Good News 2017-2018

GOOD NEWS

2017-2018

No invader has ever conquered the heart of Poland, that spirit which is the inheritance of sons and daughters, the private passion of families and the ancient, unbreakable tie to all those who came before.

James A. Michener

The American Institute of Polish Culture | Miami, Florida

The American Institute of Polish Culture, Inc. Blanka A. Rosenstiel founded the American Institute of Polish Culture (AIPC) in 1972 as a non-profit, tax-exempt Florida Corporation. The aim of the Institute is twofold. First is to share with Americans the rich heritage of Poland, which has contributed in so many ways to the history of the U.S., and second, to promote the scientific, educational and artistic contributions of Polish-Americans. For over forty-six years our endeavors have received support from our members and friends, and the enthusiastic participation of other ethnic groups in the community which has helped to strengthen our leading role in the cultural life of Polonia. We will never veer from our commitment to educate our fellow citizens about Poland and her people when ever and where ever we can.

Ongoing programs include:

The Harriet Irsay Scholarship was established in 1992 and every year it awards ten to fifteen scholarships to talented students. All majors and areas of study are considered and most applicants are of Polish descent. Over the years, AIPC has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to worthy students.

In 1998, the Institute spearheaded the establishment of the Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies at the University of Virginia for research, education, and sponsorship of visiting scholars. In 2008, the Chair moved to the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C. AIPC also established the lecture series at the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies at the University of Virginia in 2005.

AIPC has sponsored hundreds of lectures at educational facilities throughout the years.

As a result of four and half decades of collaboration with Florida International University (FIU), the Lady Blanka Rosenstiel Lecture Series on Poland was officially established in 2010. Topics focus on current affairs such as globalization, art, music, politics and economics.

The first International Polonaise Ball was held 47 years ago and serves as the main fundraiser for the Institute. Every year a different theme explores the cultural ties between Poland and other countries, such as Spain, India, Greece, Japan, Italy, Great Britain, Argentina, Brazil, and China. Guests attend from all over the world. The Institute’s Gold Medal has been awarded to many worthy recipients during the Ball, including Nobel Laureates President Lech Walesa and Dr. Andrew Schally; Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki; James Michener, author; Senator Barbara Mikulski; David Ensor, war correspondent and journalist; Professor Norman Davies, historian; Alexander Wolszczan, astrophysicist; His Eminence Adam Cardinal Maida; Dr. Scott Parazynski, astronaut; and sculptor Jerzy Kedziora.

In 1978, Lady Blanka Rosenstiel established an International Film Festival in Miami and presided over it for two years. By 1980, the name was changed to For the Love of Film Festival and AIPC presented Polish films and brought contemporary Polish film-makers and stars to Miami. Many of the films had won major awards and some were screened for the first time in the U.S. The Institute continues to collaborate with the Miami Film Festival in showcasing thought-provoking works from Poland.

AIPC has long been a champion of fine and modern Polish and Polish-American art and has sponsored and organized several solo and group shows. We also designed a visual history exhibit, Perspektywa Polska, which had its inauguration at Duke University, NC and traveled nationwide to museums and universities for over 25 years. It was donated to the Orchard Lake Schools, MI.

Lady Blanka oversaw the publication and translation of many books, including the five volume history of Poland, Saga of a Nation written by Pawel Jasienica and translated by Alexander Jordan, and the rare Accomplished Senator by Wawrzyniec Grzymala Goslicki (1530-1607). Our annual magazine, Good News, is distributed to members and friends, and the Institute houses a library with books in both Polish and English. Publications are also available online, www.ampolinstitute.org and books can also be found in Kindle versions through Amazon for a nominal fee.

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Board of Directors Officers/Directors Founder, President, Chairman and Chief Executive Blanka A. Rosenstiel Vice President Dr. Michel S. Pawlowski Secretary and Treasurer Eileen Hall Directors Monika Jablonska-Chodakiewicz Steven Karski Janusz Kozlowski Rose Kruszewski Danuta Kyparisis Dr. Jerzy Kyparisis Teresa Lowenthal Grzegorz Okon Dr. Michel S. Pawlowski Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk Dr. Pat Riley Jaroslaw Rottermund Jacek Schindler Alex Storozynski Loretta Swit Roza Toroj Executive Director Beata Paszyc Executive Assistant Lynne Schaefer Committee Chairmen Nominating Blanka A. Rosenstiel Polish Studies Chair Dr. Michel S. Pawlowski Scholarship Jaroslaw Rottermund Advisory Board Hon. Maurice Ferre Mercedes Ferre Dr. Tully Patrowicz

Message from the President Dear Members and Friends, What an inspirational year 2018 has turned out to be! In the 47 years of its existence, The American Institute of Polish Culture has been an active voice for Poland, Poles and Polonia in America in all facets of life. We have recognized many countries who have long friendships with Poland and we love to showcase our fellow countrymen and women who have found great success in their chosen fields. But this year we have focused more on two characteristics that I believe are integral to giving all of us the tools to explore who we are and to achieving our dreams--independence and courage.

Independence was the star of our successful 46th International Polonaise Ball celebrating Poland's 100 years of freedom (see page 44). It was discussed by three scholars in a conference we sponsored that examined how Poland finally secured her sovereignty (see page 21) and it was the reason for a dignified parade in Buffalo this summer (see page 58). But as so many Poles know firsthand, independence comes with a price; it is not an automatic gift at birth nor does it happen easily. It requires deep personal convictions, well thought out beliefs, and acts of utmost courage. Of these, it is courage that physically changes lives and the world for the better. Courage defies outward appearances and circumstances; it is the barometer of an individual's moral fiber. Courage is the willingness to do something beyond the norm and to sacrifice one's sense of safety to accomplish a goal.

Lady Blanka Rosenstiel

You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.

Polish proverb

I have seen countless seemingly inconsequential acts of courage that may not mark history across the globe nor make headlines, but they have changed the norm and made an impact that ripples far into the future. The power of courage can never be underestimated, and when an individual stands up against suppression and certain torture and death, it is truly awe-inspiring. The incredible courage of thousands of Polish-Catholics who sheltered their fellow Jewish countrymen during World War II, knowing they would face certain death if caught, is something I have wanted to publicly honor for a long time; to give these heroes a long overdue thanks. To that end, I created a new scholarship initiative this year that will raise funds for a semester or two of study at an American university for the grand- and great-grandchildren of these courageous Poles (see page 13).

There are more stories of independence and courage within the following pages, stories about going beyond expectations and reaching a goal, and I am grateful for Beata Paszyc and Lynne Schaefer for putting them together. Beata, Executive Director, and Lynne, Executive Assistant, have been invaluable in keeping the Institute relevant and interesting, and I could not be happier that they are the AIPC team. In addition, the Board of Directors had a few changes. Our longtime Vice President, Barbara Cooper, resigned and Dr. Michel S. Pawlowski graciously accepted the role. He will also continue to serve as the Polish Studies Chair, liaising with the universities who present the Blanka Rosenstiel Lecture Series.

I dedicate this issue of Good News to the members and friends of AIPC who have shown tremendous courage in their lives. I am so very proud and blessed to know you. You are an inspiration.

In Friendship,

Good News

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Credits Editor-in-Chief & Publisher: Executive Editor: Assistant Editor: Printed By:

Lady Blanka Rosenstiel Beata Paszyc Lynne Schaefer StationAmerica, Miami, FL

Proofreading: Robert Bronchard Eileen Hall

Graphic Design: Maciej Fryszer Beata Paszyc Front Cover: Back Cover:

Barbara Muze Lynne Schaefer

Lazienki Palace, Warsaw The Polish Eagle through 1,000 years

Contributing Researchers and Writers: Annette Alvarez, Christine Caly-Sanchez, Dr. Marek Chodakiewicz, Maria Gil, Stephen Gilbride, Magdalena Grocholski, Maria Juczewska, Prof. Kyrill Kunakhovich, Matthew Kwasiborski, Cecelia Lawinski, Ania Navas, Beata Paszyc, Dr. Michel S. Pawlowski, Joseph Mikolaj Rej, Jr., Lynne Schaefer, Virginia Skrzyniarz, Thomas Swick, Dr. Markus Thiel, Bozenna Urbanowicz All articles, including Did you know..., not given a by-line were researched and written by:

Contents 3 Message from the President 5 Thank you Note 7 Courage of Knowledge 8 Harriet Irsay Scholarship 10 Board of Directors Meeting 13 Deco's Divine Diva 14 Poland - We Thank You 16 Gratitude Has Many Names 19 An Artful Life 21 Poland's Friendship with America 22 Kosciuszko Chair in 2016-17 27 Consular Information 29 Poland's Centennial Commemorations

Beata Paszyc Lynne Schaefer

Student Essays:

Anna Drabek

Anna Malinowski Fleischer

Photography:

Betty Alvarez

Beata Paszyc

Sources: The following resources were used for research and photos. For a detailed list, please contact our office.

The Chopin Foundation of the United States, Inc.; Embassy of the Republic of Poland; Ethnomedicine; Florida International University; Jobbik.com; Library of Congress; Publishing House RAFAEL 2014; "Smokey Joe & The General;" The New York Times; The Fund for American Studies; The Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies at The Institute of World Politics; "The Righteous;" "The Ulma Family;” University of Virginia Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (CREEES); Wikipedia; Distribution: The American Institute of Polish Culture, Inc.

1440 79th Street Causeway, Suite 117 Miami, Florida 33141 (305) 864-2349

www.ampolinstitute.org

31 Emblem of Good Will 32 Women of Influence II 37 Polish Lectures at UVa 38 Time for Reparation 40 Recognizing Outstanding Achievements 42 Poland and Hungary 43 Save the Date 44 46th International Polonaise Ball 57 Polish Students at AIPES 58 Star-Studded Weekend 61 Return to Warsaw 62 Last Goodbyes 66 Courageous Heart 67 Speaking the Truth 69 Ties to Poland Through Scouting 71 European Career Expo

Co-Sponsored By:

72 History of Herbalism in Polish Society 73 Christmas Time!

74 Celebrating Easter

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland The Embassy of the Republic of Poland

76 Chopin Foundation 78 Poland Meet America...

79 Thank You Members!

80 Circle of Giving - Thanks to our Donors 81 Dedicated Champion 83 Volunteers

2018 © The American Institute of Polish Culture, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Good News magazine is published by the American Institute of Polish Culture for educational purposes only.

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85 Reading Pleasure 86 Membership Form

A Thank You Note I am delighted to present to you the 2017-2018 issue of the Good News magazine filled with educational and motivating articles. The stories feature the events and lectures we organize and sponsor, and perhaps some of the photographs will feature you! We are continuing the series Women of Influence [page 32] about fearless, ingenious and ground-breaking Polish women who are an inspiration for all of us to follow our own dreams.

Beata Paszyc Executive Director

I would like to thank Lady Blanka for realizing her dream and putting into motion The American Institute of Polish Culture.

I am blessed to be part of an organization that promotes the culture of Poland in the US. Many thanks to Lynne whose dedication, professionalism and friendly nature are always appreciated. And thank you to all of our friends and members for their participation in our events and assistance. We are grateful for your continuous support.

It seems to me that we do not thank each other enough. We take too many things for granted in our lives and don’t acknowledge the thoughtfulness of the people close to us.

Gratitude is one of the most beautiful things to practice - it is non religious, non partisan and does not discriminate. When you say ‘thank you,’ you are recognizing another’s kindness and what they have done to help in your life, no matter how small, and you are highlighting their positive gesture.

A thank you is an act of abandoning your ego; it is a shift from you to someone else, an act of recognizing the other being, the kindest gesture, the bow, the appreciation of their impact on your life. It is a selfless act of gratitude. I would like to challenge you to saying more thanks each day to the people around you, for showing how grateful you are for even the most obvious things, the clean water, the fresh air, the roof over your head.

By praising and thanking others you also benefit yourself. Scientific studies have shown that gratitude is good for you; it lifts your spirits, builds self esteem, and improves health, relationships, emotions, and careers. Gratitude makes us nicer, more trusting, more social, and more appreciative. As a result, it helps us make more friends and deepen our existing relationships. So say it often.

As an encouragement, how about starting a gratitude journal where you write at least 5 things every day for which you are grateful. Try it and see what transpires. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that your days are filled with a thousand little things that already fill you with joy and that will put a smile on your face.

With gratitude,

Good News

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Time to #VisitPoland

THE COUR AGE OF KNOWLEDGE

by Christine Caly-Sanchez The Lady Blanka Rosenstiel Lecture Series at FIU, the European and Eurasian Studies Program, and the European Student Association premiered the French-Polish-German co-production, “Marie Curie: The Courage of Knowledge,” on October 30, 2017 at the FIU campus. The film, starring Polish actress Karolina Gruszka, tells the story of a truly remarkable woman during the most turbulent years of her life--1906 through 1911. Guy Lodge said in his review, “Even in the film’s most melodramatic interludes, with only the essential academic details to work with, Gruszka’s reserved, intelligent performance does a fine job of projecting the stern intellect and unwavering seriousness of conviction that ultimately made a mockery of Curie’s archaic detractors.”

Maria Sklodowska Curie and her husband, Pierre Curie, received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 for their joint discovery of radium and radioactivity. In 1906, a tragic accident left Marie a widow. By sheer will and determination, and because she was now raising two young daughters alone, she continued her scientific research and became the first woman Professor at the Sorbonne. Early in the twentieth century, Science was considered a man’s world and Marie’s knowledge and involvement were not always well received. Nonetheless, she persevered and in 1911, she was awarded her second Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her discoveries and subsequent studies of the elements radium and polonium (and she remains the only woman to receive this recognition twice.) Critic Kimber Myers added, “As biopics go, ‘Marie Curie’ is a beautifully rendered sketch, rather than a fully detailed painting.

Cinematographer Michal Englert employs a handheld camera, bringing an intimacy as well as a modern feeling to ensure that ‘Marie Curie’ never feels stale. Noelle’s film doesn’t offer much historical context, but it’s a fascinating entry point for those unfamiliar with Curie’s personal life.”

1927 Fifth Solvay International Conference

Karolina Gruszka as Maria Skłodowska Curie

The movie ends with a prophetic scene of Marie and her young daughter, Irene, walking through an illuminated open door from which light is radiating. It is certainly symbolic as the two-time Nobel Prize winning mother is going forward and holding the hand of her future Nobel Laureate daughter.

The audience for this inspiring movie included about 50 students, faculty and Polish community members, with a welcome presented by Ms. Beata Paszyc, Honorable Vice Consul of the Republic of Poland, and Dr. Markus Thiel, Director of FIU’s European & Eurasian Studies Program.

