
farmed
landscape.
Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica. The Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica, the largest timber-framed religious
11.
buildings in Europe, were built in the former Silesia in the mid-17th
the chancellor Jan Zamoysky on the trade route linking western and
century,
4.
Old City of Zamosc.
Zamosc was founded in the 16th century by
of
northern Europe with the Black Sea. Modelled on Italian theories of the
Westphalia. Constrained by the physical and political conditions,
'ideal city' and built by the architect Morando, a native of Padua,
the Churches of Peace bear testimony to the quest for religious
Zamo
freedom and are a rare expression of Lutheran ideology in an
It has retained its original layout
idiom generally associated with the Catholic Church.
combine Italian and central European architectural traditions.
amid
134 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
the
religious
strife
that
followed
the
Peace
ść
is a perfect example of a late-16th-century Renaissance town. and a large number of buildings that
2. Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork
9. Medieval Town of Toruń
12. Białowieski National Park
6. Historic Centre of Warsaw
10. Muskauer Park / Park Mużakowski
3. Centennial Hall in Wrocław 8. Krzemionki Prehistoric Striped Flint Mining Region
11. Old City of Zamość
12. Tarnowskie Góry Lead-SilverZinc Mine and its Underground Water Management System
4. Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica
5. Historic Centre of Kraków
1. Auschwitz Birkenau
created by lovePoland *Accurate: May 2020. We did try to make it as accurate as possible but always check for possible changes please.
14. Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine
13. Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines
7. Kalwaria Zebrzydowska 15. Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska
Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine and its Underground Water Management System. Located in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland, one of
Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine. Situated in the eastern fringe of Central Europe, the
12.
14.
the main mining areas of central Europe, the property includes the entire
transnational
underground mine with adits, shafts, galleries and other features of the
sixteen tserkvas (churches). They were built of horizontal wooden
water management system. Most of the property is situated underground
logs
while the surface mining topography features relics of shafts and waste
Orthodox and Greek Catholic faiths. The tserkvas bear testimony to
heaps, as well as the remains of the 19th century steam water pumping
a distinct building tradition rooted in Orthodox ecclesiastic design
station.
located
interwoven with elements of local tradition, and symbolic references
underground and on the surface, testify to continuous efforts over three
to their communities’ cosmogony. The tserkvas are built on a tri-
centuries to drain the underground extraction zone and to use undesirable
partite plan surmounted by open quadrilateral or octagonal domes
water from the mines to supply towns and industry.
and cupolas. Integral to tserkvas are iconostasis screens, interior
The
elements
of
the
water
management
system,
between
polychrome 13.
Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines.
The deposit of rock salt in
Wieliczka and Bochnia has been mined since the 13th century. This major
property
the
numbers
16th and
decorations,
and
a
19th centuries
other
historic
selection
by
communities
furnishings.
of
of
Important
elements of some tserkvas include wooden bell towers, churchyards, gatehouses and graveyards.
industrial undertaking has royal status and is the oldest of its type in Europe.
Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska.
The site is a serial property consisting of Wieliczka and Bochnia salt mines
15.
and Wieliczka Saltworks Castle. The Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines
The wooden churches of southern Little Poland represent outstanding
illustrate the historic stages of the development of mining techniques in
examples
Europe from the 13th to the 20th centuries: both mines have hundreds of
traditions in Roman Catholic culture. Built using the horizontal log
kilometers of galleries with works of art, underground chapels and statues
technique, common in eastern and northern Europe since the Middle
sculpted in the salt, making a fascinating pilgrimage into the past. The mines
Ages, these churches were sponsored by noble families and became
were
status symbols. They offered an alternative to the stone structures
administratively
and
technically
run
by
Wieliczka
Saltworks
Castle,
which dates from the medieval period and has been rebuilt several times in
of
the
different
aspects
of
medieval
church-building
erected in urban centres.
the course of its history.
135 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
DEFIANT LANDSCAPE
photo: Urszula Antoniak
photo: Piotr Waleron
photo: Grzegorz Sidel
photo: Tomasz Nasiadek
photo: Michał Pirun
photo: Paweł Jagiełło
photo: Katarzyna Gritzmann
photo: Krystian Dróżdź
DEFIANT LANDSCAPE
„Defiant Landscape” (in Polish „Krajobraz niepokorny”) is the second edition of the photographic project of the most famous photographers from the Świętokrzyskie Province: Katarzyna Gritzman, Urszula Antoniak, Przemysław Sękowski, Mirosław Lubarski, Tomasz Nasiadek, Paweł Jagiełło, Tomasz Bator, Michał Piorun, Krystian Dróżdź, Piotr Waleron, Grzegorz Sideł. The first edition, supplemented by an exhibition organised by the Provincial Culture Center in Kielce, aroused great interest of photography lovers and local audiences and was shown in many places. In this year's edition, in addition to photographs showing landscapes of the Świętokrzyskie region, photographers present also the photos taken even outside of Poland, the common denominator of which will be the subject of the project. Therefore, we should expect uncommon photographs, with a high emotional load and a highly individualised view of the space in which the authors of the works function.
photo: Paweł Jagiełlo
exhibition
ORGANIZER: KULTURY IN KIELCE
DATE: JULY 2020 II edition
photo: Przemyslaw Sękowski
WOJEWÓDZKI DOM
LOVEPOLAND.ORG MEDIA PARTNER