Maria Skłodowska Curie

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HARRIET IRSAY SCHOLARSHIP FUND “Keep learning because knowledge is the key to power.” - Polish Proverb We are fortunate to be able to award scholarships to worthy university students in the U.S. every year. One of the key components of The American Institute of Polish Culture’s mission is to encourage those who are willing and eager to learn, who want to broaden their world perspectives and who wish to pass the knowledge on to the next generations. We truly believe it is those who are thirsty for wisdom who will be the ones to do great things and accomplish what others think is impossible. We are thankful to have a scholarship fund that helps students make their dreams a reality. Our gratitude goes to Harriet Irsay, née Jadwiga Pogorzelski, for giving us this opportunity.

Ms. Pogorzelski, a first-generation Polish American, was a firm believer in going after one’s dreams. As a newlywed, she and her husband, Robert Irsay, lived modestly in Chicago. They worked hard for 30 years and finally achieved great financial success, so much so that they were able to buy the Los Angeles Rams in 1972 for $19 million. They then traded them for the Baltimore Colts (now in Indianapolis). It was Mrs. Irsay who finalized the deal of securing the team by signing the check in a Chicago bank.

A member of AIPC in Miami, Florida since its inception in 1972, Mrs. Irsay established the Harriet Irsay Scholarship Fund in 1992 because she believed in the Institute’s efforts to foster education and culture in America. She also wanted to pay tribute to her Polish roots. Her passion was helping others in need and her philanthropy continues to touch hundreds of lives. Always far-seeing, Harriet Irsay’s dreams focused on the future of America’s youth, most especially those of Polish heritage, and she believed that education was key to leading a fulfilling life where any ambition could be realized.

Mrs. Isray passed away in July 2008, but her legacy lives on with the contributions she made to us. She is greatly missed and remembered for her generosity.

Scholarship Awards Since 1992, the Institute’s Scholarship Committee has awarded nearly 300 talented students of Polish descent who are studying in the U.S. We hope our readers will spread the word about the Scholarship and will continue to support the fund by making financial contributions.

Pledges are invaluable in assisting the new generation of Polish-American students. All donations are fully tax deductible.

For the academic year 2017/18, AIPC awarded 11 scholarship grants of $1,500 each. Recipients were asked to write an article on a Polish-related subject for publication in Good News. You will find a few of these articles in this magazine. Congratulations to all the recipients and best wishes as you go forward in your studies, careers, and lives.

Please help shape the future of students, preferably with ties to Poland or of Polish descent, by making contributions to the Harriet Irsay Scholarship Fund. Additionally, we are always looking to establish new scholarships. Let us know if you are interested in starting a fund in your name at the Institute.

If you would like to be part of the scholarship committee who dedicates its time to reviewing applications and selecting the most worthy students, please contact the AIPC for more information.

To contribute to the Scholarship Fund, please see the Contribution Form at the back of this publication.

Scholarship Requirements Fields

Required materials

Must be attending school full-time in the US for studies such as: • Communication • Education • Film • Music • History • International Relations • Journalism • Liberal Arts • Polish Studies • Public Relations • Graduate students in business programs whose thesis is directly related to Poland • Graduate students in all majors whose thesis is on a Polish subject • Scholarships are awarded on a merit basis to full time undergraduates or graduates who are American citizens or permanent residents, preferably of Polish heritage

• Completed application • Original school transcript(s) sent directly from the school (US only) • Detailed resume or CV • An essay “Why I Should Receive the Scholarship” (200-400 words) • An original article written by the applicant on any subject about Poland (up to 700 words) • Three original recommendation letters from teachers or others who are familiar with the academic background and the applicant’s plans for the future.

These letters must be originals on letterhead stationery, signed and mailed by the faculty directly to the Institute.

No copies, faxes, or unsigned letters will be accepted • $10.00 check or money order made out to the American Institute of Polish Culture as a non-refundable processing fee

ALL REQUIRED MATERIALS MUST BE IN OUR OFFICES NO LATER THAN JUNE 26TH EACH YEAR - NO EXCEPTIONS PLEASE. The decision will be made by August 9th each year. All applicants will be notified by mail of their status as soon as possible after that date. If you have any questions, please contact our office at 305-864-2349 or write to assistant@ampolinstitute.org. Scholarship applications may be obtained by downloading them from our website at www.ampolinstitute.org or by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope with a request to: Scholarship Applications, The American Institute of Polish Culture 1440 79th Street Causeway, Suite 117, Miami, FL 33141-3555 Please note that you may apply yearly if you are still in school; however, we can only award a student once.

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Scholarship Recipients 2017-18

Anna Drabek University of Pennsylvania Int’l Education Development

Anna Malinowski Fleischer Pacific College Oriental Medicine & Acupuncture

Izabela Kantor DePaul University Int’l Studies/Affairs

Wiktor Lasota Point Loma Nazarene Business Admin/Finance

Bozena Lojek University of Rhode Island Biology

Sarah Okon Florida International University Computer Engineering

Victoria Pajak Northeastern University History

Agata Popeda Columbia School of Journalism Journalism

Anna Rybinska University of North Carolina Sociology

Michael Szpindor Watson George Mason University Economics

Picture not available: Emily Dickson Ringling College of Art & Design Film-Directing & Cinematography

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Mr. Janusz Kozlowski, Mr. Grzegorz Okon, Mrs. Roza Toroj, Mr. Jaroslaw Rottermund, Lady Blanka, Mr. Steve Karski, Mrs. Rose Kruszewski, Dr. Michel Pawlowski

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING The annual Board of Directors’ meeting was held on April 19, 2018 at The American Institute of Polish Culture offices. Lady Blanka Rosenstiel opened the meeting by welcoming the Board members and thanking them for attending and for their ongoing support. She announced that Mrs. Barbara Cooper had sent the letter of resignation on April 18 vacating her position as the Vice President. Lady Blanka thanked her for her years of service and the Board accepted her resignation. Then Lady Blanka suggested Dr. Michel Pawlowski as the new Vice President and the Board unanimously voted in agreement. They also voted in a new member, Mrs. Eileen Hall, as the Treasurer and Secretary.

After the Minutes from the 2017 meeting were approved, Mr. Chris Garvin, a financial advisor for UBS who administers the Institute’s special accounts, discussed the financial status of the Institute. He talked about what UBS has projected and accomplished for the year, and how UBS plans to continue growing funds for the organization and the fiscal planning for upcoming years.

Mr. Garvin encouraged Board members to give generously, especially as Lady Blanka has established a special endowment fund for the Institute. He emphasized that for the last 46 years, Lady Blanka has been the major financial donor for the Institute and he stressed the important role Board members play in supporting a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote Polish heritage.

Dr. Michel Pawlowski, who will still be AIPC’s Chair for Polish Studies, then took the floor and spoke about his active participation in meetings with the University of Virginia (UVA) in reference to the Polish Lecture Series there. He presented the progress on talks with the Foundation Director at UVA. He had also prepared the necessary documents for the Kosciuszko Chair at the 10

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Institute of World Politics (IWP) that needed to be discussed in an upcoming meeting with IWP’s President, Dr. John Lenczowski, in May. The goal of the Institute is to monitor programming of the Polish Lecture Series at both institutions and to assist in providing the best lectures and events. Dr. Pawlowski suggested more Polish themes for future lectures and events in various educational venues.

The Harriet Irsay Scholarship report was presented by Mr. Janusz Kozlowski and Mr. Jaroslaw Rottermund. During the 2017/2018 academic year, 22 complete applications were received and of those, 11 students were selected to receive $1,500 grant each. Eblasts and articles placed in Polish newspapers were very helpful in bringing attention to the scholarship. Mr. Kozlowski and Mr. Rottermund commented on the fact that applicants were extremely talented and involved in Polish communities across the country.

Lady Blanka then introduced a new Scholarship initiative called “Poland We Thank You.” She believes it is time to acknowledge and recognize the 3 million Polish Catholics who were killed by Germans during WWII and the thousands of Poles who risked their lives by helping their Jewish friends, neighbors, even strangers, to survive. A brochure about the scholarship program that will recognize the young ancestors of courageous Poles so that they too can continue to better the world is ready to send out to thousands of Jewish organizations throughout America.

Mr. Grzegorz Okon discussed changes to the database for the Institute. His company, SourceCorp IT, designed it a few years ago and they continue to maintain it for AIPC free of charge. It is an ongoing process and Mr. Okon’s involvement has been very helpful.

The Board thanked him for his input and expertise.

Next, Ms. Beata Paszyc, Executive Director of AIPC, talked about the projects and activities the Institute presented during 2017-2018 season. The first was the Institute’s largest fundraiser, the International Polonaise Ball. The 46th Annual Ball and Brunch, celebrating 100 years of Poland’s Independence and Centuries of Polish-American Relations was held on February 10-11, 2018 at the Eden Roc Hotel in Miami and was a great success. An online Early Bird price campaign on the Institute’s website offered discounts on all tickets, with purchases for the Ball including automatic membership. Distinguished guests, decor, music, entertainment, dancing and food along with the festive and elegant atmosphere are what make the Ball so special. Mrs. Paszyc thanked the Board members who financially contributed to its success. She noted that a large group of Polish professionals and governmental officials came from all over the world because of encouragement

by Mr. Michal Lisiecki and Mr. Grzegorz Fryc. In addition, Ms. Paszyc discussed that the rising costs of mounting such a highend, glamorous fundraising event prevents the Institute from making a large profit. She once again challenged the Board to become more involved by encouraging new sponsors and giving generously, always being mindful that the Annual International Polonaise Ball is the Institute’s only fundraiser to help us achieve our mission.

Ms. Paszyc then moved onto the Blanka Rosenstiel Lecture Series on Poland presented at Florida International University in collaboration with the European Studies Program of the School of

International and Public Affairs. She highlighted a movie presentation of Madame Curie: The Courage of Knowledge and the well-attended play Tamara L about the famous Polish art deco artist, Tamara de Lempicka which was followed by a delightful reception.

She went on to discuss how fun the past year’s holiday parties were and her hopes that even more members will attend both the Christmas and Easter gatherings in the coming year.

Ms. Paszyc also presented the ongoing activities of the Institute, such as designing and publishing the Good News, keeping the website current and updated, posting regular updates on Facebook, etc. She called for the Board to enroll their friends and family as Institute members and asked for suggestions about volunteers when needed. She talked about how the Institute-published books were donated during the months and how they are so appreciated by schools, organizations and libraries. She reminded that all the books are now available in a Kindle version for purchase on Amazon.

In closing, Ms. Paszyc thanked the Board members for all of their help and encouraged them to be as proactive as possible in getting more people involved in the organization.

The final agenda item was the selection of the theme for the next Ball (to be held at the Eden Roc on February 9-10, 2019), and all agreed that a celebration of the historic alliance between Poland and Hungary would be perfect. Lady Blanka adjourned the meeting. A delicious lunch was served and Board members continued their discussions.

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Good News 2018 PFFM.pdf

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All screenings at the Miami Beach Cinematheque (Historic City Hall) 1130 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Mr. Alex Alibrandi, Dr. Markus Thiel, Ms. Jennifer Osejo, Ms. Luciana Orte, Mr. Hugo Dana, Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, Ms. Agata Pilitowska, Ms. Cynthia Del Rio, Ms. Isabella Venturini, Mrs. Maria Nowotarska, Mr. Tommy Hollywood

DECO’S DIVINE DIVA

by Christine Caly-Sanchez On November 9, 2017, the Polish-Canadian Theater in Toronto treated an FIU audience to another riveting play presented in Polish with English subtitles projected onto a screen. Performed by mother and daughter actors, Maria Nowotarska and Agata Pilitowska, Tamara L is an exposé of the life and work of Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980). Lempicka was an artist whose stunning work defined the glamour and sophistication of the early 1900s, and whose personal life was as newsworthy as any celebrity’s is today.

Polish-born Maria Gorska married Tadeusz Lempicki and lived for a time in St. Petersburg, Russia. Due to increasing instability during the Russian Revolution, they fled to Paris where she changed her name to Tamara Lempicka and immersed herself in becoming a great painter. Her style became the epitome of French Art Deco with its bold sensuality, and she enjoyed immense fame and fortune. Lempicka was also a rebellious spirit who did not

conform to the mores of the day--her numerous romantic liaisons made her an intriguing and sought-after star.

The play, which took place at FIU-Biscayne Bay campus — Mary Ann Wolfe Theater, marked a wonderful evening of art, theater, and historical significance. A reception was held after the show and approximately 70 guests gathered in the lobby to meet the actors, take photos, nibble on some canapés and view large color posters of Lempicka’s work displayed throughout the space.

The Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence is grateful to The American Institute of Polish Culture, The Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Miami, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, the Chopin Foundation of the US, the Blanka Rosenstiel Lecture Series on Poland at FIU, the European Student Association, and the Council for Student Organizations (CSO) for making this event possible.

Miss Nel Velez-Paszyc, Ms. Agata Pilotowska, Mrs. Beata Paszyc, Mrs. Maria Nowotarska, Mr. Zbigniew Slabicki, Ms. Lynne Schaefer, Mrs. Joanna Wiela

On stage

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WHAT WOULD YOU DO? It is 1939 and Poland was just invaded by Germany. World War II had started. Hitler was determined to take over Europe and as a neighbor of Germany, Poland was one of the first to experience his horrific march of death. The Germans decimated Poland’s civilian population for 6 long years and imposed a death penalty on any Pole and their entire family who helped the Jews in any way.

Poland was the only country where this brutal punishment was carried out.

Just imagine yourself in this situation, trying to help your friends, family members, acquaintances, even strangers under such lethal and frightening circumstances. There is a knock on the door, in the dark of the night, and when you open it you find friends - a Jewish man, woman and little girl on your doorstep - begging you for help. What would you do? How would you react knowing that if you hid them and the Germans found out, you have sentenced your own family to certain death by gunshot? Would you give shelter? Would you have the courage to sacrifice your and your loved ones lives while giving life to others?

POLAND - WE THANK YOU

By Lady Blank a I am very proud to present a new and what I believe to be a long overdue scholarship fund for students --”Poland - We Thank You.” The inspiration for this program has been brewing in my mind for quite awhile. As a World War II survivor from Poland, I witnessed terrible tragedy and brutality, and lost many loved ones in labor and concentration camps. I am grateful that I survived due to a combination of fate, wits, determination, and assistance of others. This is how we all survived, including countless Polish Jews who were saved by their fellow countrymen.

You may not be aware that as early as the 11th century, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Jewish communities in the world. At least from the founding of the Kingdom of Poland in 1025 through much of the history of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Poland was considered the most tolerant country in Europe. Known as paradisus Iudaeorum “Paradise of the Jews,” the Polish state became a safe haven for persecuted and expelled Jews from all over Europe and it was the epicenter of the world’s most vibrant Jewish population.

According to many sources, about three-quarters of the world’s Jews lived in Poland by the middle of the 16th century. Poland was the heart of Jewish culture thanks to a long period of religious

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tolerance and social autonomy. This way of life was seriously curtailed by the Three Partitions of Poland by Prussia, Austria, and Russia in 1772, 1793 and finally 1795. The Partitioning Powers erased Poland from the map for 123 years. When she regained her independence in 1918 after World War I, Poland remained the center of European Jewry with over 3 Jewish million citizens.

When Germany invaded Poland starting World War II (1939– 1945), there was a nearly complete genocidal destruction of Polish Jewish communities by the Germans along with Hitler’s orders to systematically annihilate the Poles, initially the elites, and then the rest of the people. Three million Polish Jews and three million Polish Catholics were murdered during the German occupation of Poland. To discourage Poles from helping Jews in any way, the Germans ruthlessly enacted a death penalty for any, even the most trivial, sign of assistance. It was likewise ruthlessly executed, including frequent searches of houses and apartment buildings. This was unique to Poland. In this way Germans utilized the principle of collective responsibility with the sole purpose of encouraging neighbors to inform on each other in order to avoid punishment. This policy was widely known and visibly publicized by the Germans who sought to terrorize Polish citizens.

And yet even under these unconscionable restrictions, Poles still established the secret resistance movement which operated from 1942–1945. The Council to Aid Jews, “Zegota,” functioned under the auspices of the Polish Government in Exile and through the Government Delegation of Poland in Warsaw by aiding Jews in finding safe places to hide, providing food, medical care, and false identification papers. In addition, and in partnership with other underground organizations, Zegota was able to reach thousands upon thousands of Jews living in Warsaw, as well as in other parts of Poland.

Despite all odds stacked against the lives and spirit of its people, Poland is recognized today as heroically saving the largest number of its Jewish citizens than any other country. There are currently 6,706 recognized Poles in Yad Vashem (and more being added every year) and countless others who risked everything they held dear to help their fellow countrymen. Among them is Irena Sendler who single handedly saved 2,500 Jewish children; there are thousands more whose stories have been told and recorded for history. The Polish government and a number of Jewish organizations have published several albums about some of the Poles who rescued Jews. They can be found on www.righteous.pl. Every story is deeply emotional and each depicts the extraordinary courage of people from all walks of life.

My utmost admiration and gratitude for such unselfish heroism goes to those the world calls the Righteous Among Nations.

Today, over 70 years after the war, only a small number of those who aided Jews are still alive. Now is the time - before it is too late - to thank these Poles for the gift they gave in saving precious lives, and to recognize their enormous contribution to Jewish and Poland history. Since so many Polish Jews immigrated to America during the post war years, I am very excited to establish the Poland - We Thank You scholarship program for Polish students

to study in the US. I truly hope that the new generation lives in tolerance and understanding of all cultures, and what better way to accomplish this than through education. In a growing climate of negativity and the ongoing persecution of the Jews, now is the time to highlight the goodness of peoples’ hearts. Giving back is the expression of gratitude.

You will find the Poland - We Thank You brochure enclosed in this magazine. I ask you to join me, The American Institute of Polish Culture, and our circle of donors by making a gift to the Poland - We Thank You scholarship fund. With your generosity, we can help provide limitless opportunities for talented young university students in making their dreams come true. And they in turn can carry on the legacy of hope created by the Polish Righteous who truly made the world a better and more compassionate place for all of us! The Poland - We Thank You scholarship will also bring to light the bravery of Poles during an unimaginable time, and how their perseverance saved thousands, including, perhaps, your family and friends.

Today Poland is experiencing a Jewish revival with an annual Jewish Culture Festival, Jewish studies at schools and universities, new books of rescues, and dozens of exhibits at such institutes as the 43,000 sq. ft. POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw. New generations should never live through the horrors of war; by providing them with education and sharing the facts with the world, we pay tribute to those whose deeds bore the highest personal risk and sacrifice. They will live forever in our hearts, memories and through the people to come.

Please give generously...give from your heart...give to show your appreciation for so many saved lives. Poland - We Thank You!

For more information visit: www.ampolinstitute.org

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GR ATITUDE HAS MANY NAMES

By Ania Navas Gratitude is a feeling that comes from the heart. It goes together with goodwill towards the person who showed kindness to us or our loved ones. We are not always able to return the favor immediately; sometimes an opportunity presents itself years later and sometimes we don’t get a chance to personally show our gratitude. However, for a person of honor, there is such thing as a “debt of gratitude,” which, if not repaid – even figuratively – is passed onto the next generation.

A person of honor will do anything it takes not to leave this world without making sure that those who showed kindness to them – or the descendants of those people – experience kindness in return. They won’t find peace until the longstanding but never forgotten “debt of honor” is repaid. This is one of the beautiful, noble qualities of humans.

A THREAT OF ANNIHILATION THAT MARKED JEWISH PEOPLE DURING WWII It has been 70 years since the end of World War II. There are still survivors who remember that time, who were either children or very young. A young mind receives traumatic experiences in a very intense way; it stays in the memory forever.

The German occupation of Poland lasted from 1939 until 1945, and was a time when human tragedy was interwoven in everyone's life and became part of daily existence. Eyewitness accounts are horrifying. It was a time of brutal violence, persecution, killing of civilians, destruction of property and blatant robbery of Polish and Jewish cultures. Poles, Jews and Gypsies were persecuted, but the Jews found themselves particularly in difficult circumstances all over Europe, especially in Poland where their population was the largest.

The annihilation of the entire Jewish population was a part of Adolf Hitler’s political agenda and the persecution began shortly after his ascent to power. The first couple years of WWII facilitated a new stage of his extermination policy. Germans set up ghettos in occupied countries; they were established in isolated city districts designated for the Jews. Hundreds of ghettos existed in the territories occupied by the Germans and those of Jewish descent were deported there. Ghettos served as the intermediate stage in the larger plan of total annihilation of Jews residing in the Reich - they were the foundation of Hitler’s Final Solution to the Jewish Question.

The first camps designed for the detention and killing of the prisoners were established in Germany in 1933. After the invasion of Poland in 1939, camps were also created in many European countries, such as today’s Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, Belgium, Holland, Latvia, Estonia, Norway, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Macedonia. The prisoners were mainly used as a source of forced labor for the benefit of Germany.

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But Hitler’s Final Solution was to totally obliterate the world's Jewish population. In Poland, his plan was carried out in concentration camps, such as the one the Germans built in Kulmhof in 1941, and later at their camps in Treblinka II, Sobibor, Belzec and the largest one – Birkenau, set up in the back of the Auschwitz concentration camp. These camps were used for the mass extermination of people.

The world was silent.

Even the courage and sacrifice of such people as Cavalry Captain Witold Pilecki, who voluntarily surrendered and let himself be imprisoned in Auschwitz in order to document and publicize the inhumane conditions and atrocities, were to no avail. He wrote the first classified note about the genocide in Auschwitz, and he organized a resistance movement there (The Union of Military Organizations).

Another Pole, Jan Karski, who served as a secret messenger and an emissary of the Polish Underground State, risked his life delivering documentation – the “Karski report” – to London. The report contained intelligence about the extermination of the Jews from the Warsaw ghetto that was gathered by the Home Army (the dominant Polish resistance movement). It also contained eyewitness accounts from the extermination camp in Belzec, as well as a manifesto entitled “We cannot remain silent,” written by Polish writer Zofia Kossak-Szczucka, a co-founder of the Zegota movement that rescued Jews.

One tragic example of this cruel law was a massacre in the village of Ciepielów where, on December 6, 1943, the German police burned alive 31 members of several Polish families, including the Kowalski, Obuchiewicz, Skoczylas and Kosior families. Many more Polish families were killed for helping the Jews.

GOOD SAMARITANS FROM THE VIILLAGE OF MARKOWA

Another sad story is that of the Ulma family from the village of Markowa near Łańcut. The patriarch, Józef Ulma, was a man of many interests; he owned a small farm; he established the first orchards in the village; he upgraded apiaries, bred silk moths, loved books and was passionate about photography. At the age of 35, he married Wiktoria nee Niemczak, 12 years his junior. They had six beautiful children - Stasia, Basia, Władziu, Franuś, Antoś and the youngest, Marysia who was only 18 months old - whom they dearly loved, and they lived a modest life in a small house in the outskirts of the village surrounded by a lush garden full of flowers.

Józef and Wiktoria Ulma

At the time the war started, there were 3.5 million people of Jewish descent living in Poland – 11 percent of the country’s population. It was a result of a long political process that started in 1264 when the Duke of Kalisz, Boleslaus the Pious, issued a statute granting the Jews unprecedented religious freedom as well as autonomy for Jewish communities. The statute was the main reason that Jews settled in Poland in large numbers, while they were persecuted in other European countries. For centuries Poles showed kindness and tolerance towards the Jewish people resulting in an increase of the Jewish population and the establishment of many Jewish cultural centers in Poland.

The German occupation enforced a plan of Jewish annihilation by mass-murdering the Jews on the Polish territories taken over by the Third Reich. It is estimated that out of 6 million Polish citizens murdered during WWII, 3 million were of Jewish descent. According to Nurnberg legislature, Germany considered a Jew anyone who claimed at least one Jewish ancestor three generations back.

Thus, it was a standard that was based solely on ethnicity – not on religion or culture.

Pursuant to article 5 of Hitler’s directive from October 12, 1939, Hans Frank, the General Governor of occupied Warsaw issued a decree on October 15, 1941, introducing the death penalty for Poles giving aid to Jews. No other German-occupied country had any comparable law carrying such a heavy penalty. In Poland, anyone caught helping Jews by providing them with shelter, transportation, food or for failing to report their hiding place, would face the death penalty. The sentence was usually carried out by a firing squad or by hanging, but sometimes the method was to burn the house where the Jews were hiding, killing the entire family of the homeowner and their guests and destroying their property.

When the war started, there were 30 Jewish families living in the village, for a total of approximately 120 people. Some left, but the rest had to hide from the Germans. Despite the threat of death for providing any kind of help to the Jews, for many residents of Markowa, the love of their fellow humans trumped the fear of losing their own life. In occupied territories, the Germans established their own police and militias in smaller towns. The precinct in Łańcut was in charge of the village of Markowa.

In plain view of the village residents, the Germans would stage inhumane manhunts looking for Jews in hiding. Those caught were killed without mercy and their bodies were thrown into mass graves. The Ulma family hid eight Jews in the attic of their home – their former neighbors Layka and Golda Goldman with a little daughter, and five men from the Szall family who had escaped from nearby Łańcut.

Józef and Wiktoria Ulma must have been fully aware of the consequences of their own actions of giving aid to their Jewish neighbors and friends. From their home windows, they could see the trenches where the bodies of the murdered Jews were disposed, and they could hear the screams and the shots.

At the crack of dawn on March 24, 1944, vans filled with a dozen or so militiamen and police officers arrived at the Ulma house.

Likely, someone from the Russian village of Biała, Włodzimierz Leś, was the traitor. First, all the Jews caught hiding there were shot and killed. Witnesses watched as Layka and Golda Goldman and their little daughter and all the Szall brothers where executed. Then Józef and Wiktoria were summoned in front of the house.

Wiktoria was nine months pregnant and the stress of the situation made her go into labor. The cries and weeping of the Ulma children carried through the village as their parents were murdered, and then all the children were shot one by one.

After the massacre, the property was plundered and the murderers of 17 people celebrated by drinking vodka for several hours. The news of the carnage reported by eyewitness accounts reached other village residents. Nonetheless, some Poles continued hiding Jews, risking their own lives daily. Twenty-one Jewish Good News

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lives in Markowa were saved this way, and most of them left after the war, emigrating to the U.S. and Canada.

Today a one-of-a-kind museum stands in the Markowa village.

Named the Ulma Family Museum, it is in honor of the Poles who saved the Jews during World War II. The story of the Ulma and Goldman families is slated to be made into a film entitled “Look Into My Eyes” by director Rafał Wieczyński.

WE MUST NEVER FORGET

Until this day there is no exact number of people of Jewish descent that were saved by the Poles, although it is estimated that thousands of lives were spared this way. There is also no concrete number of Poles killed as a punishment for helping the Jews, but many of those noble people didn’t survive the war. Others didn’t want to remember the tragic events, the trauma and the suffering, even after the war was over. They died taking the secrets of their experiences and sacrifice with them to the grave. However, some of the witnesses are still alive. Their accounts have been written down and should be publicized throughout the world in many languages.

Both the Jews and those who died protecting them were the victims of mass genocide. Poland was the only country with death penalty for people rescuing the Jews, and yet, despite the risk, thousands of Poles put their own lives on line to give aid to people of Jewish descent. They acted with human decency, mercy, Christian values and simple human kindness. It is thanks to them that thousands of Jewish lives were spared.

As a matter of fact, the Poles constitute the largest group of any other nationality in the world who are recognized by the Yed Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center as the Righteous Among the Nations. Many received this recognition post-mortem; they died either during the war or later in Soviet-ruled Poland. It may be too late to show gratitude to them, but many of their descendants are still alive.

TO SHOW GRATITUDE

A new generation of Poles entered this world after the destruction of war and communism. This is the generation that can be helped.

For a young person, education is the key to independence and reveals the knowledge to create new values in the society in which they live.

Lady Blanka Rosenstiel is the Founder and President of The American Institute of Polish Culture in Miami and serves as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Miami. It is her initiative that a new scholarship was created for young, talented Poles called POLAND -WE THANK YOU. POLAND - WE THANK YOU

The scholarships in education will be granted to second and third generation Poles with a family legacy of helping the Jews during WWII on the territories that had been occupied by Nazi Germany.

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The aspiring scholarship recipients will be Polish students who want to use their innovative thinking to make positive changes in the world in fields such as Political Science, Human Rights, and Arts and Culture, and are already matriculating in those areas in Poland. The scholarship program is still in its development stages, but thanks to the generosity of future donors, it has great potential for development.

Members of the scholarship fund POLAND -WE THANK YOU include Lady Blanka Rosenstiel and Ambassador Piotr Wilczek of the Republic of Poland in Washington.

The scholarship is an opportunity to honor the Jewish victims murdered by the Nazi Germans as well as thank the Poles who helped them. It will be given in three categories:

$20,000 scholarship bearing the name of a loved one who was a victim of Hitler’s crimes during World War II. It will cover one year of study at an American university. $10,000 scholarship bearing the name of a person who died helping the Jews. It will cover 1 semester of study at an American university.

$5,000 scholarship bearing the name of a person who helped the Jews and lived through the war. It will cover the cost of a summer study at one of the American universities.

Each contributor will be mentioned by name so the student will know who is helping them pursue their education, and the donors will know whom they are helping. Donations of lesser amounts will also be accepted. Every single dollar will be dedicated to educating the young generation of those noble Poles who didn’t hesitate to risk their own lives as well as the lives of their innocent children and will be a proof of our gratitude. This is an opportunity to pay an honorable debt to the Poles who rescued Jews during World War II and to help their descendants build a better world where there is no hatred and where tolerance and peace facilitate a joined, respectful existence and cooperation for all nations.

In addition, it can only strengthen the already good relations between Poland and the U.S.

AN ARTFUL LIFE Surrealistic expressionist Fernando de Szyszlo is one of Latin America’s foremost artists. He was a master on canvas and in sculpting materials, but it is his paintings that gave him international prominence. Each of his pieces is truly beautiful, with a striking yet muted palette of undulating shapes, obscure symbolism, barely decipherable letters and interplays between light and shadow. They have a timeless quality that does not depict a particular moment nor place; they are mysterious and imbue a slight spirituality. Each has an exciting energy that has resonated with art lovers throughout the world for 70 years--the hint of an emerging figure or the electric synergy created by patterns of color. No matter what it is, one cannot look at a Szyszlo without emotion; his work evokes longing and calmness, reflection and intensity.

Fernando de Szyszlo Valdelomar was born in 1925 to a Peruvian mother and Polish father, and dedicated his entire life to creating art. His first solo art exhibit in Lima in 1947 established him as a rising new talent, and within a year, he left Peru and lived in Par-

is and Florence from 1948 to 1955. Wanting to expand his vision of art’s possibilities beyond the Latin American norm, he studied the Old Masters close up and in detail, and absorbed the styles that were exploding onto the European art scene--surrealism, cubism and abstraction. He and his expat friends discussed how their newly realized techniques could reenergize the art world in South America, and when Szyszlo returned to Peru, he immediately set out to do just that with a sophisticated understanding of visual art’s powerful impact.

He became a major force in his country by painting in a non-representational style that was groundbreaking with its familiar Latin themes done in a way that was completely unique. By blending ancient iconography to modern imagery, Szyszlo became an expert at erasing time, bringing the past into the present, and at depicting mythology in contemporary ways. His stunning work has been exhibited in over 100 solo shows in the best galleries and museums throughout the world--The Guggenheim and Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Art Museum of the Americas in Washington, D.C., Museo Rufino Tamayo in Mexico City and The Zachęta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw. Many important private collections around the world include at least one Szyszlo piece. He also loved to teach, serving as a Professor of Art at Cornell University and as a visiting lecturer at Yale University during the 1960’s.

Long- time member and friend of AIPC, Cecilia Lawinski who is also Peruvian and Polish, knew Szyszlo through her family. Her father, Alexander, and his father arrived in Peru from Poland at the same time and became friends. And her mother, author Hilda Lawinski-Thyssen, was a close friend to Syszlo’s first wife, poet Blanca Varela. Ms. Lawinski also had the honor of interviewing him during the early 2000’s for her “Cultural Mosaic” segment on “Peru y se Gente” cable television show, Miami.

In 2017, Fernando de Szyszlo died with his second wife, Liliana Yabar, in an accident at their home in Lima.

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Best Wishes to The American Institute of Polish Culture Celebrating 46 th Anniversary from:

Polish and Other European Specialty and Gourmet Foods LowellFoods.com

Front (l-r): Dean John Stack, Ms. Malgorzata Markowska, Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, Amb. Piotr Wilczek, Pres. Mark Rosenberg, Mrs. Beata Paszyc, Mrs. Anna Piatreszek, Mrs. Christine Caly-Sanchez, Prof. Stanislaw Wnuk and guest Back (l-r): Mr. Jan Drozdz, Dr. Thaddeus Radzilowski, Dr. Mieczyslaw Biskupski, Dr. Michel Pawlowski

POLAND’S FRIENDSHIP WITH AMERICA

by Maria Gil For a conference celebrating 100 years of Polish-American relations, Polish Ambassador Piotr Wilczek visited FIU on Friday, April 27, 2018, and delivered a presentation exploring the topic. He shed light on the Polish experience during World War I and the hardships its people faced as the empires of Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary controlled Polish territory during the war and conscripted Polish soldiers into their armies. “While the Polish experience isn’t unique,” he said. “It is usually a forgotten one. An estimated 2 million Polish soldiers fought in different uniforms during the course of the war.”

Amb. Wilczek also mentioned the importance of the United States’ support when Poland became its own state after 123

years of not existing as a country. Through U.S. humanitarian aid Poland was able to feed its people while rebuilding its wartorn lands. “In return, the Polish people paid the American people with friendship,” Wilczek said.

The conference was part of the Blanka Rosenstiel Lecture Series on Poland and was sponsored by the European and Eurasian Studies Program and co-sponsored by the European Student Association at FIU, the American Institute of Polish Culture and the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Poland. “The visit of the Polish Ambassador underscored the importance of transatlantic relations to the Polish government, and highlighted FIU’s role in hosting the Lady Blanka Rosenstiel

Dr. Thaddeus Radzilowski, Dean John Stack, Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, Amb. Piotr Wilczek, Dr. Mieczyslaw Biskupski

Lecture Series on Poland,” said Dr. Markus L. Thiel, program director for the European and Eurasian Studies Program.

Other speakers included historians Dr. Thaddeus C. Radzilowski, President and co-founder of the Piast Institute, and Dr. Mieczyslaw B. Biskupski, Professor of history and the Stanislaus A. Blejwas Endowed Chair in Polish and Polish American Studies and Coordinator of the Polish Studies Program at Central Connecticut State University.

You can watch the Conference at https://mediaweb.fiu.edu/Mediasite/Play/ bd22537ff5fa4f969f2f105bbaabd59b1d

Amb. Wilczek, Pres. Mark Rosenberg

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KOŚCIUSZKO CHAIR IN 2016-2017

By Dr. Marek Chodakiewicz and Maria Juczewsk a

INTRODUCTION The academic year 2017-2018 was truly busy for Kościuszko Chair of Polish Studies, the Center for Intermarium Studies, and the Institute of World Politics. Dr. Chodakiewicz has been invited to join boards of several prestigious institutions and periodicals in the U.S. and in Poland. He travelled extensively as a guest speaker at American and Polish-American events and was awarded a prestigious Wybitny Polak w USA Award [Outstanding Pole in the USA Award] in the field of science.

We successfully continued our expanded speaker series on Poland and the Intermarium Region. We organized the 10th Annual Zdzisław Zakrzewski Conference and the 8th Annual Lady Blanka Rosenstiel Kościuszko Chair Spring Symposium. We followed and commented on the political developments in Poland explaining the rationale behind the Polish foreign policy to the American reader. Dr. Chodakiewicz was interviewed as well by the Polish radio and TV programs in relation to American political life.

We are thankful to all our benefactors and friends for their generous support. We would like to thank Lady Blanka Rosenstiel and The American Institute of Polish Culture, The Tadeusz Ungar Foundation, the Hon. Aldona Woś, Mr. Adam Bąk, Mrs. Ava Polansky-Bąk, Mr. John Niemczyk, Dr. Magdalena Pogonowska, Mr. and Mrs. Władysław Poncet de la Riviere, The Polish American Veterans’ Association (PAVA), Mr. Bogdan Chmielewski and his team of the Polish and Slavic Federal Credit Union, Mr. Jan Małek of PAFERE (The Polish-American Foundation for Economic Research and Education), and many others. We also appreciate the efforts of our staff and interns in running the daily business of the Chair. Your interest and your continuous involvement enables the Kościuszko Chair of Polish Studies to inform the American public about Poland and shed positive light on its history and culture. This kind of public diplomacy is more and more needed these days.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA ACTIVISM The Academic Year 2017/2018 saw the completion of the John Paul II project. Monika Jablonska’s first ever book, Wind from Heaven, was published. It is about the poetry and literature of Karol Wojtyła, and she is touring the country for book readings.

Dr. Marek Jan Chodakiewicz, Kościuszko Chair Holder Dr. Chodakiewicz regularly discussed political developments in Poland and Europe.

Kościuszko Chair was one of the few institutions that tried to clarify the intricacies of the political and social situation in Poland, which tends to be widely misinterpreted in the American mainstream media. Since June 2017, Dr. Chodakiewicz has published more than one hundred articles in American and Polish electronic and press publications (SFPPR, The Weichert Report, The Hill, American Thinker, Rzeczpospolita, Do Rzeczy, Tygodnik Solidarność, Najwyższy Czas!, Glaukopis). Major topics included Donald Trump’s presidency, the political debate in Poland and Polish-Jewish relations, property restitution in Poland, developments in the Middle and Far East, Islamist threat to Europe, Russian information war and disinformation as well as topics related to the study of history for Glaukopis.

Dr. John Lenczowski, IWP Founder, President, and Professor Dr. Lenczowski lectured on the Chinese threat to the US and Russian information warfare for a number of institutions, including the Heritage Foundation, Marine Corps, and Ocean Reef Club. He also spoke at a luncheon discussion in Greensboro sponsored by Frances Bullock, Jackie Wieland of Stifel, and Ambassador Aldona Woś. Entitled on „Russian and Chinese Information Warfare,” Dr. Lenczowski’s expertise provided a much needed geopolitical context to the predicament of the Intermarium in general and Poland in particular.

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Mrs. Maria Juczewska, Kościuszko Chair Associate Director Mrs. Juczewska has been contributing to the Selous Foundation for Public Policy Research, and has provided coverage of the November Independence March in Warsaw and clarification of the motivations behind the Polish bill outlawing use of the expression Polish Death Camps.

BOARD MEMBERSHIPS In the Academic Year 2017/2018, Dr. Marek Chodakiewicz was invited to join four prestigious scholarly institutions. In Poland: World War II Museum, Gdańsk as a Board Member (2018-); Polish-Jewish Studies, The Institute of National Remembrance’s publication, Warsaw as an Advisory Scholarly Board Member (2017-), and Kwartalnik Bellona [Bellona Quarterly] as an Advisory Scholarly Board Member (2017-2022). In 2018, Dr. Chodakiewicz was appointed as a member of the Academic Council of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington, DC.

Museum of the Second World War in Poland in Gdansk

Since 2016, he has been a member of the Advisory Scholarly Board of Przegląd Historyczno-Wojskowy [Military-Historical Review] (20162021).

INTERVIEWS This year, Dr. Marek Chodakiewicz gave a number of televised interviews in relation to presidential elections in the US as well as President Donald Trump’s visit to Warsaw. He was interviewed by TVP Info, TVP 1, TV Republika, Polskie Radio and a number of smaller outlets. His lectures and interviews are extremely popular on YouTube.

THE SEVENTH ANNUAL KOŚCIUSZKO CHAIR MILITARY LECTURE On October 10, 2017, the Kościuszko Chair of Polish Studies hosted its annual Gen. Walter Jajko Kościuszko Chair Military Lecture. The lecture was entitled Reconnaissance on the Eastern Front in WWI and was presented by Captain Andrew Harris, the IWP valedictorian of 2017 and an active duty Military Intelligence Officer.

At a special ceremony preceding the lecture, representatives of the Polish and Slavic Federal Credit Union (PSFCU) presented a $150,000 gift to the Kościuszko Chair of Polish Studies. IWP President and Founder Dr. John Lenczowski thanked the PSFCU for its generosity and explained how the funds would be used to further the important mission of the Kosciuszko Chair, Center for Intermarium Studies, and of IWP. DR. RUSSELL KIRK COMMEMORATION PANEL On Tuesday, March 27, 2018, IWP hosted a commemoration panel about Dr. Russell Kirk, an intellectual, a conservative pioneer, and a great champion of Poland. The panel included Dr. Marek Chodakiewicz, Dr. Lee Edwards, a distinguished fellow in conservative thought at The Heritage Foundation and a former IWP Professor, and Matthew J. O’Brien, the Director of Research at the Federation for American Immigration Reform and an IWP student. The panel discussed the life and work of Dr. Kirk and how his work continues to impact society today.

Mr. Annette and Dr. Russell Kirk

THE ZDZISLAW R. ZAKRZEWSKI 10TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE On November 4, 2017, speaking shortly after the bicentennial of General Thaddeus Kościuszko’s death, Dr. Chodakiewicz opened the 10th Annual Zdzisław Zakrzewski Conference. This year the topics focused on Russian foreign policy and Polish history. The second session examined Poland’s history from the golden years of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to the tragedies and travails of Poland during the Second World War. At the end of the conference, Dr. Tomasz Sommer premiered his groundbreaking documentary on the Anti-Polish Operation of the NKVD: Shoot the Poles.

The program of the conference entailed the following lectures: Introduction – Bicentenary of Gen. Thaddeus Kościuszko’s death Dr. Marek Chodakiewicz briefly discussed the part our patron played in the US history.

Is Russia at War with the U.S? Mr. David Satter, affiliated with the Hudson Institute and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), discussed Russia’s road to dictatorship and terror under Yeltsin and Putin and how it led to Russia’s interference in U.S. internal affairs.

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THE EIGHTH ANNUAL LADY BLANKA ROSENSTIEL KOŚCIUSZKO CHAIR SPRING SYMPOSIUM The Eighth Annual Lady Blanka Rosenstiel Kościuszko Chair Spring Symposium took place on April 7, 2018. Introduced by Dr. Marek Chodakiewicz, six lectures focused on the present situation in Central Europe followed by a more historical perspective on the region.

Topics ranged from Russian public diplomacy in Belarus through Polish public diplomacy in the interwar period, new data on the Katyń Massacre of Polish POWs, and mass murder prevention in the Intermarium to March 1968 in Poland. Below, a short summary of the lectures is presented.

Dr. Marek Chodakiewicz

Russian active measures in cyberspace and their implications for the international community Piotr Trąbiński, a law graduate from the University of Warsaw with extensive experience in international banking and a student of IWP, explained how technological advancements of the 21st century gave Russia a new perspective and capabilities to project its power within the sphere of foreign relations and cyberspace. His presentation reviewed the way in which active measures were deployed in the past and how they are applied in the digital context at present.

Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth - The United States before The United States?

Maria Juczewska analyzed in what way the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth resembled the United States in the pre-modern era. Similarities between the two political entities were presented, pointing to analogies between the two systems of government and the thoughts and the attitudes that produced them.

Forced migrations in Poland after 1944 Professor Jakub Isański, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, spoke on the mass migrations which began in Polish lands in 1944 and lasted until the end of the 50s. Their effect was the displacement of more than a dozen million people into unfamiliar, alien lands. The lecture focused on excerpts from the migrants’ diaries that were taken from a body of over one thousand works, digitized and subjected to qualitative analysis.

Shoot the Poles: US premiere of the documentary on the Anti-Polish Operation of NKVD Dr. Tomasz Sommer is a writer, journalist, publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of the Najwyższy CZAS! weekly and one of the foremost Polish experts focusing on the Polish aspects of Stalinism, in particular the Polish Operation of NKVD. Drawing on hitherto unknown NKVD documents, Dr. Sommer pieced together the democide of nearly 200,000 Poles living within the Soviet Union in 1937 and 1938, which has remained a secret for decades - until recently. The screening of his film was made possible thanks to the generosity of the Bak Foundation.

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Russian Lobby in Belarus: Could Belarus be the Next after Ukraine?

Franak Viačorka, a journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, gave a lecture on the Russian lobby in Belarus. After the occupation of Crimea, Russia began to expand its presence in Belarus. Hundreds of Russian-backed initiatives, formally cultural, educational or media, emerged. They are driving an increasing polarization between pro-Western and pro-Russian Belarusians which could eventually lead to an open conflict.

The Polish Pavilion at the 1939 New York World’s Fair Peter J. Obst provided a presentation on the contents, purpose and eventual fate of the Polish Pavilion at the World’s Fair in New York City in 1940. Poland invested a large sum of money into participation in the New York World’s Fair because they wanted to show a true picture of the country as a modern European state, striving for trade contacts. Most of the artwork, artifacts, documentation, etc. has been distributed throughout the Western world. Mr. Obst has been working on discovering them and bringing them back together.

Wild Bill Donovan, the OSS and the Nuremberg Tribunal Independent scholar, Krystyna Piorkowska, lectured about William „Wild Bill” Donovan, the mastermind behind the OSS and modern American Espionage as well as the Nuremberg Tribunal. In 1948, the US Counter Intelligence Corps investigated the massacre of the Polish POWs that had been captured and held in Katyń. Hundreds of pages of records and coded messages from Katyń were discovered which the Russians had tried to keep covered up. The US CIC and other intelligence agencies continue to work on finding more evidence to unravel the course of events.

Application of Historic WWII and Cold War Resistance Experience to Present Day Significance Dr. Otto Fiala, Resistance Operations Concept Lead (SOCEUR), talked about the concept of resistance and its historic aspects. He provided an overview of SOCEUR and its mission and the lessons learned through the experience of resistance as a way of warfare.

For instance, the necessity of pre-conflict agreements and maintaining legitimacy are useful conclusions from the Polish resistance experience during and post WWII. They remain pertinent as evidenced

by NATO’s contingency plans regarding the Baltics vis-à-vis Russia.

Matt O’Brien, Chairman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, gave a lecture on genocide prevention in the Intermarium.

Both Nazism and Communism used genocide to eliminate factual and potential opposition. Today the migrant and refugee problem is strongly contested by Russia, while the UN is working to devise prevention methods to make sure the situation does not escalate. New approaches to prevention are necessary to avoid a clash of Muslim Europe with the Orthodox Christian Europe.

Russia. He first remarked that Russia, with an economy tethered to the petro-industry, is less of a threat to the U.S at present because of the low global price of oil. Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic of Iran strives for nuclear weapons to solidify its growing regional hegemony in the Middle East. Should it obtain them, it would destabilize the already precarious regional order. That is why the Trump Administration is committed to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear arms at all costs – risking even a potential war with the Islamic Republic. If conflict with Iran were to erupt, Iran’s long-time strategic partner, the Russian Federation, would benefit disproportionately.

The Soviets and March 1968: Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism

Novorossiya or Intermarium? The Fight for Donbass

Dr. Marek Chodakiewicz provided his viewpoints on the events of March 1968 in Communist Poland. He discussed the difference between the anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism and pointed out that ultimately Moscow was sovereign in Warsaw and no policy line was implemented without the Kremlin’s approval. The so called “anti-Zionist campaign” occurred within the context of Israel’s drift towards the United States.

Jarrod McDowell, IWP class of 2017, presented a short lecture on the fight for Donbass, the region in eastern Ukraine and southwestern Russia. He deciphered the definitions of Novorossiya and Intermarium as well as provided the history and components of both. The war in Donbass began in 2014 and is still ongoing.

THE KOŚCIUSZKO CHAIR INTERMARIUM LECTURE SERIES

Tibor Babic, an international political science graduate (Vienna, Austria and Washington, DC), discussed how Slovenia became an autonomous and sovereign state independent from Yugoslavia in 1991. He contrasted historical facts with emotional interpretations during the war and immediately after its end.

Back to the Future: Genocide Prevention in the Intermarium

In this academic year, monthly lectures were given as a part of our Intermarium lecture series.

Propaganda, paranoia, and the public interest Dr. Caitlin Schindler, Research Professor at IWP, spoke about propaganda which is once again a subject of US public interest and debate, arguably since the onset of the Cold War in the 1950s. America must develop a measured approach towards propaganda in order to avoid succumbing to continued foreign influence.

Russian Policy in its Neighborhood Georgia’s Ambassador Temuri Yakobashvili to the US and the Co-Founder and President of the New International Leadership Institute, provided insight into the Russian policy in its “neighborhood.”

The fact that Russia has never been a nation state has created a number of identity issues for the Russians. Meanwhile, Russia’s foreign policy has been consistent for many decades; getting access to the warm seas, especially the Mediterranean, means that they must first occupy their neighboring countries which align the warm sea coasts.

Which Orthodox Church in Ukraine? Kirill and Filaret in the Donbas.

Geoffrey Seroka, a student at IWP, gave a lecture on Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church who has been openly criticizing the Ukrainian government and the Maidan movement. The ties between political authority and religious authority have been causing tension in Ukraine. With the frozen conflict continuing, larger churches like the Roman Catholic Church, start to be more vocal in their support for the Ukrainian Orthodox church, which adds to the overall political pressure in the region.

How Does the War with Iran Benefit Russia?

Slovenian War of Independence: Another Perspective

The Many Myths of Marxism As chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, Dr. Lee Edwards has long studied communism and is considered one of the nation’s leading authorities on the victims and crimes of Communism, past and present. Rarely in history has a political movement and its leaders promised more and produced less than Communism and its notorious dictators, Lenin, Stalin and Mao. Russian Lobby in Belarus: Could Belarus be Next after Ukraine?

Franak Viačorka, a journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, once again presented a lecture on the Russian lobby in Belarus as he did during the Eighth Annual Lady Blanka Rosenstiel Kościuszko Chair Spring Symposium.

LECTURES OUTSIDE OF IWP In the academic year 2017/2018, Dr. Marek Chodakiewicz was invited as a guest speaker to a number of prestigious events in the US and abroad. He lectured both on the topics related to Polish and Intermarium history and the contemporary geopolitical developments.

Mrs. Maria Juczewska presented a paper at the Kościuszko Conference organized at the West Point Academy.

Intermarium as an element of historical policy, The Institute of National Remembrance, Warsaw, August 2017 Dr. Chodakiewicz discussed the geopolitical situation in the Intermarium with Berlin, Moscow, and Beijing vying for influence in this part of the world. He focused on energy independence and the best long-term political strategy for Poland.

Brandon Weichert, a former Congressional staffer and the founder of The Weichert Report, goes into detail on how war with Iran benefits Good News

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March 1968: The Soviet Way, Smolensk Commemorative Committee, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, April 2018 Dr. Chodakiewicz explained the external and internal reasons of the anti-Jewish campaign organized in Poland by the Communist party in March 1968.

“What to do when the Russians come? Contingency Planning for the Intermarium,” briefing, US Army War College, Class of 2018, IWP, May 2018 Polish Pride: A Choice, not an Obligation, Polish and Slavic Credit Union, Brooklyn, NY, and Garfield, NJ, June 2018

Mrs. Maria Juczewska lecture

Worlds of Islam, Polonia Christiana, Bemowo District County Hall, August 2017

Dr. Marek Chodakiewicz spoke about the necessity of involvement on the part of Polish Americans and the perspectives for the American Poles in American political life.

Dr. Chodakiewicz introduced the civilization of Islam, explicating its history, religious and legal traditions, and various competing factions within Islam.

The War Effort of the Polish Emigration in America 1914-1920, West Point Academy, April 2018

Taste of Emigration, Polish American Congress Council of National Directors Banquet, Washington DC, September 2017 Dr. Chodakiewicz gave a keynote address on the importance of public diplomacy, lobbying, and involvement of Polish Americans in the political life of America.

Intermarium: US and Canada’s Role, 2nd Oskar Halecki Symposium, Saint Paul University, Ottawa, Canada, October 2017 Dr. Chodakiewicz focused on Canada and the US as heirs and guardians of Western Civilization and on the European continent, pointing to the future challenges crystallizing on the horizon.

Marxism’s Failure Tripped the USSR at the panel on The Failure of Marxism and the Collapse of the Soviet Union, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation’s Centennial Commemoration, Library of Congress, Washington, DC, November 2017 The panel elaborated on how Marx’s ideas are reflected in the revolutionary practice of the Bolsheviks and the establishment of the Soviet Union; the failure of Marxism as economic theory and the collapse of the Soviet Union; Soviet totalitarianism’s war against the intermediary institutions and voluntary associations that compose civil society; and Soviet imperialism, the Captive Nations, and the Cold War.

Maria Juczewska participated in the Kościuszko Conference organized at the West Point Academy to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI. She spoke about the war efforts of Poles in America which led to the creation of the General Haller’s Blue Army and the part they played in the regaining of Polish independence in the years 1918-1920.

GENERAL REMARKS The Kościuszko Chair of Polish Studies has enjoyed a steady stream of visitors from Poland and Intermarium. We have also responded to numerous questions related to our field of expertise from scholars, journalists, and others interested in the region.

PUBLICATIONS 2017/2018 We published over 100 articles during the academic year, including “Ploty o systemie,” [Gossip about the system] Tygodnik Solidarność, 22 June 2018; “Komunistyczna ofensywa propagandowa,” [A Communist propaganda offensive] Najwyższy Czas!, 30 April – 13 May 2018, XLIV-XLV; “Papież i prezydent wypełniają Boski Plan” [The Pope and the President Fulfill a Divine Plan] Tygodnik Solidarność, 9 March 2018; and “Ofiary komuny,” [Victims of Communism] Tygodnik Solidarność, 24 November 2017.

For a full list of publications, please contact IWP through their website.

For more information about the Institute of World Politics, the Kościuszko Chair of Polish Studies, publications and opportunities to donate, please visit their website at www.iwp.edu

Mrs. Maria Juczewska works as an Associate Director for the Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies at the Institute of World Politics in Washington DC. She is a communication specialist with international experience who has earned her degrees in linguistics, translation, and communication in Europe. Her main research interests are topics related to Central and Eastern European affairs. Her natural curiosity combined with enthusiasm for history led to her current studies in international relations with focus on propaganda and disinformation at the IWP. She also writes journalistic reports for American NGOs’ portals.

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CONSULAR INFORMATION Many consular regulations and laws have been changed and amended; some of these changes relate to the application procedure for passports and visas.

Effective June 2009, there is a requirement to appear in person before the Consul General to submit one’s passport application since fingerprints are collected for the biometric database, which can only be done through Consulate Generals.

However, in order to assist Polish citizens in applying for passports, the Consulate General in Washington, D.C. schedules visits

by Consuls to other states and cities in their jurisdiction, including the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Miami. In October 2017, Consuls Barbara Goralczyk and Jaroslaw Goralczyk were in Miami.

To make an appointment, applicants must contact the Consulate General in Washington, D.C. All of the information about passport applications for Polish citizens is available on the Polish version of the Embassy’s website: www.waszyngton.msz.gov.pl

Consuls Barbara Góralczyk and Jarosław Góralczyk

CONSULAR GATHERINGS There are more than one hundred Foreign Consulates in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale (Consulate Generals, Honorary Consulates and Foreign Trade Offices) in addition to the bi-national Chambers of Commerce, all of whom promote and facilitate international cooperation and trade. The Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Poland, covering the southeastern portion of America, is proud to represent Poland and has been a Consular Corps member since its inception in 1998.

Consular Corps meetings are held monthly in Miami and are an excellent opportunity for consuls from all over the world to meet.

Local business leaders, cultural organizations, scientists, educators and government officials are also invited to make presentations about issues pertaining to consular activities, emergency situations and multinational collaborations; they all share key in-

formation in the areas of their expertise. Some of the outstanding speakers have included Mayor Raul Valdes-Fauli of Coral Gables; Mr. Michael Finney, President and CEO of the Beacon Council; and Mr. David J. Kramer, former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor who gave an enlightening and thought-provoking keynote address, “America’s Role in a Turbulent World.” The Consular Corps also organizes a holiday celebration every December where the celebrating countries donate gifts that become part of a special raffle.

The U.S. Consulate of the Republic of Poland is honored to be represented in Miami’s vibrant international community. Throughout the year there are many diplomatic, commercial, cultural and social functions in which the Honorary Consulate can participate and promote Poland and Polonia in South Florida and beyond.

Consular Corps Christmas Party

Mayor Tomas Regalado, Mrs. Beata Paszyc, Mrs. Ana Cristina Regalado

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The Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Poland was established in October 1998. Honorary Consul Lady Blanka Rosenstiel and her deputy, Honorary Vice Consul Beata Paszyc, provide information and perform consular services free of charge.

Although, the Honorary Consulate cannot by law issue, sign or verify any documents, it provides general information and serves as a helping hand to the Consulate General in Washington, D.C. The recent changes in the law require that all passport applications MUST be submitted in person at the Consulates General in the appropriate territorial jurisdiction. However, the Consulate General in Washington, D.C. organizes trips to different locations including Miami, FL to enable Polish nationals to submit passport applications in person closer to their residences.

The locations, dates and times are provided at the Embassy’s website (Polish version only): http://www.waszyngton.msz.gov.pl/en/ Foreigners traveling to Poland who require a Schengen visa can also find all the information on the website and need to apply in person in Washington, DC. All documents are processed at the consular offices serving the state of residence in conformity with their territorial jurisdiction. Please refer to the list of Polish Consulates in the US. The Embassy’s of the Republic of Poland motto: “To

serve Poland – to build Europe – to understand the world”

Consular Division of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in WASHINGTON, D.C. Head of Consular Division Zygmunt Matynia 2224 Wyoming Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008-3992 phone (202) 499-1700, fax (202) 328-2152, e-mail: waszyngton.amb.wk@msz.gov.pl The Consular Division in Washington D.C. serves residents of Alabama, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, American Virgin Islands and other US overseas territories.

Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA Consul General Jaroslaw Lasinski 12400 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 555, Los Angeles, CA 90025 phone (310) 442-8500, fax (310) 442-8515, e-mail: losangeles.polishconsulate@msz.gov.pl Consulate General in Los Angeles serves residents of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Houston, TEXAS Consul Adam Bożko 3040 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 825, Houston, TX 77056 phone (713) 993-9685, fax (713) 993-9685, email: houston.kg.sekretariat@msz.gov.pl Consulate General in Houston serves residents of Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York, NEW YORK Consul General Maciej Golubiewski 233 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 phone (646) 237-2100, fax (646) 237-2105, e-mail: info@polishconsulate.org Consulate General in New York serves residents of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont.

Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago, ILLINOIS Consul General Piotr Janicki 1530 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60610 phone (312) 337-8166, fax (312) 337-7841, e-mail: chicago.kg.sekretariat@msz.gov.pl Consulate General in Chicago serves residents of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin.

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POLAND’S CENTENNIAL COMMEMOR ATIONS

by Marek Jan Chodakiewicz No, Poland is not 100 years old. One can be excused for thinking so; even some official announcements tout “one hundred years of independence.” But that is historically inaccurate, a compromise for the sake of brevity. “One hundred years since regaining independence” is a mouthful and it also leaves out quite a bit of Polish history. As usual, the story is rather complicated.

On November 11, 1918, Poland proclaimed its return as an independent state. It also affirmed the continuity of its history: almost 900 years of its statehood, nearly a millennium of Christianity, and several millenia of the presence of its people in the area around the Vistula River. (India likewise marks its independence in 1947 but there were thousands of years of Indian history before that.)

The only thing that allows Westerners to relate to all this is that November 11 coincides with the Armistice Day, ending World War I, which the Americans celebrate yearly as Veterans Day. But the story of the Polish centennial of freedom requires several codicils. Polish sovereignty is not a linear phenomenon -- it is a tale of euphoria mixed with internal quarrels and foreign interruptions.

The Poles enjoyed their independence in the interwar period, even though from 1926 they found themselves under a comparatively mild left-wing military dictatorship. The government rigged elections but it allowed opposition and free press. Yet Poland sovereignty remained for over twenty years. In September 1939, Hitler and Stalin destroyed the Polish state as World War II broke out, and Poland was driven underground where its re-

sistance units fought against both the Nazis and Communists.

Abroad, the Polish army-in-exile never wavered in the service of the Allied cause on land, sea, and in the air.

In 1944-1945, the Red Army pushed the Wehrmacht out of Poland. There was no liberation. Red totalitarianism replaced the brown one and Stalin was substituted for Hitler. The Kremlin appointed local Communist collaborators to rule over the Poles as Moscow’s puppets for the next 40 years or more. There were periodic anti-Communist rebellions (1956, 1968, 1970, and 1976), but the Communist crushed them ruthlessly each time.

The greatest upheaval came with “Solidarity,” an independence movement masking as a trade union (1980-1989). Buoyed by the election of Karol Wojtyła as John Paul II to Papacy, and capitalizing on the anti-Communism of US President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, “Solidarity” challenged the Soviet-backed regime openly. Although it was driven underground during martial law in 1981-1983, it persevered underground. Then, taking advantage of ill-conceived and ill-executed ‘reforms’ of Soviet Secretary General Mikhail Gorbachev, “Solidarity” re-emerged to challenge the Reds in a parliamentary contest.

Unfortunately, the first elections of June 1989 were rigged because 65% of the seats were guaranteed to the Communists and their allies. The rest were up for contest, and “Solidarity” won all but one of the freely contended slots. Even if they returned a minority contingent freely elected, the unfree elections failed to

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translate into democracy in Poland. Furthermore, there were still Red Army units stationed on their bases, so there was no sovereignty yet.

The regaining of freedom was incremental at that point. The first democratic elections took place in October 1991. Half a year earlier the Red Army had commenced its slow retreat, with the last of the Soviet troops withdrawing on September 17, 1993, symbolically the fifty-fifth anniversary of Stalin’s invasion in 1939. Since then Poland has been sovereign and democratic.

As of 2018, the country has been sovereign for 25 years and democratic for 27 years. Alas, there is no consensus among the Poles about what date to observe from 1989 as the moment of regaining liberty once again. The left and the post-Communists stick with 1989, ignoring the rigged elections. The rest rejects that year, with some citing the parliamentary elections of 2015 which brought populist and patriotic Law and Justice to power as the mark of “full independence,” and even “reclaiming of sovereignty.” Be that as it may, between 1918 and 2018, Poland has been sovereign for 45 years, and democratic for 35 years. For fifty-five years Poland spent in Nazi and Soviet totalitarian chains (6 years under the Third Reich; and 49 under the Soviet Union).

So why celebrate November 11, 1918, as a special date? For several reasons: First, it occurred exactly 123 years after Poland’s disappearance from the maps of Europe. This was an unprecedented eradication of an ancient state. The medieval Kingdom of Poland grew into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (14th to 18th centuries) which was the largest, most powerful, and freest nation in Europe. Kings and parliaments were elective. Over one million citizens had a vote and it was pre-modern times. It exceeded in number and freedom both Greek democracy and Roman Republic.

Habeus corpus applied since 1436; no taxation without representation was enshrined in the constitution since 1505; and freedom of conscience, not only for Christians but also for Jews and Muslims, obtained from 1573. The Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania, the Rzeczpospolita, was partitioned by its predatory neighbors -- Russia, Prussia, and Austria. The carving up of the Polish-Lithuanian state took place in three installments: 1772, 1793, and, finally, 1795. Vienna abstained once, but Berlin and St. Petersburg persisted throughout those years. Thus, in 1918, the Poles celebrated the resurrection of the old Commonwealth reincarnated in the Second Republic.

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Second, as the partitioning empires collapsed because of World War I, the Poles won their own freedom by the valor of their arms.

They fought seven border wars and insurrections, including, most notably, the Polish-Bolshevik War (1919-1921), the only time in history anyone defeated the Red Army in the field.

Third, Polish diplomatic delegates held their own and then some against sometimes hostile or indifferent Western Powers at the Peace Conference at Versailles and before then. They swayed the United States of America to the Polish side, and Americans of Polish descent volunteered en masse for the Polish armies in exile.

Finally, if all that is not enough, there is also the rich history of the past 1,000 years.

Thus, November 11, 2018 encapsulates the efforts of generations and the heritage of the Polish State which existed in a variety of forms before its momentous and felicitous conversion to Christianity in 966. Additionally, there is archeological evidence of state and regional organization dating back to the ancient times, including stone constructions from some 2,000 years ago.

DNA research suggests that the denizens of contemporary Poland descend from Eurasian settlers who originated in the Iranian plateau, but put their roots down between the Vistula and Bug rivers perhaps some 3,000 years ago. It is really a long, Polish story.

Happy Independence Day!

EMBLEM OF GOOD WILL Perhaps there has never been a more extraordinary gift given by one nation to another than the 111 volumes presented to the United States by Poland on the 150th anniversary of American independence. These volumes consist of a declaration of admiration signed by an estimated 5,500,000 Polish citizens, representing more than onesixth of the total population of Poland in 1926.

For almost the entire history of the American republic, Poland’s political life had been dominated by foreign, autocratic powers, and Poles had looked to the US as a model of political organization and to American democracy as a promise for their own future. It is, therefore, not surprising that Poland, only eight years after regaining independence from foreign rule, chose to mark the 150th anniversary of American independence.

The idea of having the Polish people participate in celebrating America’s holiday was introduced in February 1926 by the American-Polish Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Poland, established in 1921, and the Polish American Society, founded in 1919 by renowned Polish composer and statesman Ignacy Paderewski. These two organizations invited various government departments, the municipality of Warsaw, and other important Polish institutions and associations to appoint thirty delegates to a national Sesquicentennial Committee to determine an appropriate tribute.

The Committee decided to present the United States with a declaration expressing the esteem, gratitude, and friendship of the people of Poland. This remarkable document would include

the signatures of the President of the republic, national and regional officials, religious authorities, members of social organizations, and faculty and students of the major universities, as well as millions of Polish schoolchildren. As organized by Polish American leaders and executed in part by leading contemporary Polish artists, the Ksiega Pamiatkowa (album) became a multi-volume compendium of signatures, original artwork, fine calligraphy, official seals, photographs, and decorative bindings.

Many Poles were well-read in the Enlightenment philosophers whose ideas informed the thinking of the founders of American democracy. Thus, the struggle of the thirteen American colonies to win their independence excited the imagination of the Polish people.

Numerous Poles who were already in America or came here to offer their services fought in the Revolutionary Army.

Among the better known was Tadeusz Kosciuszko (1746-1817), who arrived in America in 1776 and participated in numerous campaigns under Generals George Washington and Horatio Gates. For his service, Congress granted Kosciuszko the rank of brigadier general.

Another well-known Pole who fought for American independence was Kazimierz Pulaski (1747-1779), who arrived in America in 1777. Pulaski fought in the battles of Brandywine, Warren Tavern, Germantown and Haddonfield and later took part in relieving the siege of Charleston, South Carolina, and is considered the “father of American cavalry.”

Excerpted from the Introduction in the catalogue, Emblem of Good Will - A Polish Declaration of Admiration and Friendship for the United States of America (1926), text by Zbigniew Kantorosinski. Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Polish Declarations of Admiration and Friendship for the United States. Washington, D.C. 1997

Find the complete text and volumes of these beautiful volumes in support of America from Poland at: www.loc.gov/collections/polish-declarations/about-this-collection www.loc.gov/rr/european/egw/polishex.html

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WOMEN OF INFLUENCE II

By Lynne Schaefer

We are pleased to once again present a few Polish women whose names may not be familiar to you but who went above and beyond the expected feminine roles of their times. Each of them has left an imprint that reverberates today in one way or another. We have all benefited from their courage, kindness, single mindedness and intelligence, and our collective history is much richer and exciting because of the blazing paths they forged into unknown territories for women. We honor these women of influence.

Daring to Learn In the 1400s, a teenaged girl was so desperate to attend school, she dressed up as a boy and enrolled in the University of Krakow. Girls had little or no chance of attaining an education, including basic reading and writing skills during medieval times, and attending a secondary school was strictly forbidden. But this Polish girl was different.

There are many stories that have been told about the legend of Nawojka for over six centuries, none of which can be definitively confirmed. One is that she was the daughter of a teacher who taught her the basics and imbued her with a longing for knowledge. Another claims that her hand was already given by her family to a local man and she fled to Krakow to escape marriage. Still another rumor says she inherited a fortune and had the means to deceive the authorities. Whatever is true, Nawojka was a mystery then and she remains a mystery now.

But what is known is that she did attend the University of Krakow as a boy. She wore the male’s voluminous school robe and large peaked hat and changed her name to either Andrzej or Jakub. She managed to fool everyone for at least two years; her skills and acumen earned her great respect at the university and she was considered a budding scholar. In fact Nawojka was Krakow’s first female graduate. And then the mysteries and rumors continued.

Supposedly she became ill and when forced to a medical examination, he was discovered to be a she. Or was her identity found when she was captured by the guards at the home of a prominent Krakow attorney and merchant? Did she get caught in a torrential rain storm only to have her robes cling to her womanly shape? Whatever caused Nawojka’s deceit to become public, when asked why she had disguised 32

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her gender, she simply answered, “For the will of learning.” There is some evidence that she was remanded to a convent to atone for her sin and to find forgiveness for daring to learn.

Today this brave and determined young woman is commemorated by a street named Nawojka in Krakow, and a Jagiellonian University hotel and woman’s dormitory proudly bear her name as well.

Rebel Princess Anna Wazówna was born in Sweden on May 17, 1568. Her father was the soon to be Swedish king and her mother was a Polish princess from the Jagiellon family and sister to King Sigismund II Augustus of Poland.

Anna was raised in the Catholic faith by her mother and was quite active in the church, but after her mother’s death, she converted to Lutheranism due to fundamental conflicts she had with Catholicism. This conversion stood in her way throughout most of her life - she faced strong opposition from many other European royals regarding marriage to any son or brother in their Catholic families, and her religious beliefs caused tension and distrust among the citizens both in Sweden and Poland. Nonetheless, she was not swayed by public opinion and pursued her beliefs with a passion.

In 1587 Anna moved to Poland at the request of her Aunt Anna Jagiellon and was present at her brother Sigismund’s coronation as the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. Unfortunately her life at the Polish royal courts was not good; her Lutheran ideology and the prayer masses she offered to all brought her a lot of negative attention.

She went back and forth between Poland and Sweden for the next five years due to her belief in spiritual freedom and because of the political changes within her family, particularly when her beloved brother Sigismund succeeded to the throne of Sweden at the death of their father in 1592. In Sweden, Anna’s involvement in a religious riot further damaged her public appeal and then she became embroiled in a dispute over the dowager Queen’s affects. Eventually, she returned to Poland in exile. She died in 1625.

From her youth and through her twenties, eligible men were suggested as sound matches for a successful marital union and several suitors requested her hand in marriage, but she rejected them all. It is believed that she had given her heart and soul to her father’s first cousin, Count Gustaf Brahe, a future general in Poland, whom she had known since they were children.

Although they never married each other, they never married anyone else either, and they remained truly devoted to one another throughout their lives. Gustaf left Sweden for good to be by his lady love’s side and he too spent the rest of his life in exile in Poland.

Anna Wazówna, or Anna Vasa of Sweden as she was known, was not the typical lady of her circumstances. While the other women in the Polish court dressed in Spanish fashions, she dressed only in the more exotic clothes from France; while the others complied to arranged marriages to further family power and finances, she refused to not have love; while others followed in the same steps as their parents especially in

such an important aspect of life as religion, she forged new ground. While in Sweden, she became knowledgeable of herbal medicines and used them to heal royal subjects and she intervened when possible for those of the lesser classes in love. Anna was a renegade, a woman who defied the female conventions of her time and who stood by her convictions.

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The Collector One of the most influential women in Poland’s Enlightenment period during the eighteen century was Princess Izabela Czartoryska. She was a politician, writer and art collector who founded the country’s first museum.

Izabela Fleming (1746 - 1835) was born into nobility, the daughter of Count Georg Detlev von Flemming and Princess Antonina Czartoryska. When she was 15 years old, she married the renowned politician and statesman, Prince Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski. and became a member of the immensely powerful Czartoryski family.

Like all girls during that time, her early education was restricted to the basics, but she persisted in learning as much as she could, eventually writing and publishing poems, stories, travelogues and garden34

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ing guides. She travelled widely through Europe with her husband (sometimes disguised in men’s clothing) and met with luminaries such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire and Benjamin Franklin - all who were bringing new ideas for change.

During the next twelve years, it was rumored that Princess Czartoryska had an affair with the Russian Ambassador to Poland, General Nikolai Vasilyevich Repnin, who was said have fathered her first child, Adam Jerzy Czartoryski, in 1770. She also strayed from her marriage with Armand Louis de Gontaut, Duc de Lauzune, who publically claimed he was the father of her second son, Konstanty Adam Czartoryski, born 1773.

In 1775, Izabela and her husband renovated the entire Rococo style Czartoryski Palace at Puławy and opened its doors as an intellectual and political meeting place.

Because of her progressive ideas, the Palace hosted some of the most liberal and exciting discussions and productions in Poland. Izabela also designed the gardens which were considered the finest in all of Poland and superb examples of English inspired landscaping. She was also the patroness of the young Polish artist, Aleksander Orlowski. But it did not matter that she brought beauty, grace and a fresh energy to the country, her liberal lifestyle and freedom of thought branded her as scandalous and lascivious among the general population.

Izabela’s dreams for a better Poland led her and Prince Adam to join the Stronnictwo Patriotyczne, the Patriotic or Reform Party, in 1784. Considered Poland’s first political party, it aimed to strengthen the ailing political machinery of the Commonwealth, to bolster its military, and to re-

duce foreign political influence, particularly that of the Russian Empire. By 1794, the failure of the Kosciuszko Uprising ended Poland’s hopes of succession from Russia, and the Palace in Puławy was plundered and burned by the Russians in retaliation for the Czartorysk’s support of the rebels.

In her usual forthright manner, Princess Izabela began the huge undertaking of rebuilding the palace in 1796 and turning it into a museum. Numerous benefactors supported her vision and within a short period of time, she and her family were able to accumulate a substantial collection of Polish historical material and also valuable relics of European history and culture. Among the first objects to be included were Turkish trophies that had been seized

by Polish King Jan III Sobieski’s forces at the 1683 Battle of Vienna. By 1797, she had opened the Temple of the Sibyl honoring “the past to the future.” Her son, Adam Jerzy, acquired Italy Leonardo da Vinci’s “Lady with an Ermine” and Raphael’s portrait “A Young Man” for the museum in 1798. And in 1801, Izabela introduced The Temple of Memory, containing objects of sentimental importance pertaining to the glories and miseries of human life. When the 1830 November Uprising began, Adam Jerzy and his mother evacuated the museum of most of the objects that had been collected for four decades before they fled to Paris.

Izabela Czartoryska died in 1835 a few years after the insurrection. Her heirs have managed the vast archives of art, artifacts, sculptures, manuscripts, historic documents and other priceless works that she collected. In 2016, the Polish government signed an agreement with the privately owned Princess Czartoryski Foundation to purchase the collection, which is recognized as one of Europe’s most significant private art collections. All of the pieces that remain - some were looted and stolen during WWII and have not been found - will continue to be housed and displayed in the National Museum in Krakow. Her bountiful legacy lives on in the Poland she envisioned over two centuries ago.

Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci

Did you know.... ...that one of the first female women academicians in Poland during the nineteenth century was also a vigilant activist for women’s rights in all aspects of life?

Stefania Wolicka-Arnd (1851 - after 1895) was born in Warsaw, which was part of Russia at the time. Despite opposition by the Russian government who decreed that women could not receive an education, especially one in another country, she received her doctoral degree in philosophy at the University of Zurich, Switzerland in 1875. Stefania’s dissertation was published and earned her the deserved reputation as a feminist and activist for women’s rights. She wrote for publications and became a popular and respected voice of gender equality, particularly in education.

During the early 1870s, Russia forced the expulsion of many women students and teachers in Zurich. They believed these women were dangerous radicals and put some of them on trial, eventually convicting and imprisoning them. Although Stefania was not one of them, because of her visibility and defiance of the expected standards of feminine behavior, she and her husband were forced to leave Switzerland and relocate to her homeland. Back in Poland, she continued to publicly address women’s issues and struggles, and was considered a pioneer for the advancement of women. In 1895, she published an article in the Polish law journal, Athenæum, titled, “Twenty five years of the parliamentary struggle for the rights of women.”

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THE POLISH LECTURE SERIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, 2017-18

by Kyrill Kunakhovich

A packed house

During the academic year 2017-18, UVA’s Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies organized four events as part of the Polish Lecture Series at UVA. In the Fall semester, we welcomed Dr. Łukasz Michalski, director of the State Publishing Institute in Warsaw, who spoke about “Polish Culture under Nazism and Stalinism: Cultural Losses of 1939-1956.” Dr. Michalski’s talk attracted a standing-room-only crowd of students, professors, and community members. We were especially honored by the presence of two special guests from the American Institute of Polish Culture: Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, AIPC’s founder and benefactor of the Polish Lecture Series, as well as Dr. Michel Pawlowski, AIPC’s Chair for Polish Studies.

In the Spring semester, the Series featured three talks by leading American historians of Poland, all on the theme of Protest and Resistance. Dr. Kathryn Ciancia, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, delivered the first talk, “Between Empire and Nation-State: Poland’s Eastern Borderlands and the Interwar World.” Dr. Ciancia is a board member of the Polish Studies Association, the leading professional organization for scholars of Poland in the US. Her presentation focused on Volhynia, a region currently divided between Poland, Ukraine, and

Dr. Padraic Kenney

Dr. Kathryn Ciancia

Belarus, to explore how the Polish Second Republic sought to consolidate a national identity after gaining independence.

Later in February, UVA welcomed Dr. Marci Shore, Associate Professor of History at Yale University. Dr. Shore is the author of numerous articles and books, including Caviar and Ashes: A Warsaw Generation’s Life and Death in Marxism, 1918-1968, the winner of the 2007 Kulczynski/Orbis Book Prize in Polish Studies. At UVA, she spoke about “‘The Solidarity of the Shaken’: Poland, Ukraine, and the Metaphysics of Revolution.” Her talk demonstrated the enduring legacy of Poland’s centuries-long fight for freedom and self-determination. As Dr. Shore showed, the democratic protests in Ukraine in 2014 were heavily inspired by Poland’s peaceful revolution in 1989. The packed audience included John R. Davis, Jr., US ambassador to Poland from 1988 to 1990.

This year’s final speaker was Dr. Padraic Kenney, Professor of History and International Studies at Indiana University. Dr. Kenney is a past president of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, the preeminent academic organization in the field. He is also the author of six books about Polish history, including Rebuilding Poland: Workers and Communists, 1945-50, which won the Kulczynski/Orbis prize in 1998. Dr. Kenney’s talk drew on his most recent book, Dance in Chains: Political Imprisonment in the Modern World (Oxford University Press, 2017). Entitled “A Community Behind Bars: Prisoners in Polish Politics,” it discussed the experience of political imprisonment in Poland from the 19 th century to the present day.

The Polish Lecture Series at UVA continues to enjoy wide popularity, with average attendance of 35-40 guests per talk. It is an invaluable resource for our students, who called the talks “fascinating,” “compelling,” and “enlightening.” The Series has become well known and well respected across the University, with co-sponsorship from the Corcoran Department of History and the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. It is also a tremendous asset for Charlottesville’s Polish community: one community member wrote to say that it was “really an intellectual feast.” As always, we remain grateful to Lady Blanka for making the Series possible, and look forward to a new slate of stimulating talks next year.

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Prof. Dariusz Tolczyk, Dr. Lukasz Michalski, Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, Dr. Michel Pawlowski, Ms. Karen Nuelle

TIME FOR REPAR ATION TO POLAND

by Dr. Michel S. Pawlowski On October 17, 2017, Dr. Lukasz Michalski, Director of the State Publishing Institute in Warsaw, Poland presented a lecture entitled, “Polish Culture Under Nazism and Stalinism: Cultural Losses of 1939-1958” as part of the Blanka Rosenstiel Lecture Series at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Dr. Michalski gave a riveting presentation to a standing room only crowd of students and faculty of UVA. He addressed a well thought out campaign of conspiratorial multiple crimes against civilization and humanity.

Poland’s history and culture were significantly impacted due to the events of World War II when the country was invaded from the West by Germany (September 1, 1939) and shortly after by the U.S.S.R. from the East (September 17, 1939). Poland was then divided into two occupied zones under three different administrations, and in less than three months, Poland was incorporated into the Soviet Union.

Dr. Michalski pointed out that it is estimated between 6 million to 7.5 million citizens of Poland were casualties of World War II alone. What is specifically missing to date are records from the Soviet Union of Polish citizens lost or decimated during the War and its aftermath. If one were to compare this data with the U.S. population, 38

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it reflects 0.35% of the U.S. population, however, this figure alone reflects an impact on over 13% of the Polish population during World War II. To understand the real significance of this decimation of the Polish population, one has to examine the direct targeting of specific elements of the Polish population to crush the culture, history and national identify of the people by both the Germans and the Russians. By 1945, the following were targeted as the best and brightest of Polish people who were systematically eliminated: 39% physicians, 33% teachers, 26% lawyers, 28% priests, and 30% researchers.

This was meant to deal a cultural and historical blow to the identify of the Polish people and nation - a travesty and a systematically planned genocide. This is a crime for which both Germany and Russia need to be exposed on the international stage; a reprehensible war crime that demands retribution from both of these countries. Poland was essentially beheaded because of the loss of her elite.

The total national losses are not fully estimated today. There should be consideration given to reinstitute reparations from both German and Russian atrocities committed on Polish land. For example,

out of 957 historical buildings, 782 were destroyed. This equals 77% completely destroyed with all their cultural and historical material. Out of an estimated 50 million of all library resources, over 35 million, or 70%, were destroyed. More than 2,800 paintings by the European Masters were destroyed or stolen, over 11,000 Polish paintings destroyed or stolen, and 1,500 sculptures lost. In addition, over 15 million old and extremely rare books and documents were destroyed or stolen - 75,000+ manuscripts (including medieval ones), 22,000+ old printings, 25,000+ old maps, and 300,000+ graphic materials.

The above figures do not include irreplaceable musical instruments that the Germans burned or stole that include, just from Warsaw alone, about 500 grand pianos, musical libraries, priceless antiquities, and melody/musical equipment. Untold numismatic collections of coins, paper money and medals were also destroyed or stolen. Over 26,000 school libraries and over 1,000 academic institution libraries were destroyed.

This was a massive criminal assault on Polish history and culture...a war on civilization. This deliberate act of cultural destruction did not stop after the war but continued during communist oppression until at least 1948 when the Russian Army withdrew from Poland.

During the years of 1944 through 1945, the cities that were the most important Polish centers of culture were Vilno, Poznan, Warsaw, Cracow, and Lvov. The cultural centers of Vilno and Lvov were lost, and the city of Gdansk was given to Germany.

Poland was catastrophically changed to a country with a shattered infrastructure.

This was a deliberate plan to crush and destroy cultural development.

Information is one of the four elements of national power. It is very important to understand that the destruction of culture was implemented through information warfare by nationalizing all of the bigger and more visible elements of a totalitarian society: »» Press, magazines, publishing houses; »» Galleries and museums; »» Concert halls, philharmonic orchestras, professional orchestras, opera and ballet houses; »» Artistic and public schools and academic systems at all levels; »» Live theatre and movie theatres; and »» Live multimedia broadcasting.

In essence, the State now maintained 100% control of all media, schools and universities, and nationalization of all books and libraries was an important means of deculturalization. The totalitarian society forced official styles in literature and “surrealism” in all arts. There was full control of employment by the State so that if you did not conform to the new cultural norm, you became a forced unemployed citizen where, as a result, you died of hunger or disease. This totalitarian oppression was depicted in Andrzej Wajda’s last film, Afterimage.

There was an imposed censorship on everything. The Communist Party made all decisions on all cultural life matters and an agreement from them was needed for anything, anywhere, at any time. They oversaw emigration policy so that there was forced migration in some instances where individuals did not conform to Party standards. Not only was publishing closely screened, but exhibitions and compositions, with the exception of the Catholic Church who were limited to events in small halls.

An example of strict cultural control is evident in the mid-1940s publication of Tygodnik Powszechny (Catholic Weekly). Everyone was fired because it was classified as a rebel publication that did not conform to the Communist norm. Composer Andrzej Panufnik, poet Czeslaw Milosz and filmmaker Andrzej Wajda are examples of targeted artists. The Communists made all decisions on cultural life matters, and artistic events and social activities were delegated to no one. A living, breathing example of George Orwell’s 1984 scenario.

There are hundreds of examples of how State control led to persecutions, such as Labour Party Chairman Jerzy Braun and political activist and journalist, Rev. Jan Piwowarczyk who were imprisoned and persecuted by communist Secret Service officers.

Other public figures who were totally banned from any public activity include sociologist Jan Szczepański, poet Zbigniew Herbert, playwrite Jerzy Szaniawski, and resistance fighter Zofia Kossak-Szczucka. Historian Pawel Jasienica was reported to the SS, author Stefan Kiselewski was beatan by “unknown perpetrators,” and actor Jerzy Zawieyski and artist Antoni Slonimski died in strange circumstances. They all actively opposed censorship and communist actions.

Polish children were also targeted during Nazi oppression.

During World War II, several thousand children were taken away from their families and forced to emigrate from South Poland to Germany where they were educated in the effort to eliminate their cultural roots. Where was and is the world’s outrage against this atrocity? Who were the specific individuals responsible for this?

Another cultural attack during Marshall Law occurred on December 13, 1981 when, for a 24-hour period, all phone lines were purposely put out of service. Over 1 million Polish people were impacted and more than 15,000 citizens were unable to call for an ambulance for medical issues and treatment. Many died or were permanently damaged and suffered long term consequences.

And yet, despite all the horrific acts, the cultural roots and soul of the true Polish people prevailed in the end.

Someone asked the question during the lecture, “Can culture be developed in a totalitarian regime?” The questioner did not understand that a society developed under totalitarianism is a culture that is against something, not for something. It is a culture that prohibits artistic expression in every venue and holds the throat of freedom of expression. True artistic expression requires freedom. There is always danger when you have State control of the population and expression in literature, music, and all of the

arts. In a totalitarian society you have no place to run; you are a captured victim.

This was beautifully illustrated in the powerful and masterfully made film Afterimage by Oscar-winning Polish director, Andzrej Wajda. It chronicles the life of Wladyslaw Strzeminski, iconoclastic artist and educator, whose work clashed with the Stalinist ideology of postwar Poland, and vividly recounts Strzeminski’s struggles with the darkening skies of totalitarianism. His story serves as an inspiration for all of us seeking the courage and strength to speak truth to power in today’s political climate.

Neither Russia nor Germany have paid reparations to Poland for their iron fisted attack on the Polish people and its culture.

In one two month period, the Germans were responsible for the death of over 250,000 Polish people during the Warsaw Uprising.

The Russians were positioned on the Eastern edge of the city to provide help to Poland, but they deliberately did nothing to save the citizen during the uprising.

It is important to point out that Dr. Michalski provided data and figures during the lecture which are cited in this article, but these are limited to documents that are, to a large degree, from Germany and whatever was left from the destruction of Polish property during the war. What is also not known is the extent of reports and data available from Russia. These records are not normal State public archives. Who knows what additional horrible atrocities the Communists visited upon Poland are secreted behind lock and key? In-depth research in their archives may be able to give us answers on their policies and decision making during World War II. Russia must open its archives for World War II research on what was done to the institutions, culture and people of Poland.

It is time for Russia and Germany to pay reparation to Poland for her lost lands and properties and most of all for people who were killed, deported, tortured, sent to prison and were exposed to cruelty during the WW II and years of Russian occupation.

Michalski Poster

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RECOGNIZING OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS Every year AIPC presents awards to a handful of people who make a difference, had a significant impact or have gone beyond the norm to ensure that our world is a better place. We are honored to be able to showcase their accomplishments during our annual International Polonaise Ball and to celebrate with them all the wonderful contributions made by Poles and Americans of Polish heritage. The Ambassador of the Republic of Poland confers the Amicus Polonaie upon someone who has done a tremendous amount of good for and within Polonia and is considered a friend of Poland.

On February 9, 2018, we recognized four outstanding people, and we are proud they are part of the Institute family. AIPC’s Gold Medal was accepted from Lady Blanka by Senator Anna Maria Anders on behalf of recipient Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

Conrad and Ivona Lowell were honored with a Special Recognition from Lady Blanka, and Dr. Eduardo Padron accepted the Amicus Polonaie from Counselor Pawel Gebski from the Embassy of the Republic of Poland.

Mateusz Morawiecki

was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Poland on December 11, 2017. His lifelong commitment to building an independent and financially strong nation makes him the perfect candidate to take on such a key role in shaping Poland’s future.

Mr. Morawiecki championed for Polish rights from a very young age and he was a very visible activist during his teenage years. He went on to university studies and received an MBA from the University of Wrocław, and is an alumnus of Central Connecticut State University, the University of Hamburg and the University of Basel. By 1991, he had created two publishing companies, and in 1994 he completed an internship at Deutsche Bank with a primary focus on financial market supervision and restructuring.

His expertise, experience and leadership has been evident in several fiscal areas such as participating in the negotiations of Polish accession to the EU. During the ensuing two decades, Mr. Morawiecki lectured in economics and held several supervisory roles at various banking and industrial organizations in Poland, including serving as Chairman of the Bank Zachodni WBK. He also co-authored the first law textbook in Poland, The Law of the European Union.

In early 2016 he presented what has become known as the “Morawiecki Plan” to encourage economic growth and govern40

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ment spending. By the Fall of 2016, he was appointed Poland’s Finance Minister for Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, and a few months later he took on the duties of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development.

Prime Minister Morawiecki has received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career, but it is the Cross of Freedom and Solidarity bestowed to him in 2013 that best sums up a life lived in service to his country. It is given to those who dedicated their life for the benefit of independence and sovereignty of Poland and respect of human rights. In 2015, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of Polonia Restituta for extraordinary merits in supporting and promoting Polish culture and national heritage.

Eduardo J. Padrón, Ph.D, President of Miami

Dade College, is a leader in innovative systems and reforms in higher education. His early years gave him a unique perspective that has greatly benefitted the communities he serves, and his commitment and dedication to anyone who is willing to learn has been recognized many times over.

Eduardo Padrón arrived in Miami as part of the Operation Pedro Pan exodus of Cuban minors emigrating to America in 1961.

He graduated Miami Senior High School, then Miami Dade College (MDC), and completed both his Masters and Ph.D in Economics at the University of Florida. He had a job lined up with DuPont, but instead joined the faculty at MDC, eventually becoming the college’s President in 1995.

Dr. Padrón has engineered a culture of success at the College that annually produces impressive results in student access, retention, graduation and high academic achievements. In addition, MDC is recognized as having more students from underserved communities than any other university in America. Dr. Padrón’s tireless advocacy for initiatives in progressive teaching and learning strategies has created an outstanding record of student successes every year. The College has been hailed as a model of innovation and accomplishment, and for its catalytic effects on social and economic changes.

He has served on several commissions and boards that impact all areas of education, and he is the recipient of countless awards and accolades for his leadership role in higher education. President Bill Clinton recognized Dr. Padrón as one of America’s foremost educators, President George W. Bush nominated him to the National Institute for Literacy Advisory Board and the National Economic Summit, and President Obama appointed him Chairman of the White House Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. Several nations and royal families have honored him, including Spain’s King Juan Carlos II who bestowed upon him the Order of Queen Isabella, the Republic of France named him Commandeur in the Ordre des Palmes Academiques, and in 2016 King Mohammed IV appointed him Honorary Consul in Florida of the Kingdom of Morocco.

During Dr. Padrón’s tenure, the College has avidly supported Polish endeavors in the US, including many in collaboration with the American Institute of Polish Culture such as presenting keynote speeches from distinguished personalities, exhibiting dynamic artists and presenting films that received awards at MDC’s Miami Film Festival.

Conrad J. Lowell emigrated from Poland to the United States in 1978. After a short stay in New York he moved to San Diego, CA to attend the State University there and graduated with a B.S. in Business and a B.A. in French. During his studies he was chosen to spend an academic year at the University Aix-enProvence in France.

After graduating, Conrad moved to New York City where he worked for a few years as a business system analyst for Prudential-Bache Securities on Wall Street. His entrepreneurial nature led him to export products from America to Poland. In 1990 he imported Polish magazines to the U.S., and within three years, the Lowell International Company was incorporated in the State of Illinois, importing magazines and food products from Poland.

Conrad met Ivona, who had graduated with a Masters in Business from Wroclaw University of Technology, in December 1999, and they were married at Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral in 2001. Together, Conrad and Ivona have grown the organization to become the biggest importer of food and beauty products from Poland to the U.S. With two distribution facilities in Franklin Park, IL and Edison, NJ - they market over 15,000 premium products from Poland and other European countries, and sell 300 products under the Lowell Foods label. The Lowell brands can be found in almost every state at international and ethnic stores.

On March 1, 2006 Conrad was inducted into the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame in recognition of his business achievements, his company’s philanthropy in the community and for the preservation of Polish culture in the United States. The Lowells regularly provide support in the Chicago and New York Polish communities, charitable organizations and Polish schools.

AIPC has also been a recipient of their generosity and friendship.

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POLAND AND HUNGARY A HISTORIC ALLIANCE Pole and Hungarian - two brothers, good for saber and for glass.

Both cour ageous, both lively.

May God bless them.

This 16th century saying is an homage to the thousand years of friendship that have existed between Poland and Hungary.

A long-time alliance like this is very special. It is a testament to the great trust and admiration that has grown between them.

They not only shared an historic border but they have been aligned in common interests, lifestyle decisions, national temperament, democratic politics and historical events throughout the centuries. From the time of the Middle Ages, the ruling classes of both countries recognized that a unified front would be a great benefit in exchanging ideas and skill sets, defeating invaders and enriching their respective lands.

Both Hungary and Poland have blurred the boundaries of their respective countries several times, most notably in sovereignty and military kinship. Louis I was the King of Hungary and Croatia from 1342 to 1370, and then reigned as the King of Poland from 1370 to 1382. His daughter, Jadwiga, ruled Poland for 15 years - 1384 until her death in 1399. During the 1400’s, both countries briefly shared the same King, Poland’s Wladyslaw III of Varna. In 1576, the Poles elected Prince Stephen Bathory of Transylvania, Hungary as their new King who implemented several military reforms in Poland and encouraged Hungarian sabre making. Polish engineer, Ottoman pasha and military strategist General Jozef Bem became a Hungarian hero during the revolution of 1848.

King Stephen Bathory

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Queen Jadwiga

The bond between them is so strong that during the 1919–21 Polish–Soviet War, after the Polish government had been overthrown, Hungary offered to send 30,000 cavalry to Poland’s aid regardless of the post-WWI Czechoslovakian demilitarized zone on the border, and several of their munitions trains made it into Poland. By 1938, the countries had unified to restore the border to their control. When the Germans invaded Poland in 1939, part of Hitler’s strategy was to move Nazi troops from Hungary through the shared border and into the southern regions of Poland. Admiral Miklós Horthy, the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary, roundly squashed this plan, a decision that enabled thousands of militia to escape out of Poland. During subsequent years when both countries were forced to adhere to communism by the Soviets, they bravely helped and supported each other during the Polish October and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, furthering strengthening their allegiance.

On March 12, 1999 these two free and democratic countries joined NATO, and on the same date in 2007 Hungary’s Parliament declared March 23rd as “Hungarian-Polish Friendship Day.” In February 2016, with a unanimous vote and standing ovation, Hungary’s Parliament decreed that 2016 was the Year of Hungarian-Polish Solidarity.

Two nations - two brothers indeed! Ten centuries of friendship and mutual acceptance is a truly remarkable achievement.

King Louis I

Save the Date The 47th International Polonaise Ball

Celebrating the Historic Alliance Between Poland and Hungary Saturday, February 9, 2019 at 7:00 pm Sunday Brunch, February 10, 2019 at 11:30 am Eden Roc Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida organized by The American Institute of Polish Culture www.ampolinstitute.org 305-864-2349 info@ampolinstitute.org

The 46th International Polonaise Ball in Miami

100 Years of Poland’s Independence and Centuries of Polish-American Relations

Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, Consul Darek Barcikowski, Senator Anna Maria Anders, MP Daniel Kawczynski

Four hundred guests from the U.S., Europe, South America and Asia gathered at the Eden Roc ballroom in Miami Beach on Saturday, February 10, 2018 to celebrate Poland’s 100 years of independence and to honor her centuries long cooperation with America.

The grand International Polonaise Ball, organized annually by The American Institute of Polish Culture, has acquired a remarkable reputation and is considered one of the most prestigious Polish American events in the world. And as she has for 46 years, Lady Blanka Rosenstiel presided over the evening among the VIP guests - dignitaries, government officials, diplomats, celebrities, scientists, artists, and scholars.

The evening began with a cocktail reception in the hotel’s iconic Mona Lisa Room and then it was on to the Grand Pompeii Ballroom, where emcee Douglas Evans invited the participants of the Opening Polonaise to take their places on the dance floor. This elegant promenade of a centuries old royal tradition is a wonderful start to a glamorous and festive occasion. Afterwards, Lady Blanka welcomed everyone for joining her and the Institute in celebration and for supporting the arts and education.

Every year AIPC recognizes extraordinary people for their important contributions in America and for highlighting what Poland has given to the world. The newly sworn in Prime Minister

Provost William Baeslack, III, Dean John Stack, Dr. Krzysztof Palczewski, Mr. Grzegorz Fryc, Lady Blanka, Mr. Michal Lisiecki, Mrs. Cindy Joskowiak, Hon. Consul Robert Joskowiak

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Mr. Conrad Lowell, Mrs. Ivona Lowell, Lady Blanka

Dr. Eduardo Padron, Counselor Pawel Gebski

Ms. Ana Marie Brajnovic, Mr. Jan Drozdz, Mrs. Malgorzata Markowska, guest

Senator Anna Maria Anders, Lady Blanka

Ms. Ilona McGregor, Countess Barbara Pagowska Cooper, Mrs. Schmitz, Archbishop Thomas Wenski, Ms. Claudine Smurfit, Ms. Liliana Komorowska, Ms. Anna Maria Porowski, Mr. Grzegorz Soszynski

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Mrs. Barbara Bolec, Lidia Bolec, Mr. Marcin Bolec

of Poland, Mr. Mateusz Morawiecki, was the recipient of the Institute’s highest honor, the Gold Medal Award, for his years of serving Poland and stimulating economic growth, and fostering excellent relations with the U.S. He spent his career in leadership roles in financial sectors not only in Poland, but other European countries as well, and his wealth of expertise and knowledge are sure to be advantageous in shaping Poland’s future. The award was graciously accepted on his behalf by Senator Anna Maria Anders from Lady Blanka.

Poland’s “Amicus Poloniae” was received by the internationally recognized and respected President of Miami-Dade College, Dr. Eduardo J. Padron for his outstanding efforts in promoting cooperation between Poland and the U.S. Dr. Padron has spent decades working as an advocate for innovation in education and for actively

Ms. Halina Malinski, Ms. Kasia Siuta, Mr. Jan Siuta, Ms. Barbara Edelmuller Generaux, guest

Ms. Ola Gintrowska, Mr. Janusz Liberkowski

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Ms. Marcelina Baucher

Mr. Slawomir Platta, Consul Sabina Klimek, Marshall Adam Bielan

Ms. Lynne Schaefer, Mrs. Beata Paszyc

Mrs. Elzbieta Wnuk, Prof. Stanislaw Wnuk

Baron Jason Psaltides, Dr. Pat Riley

Mr. John Bussel, Dr. Laura Alonso, Mrs. Beata Paszyc, Mr. John Frank Velez

Ms. Beata Drzazga, Lady Blanka, Ms. Justyna Weber, Dr. Maria Ogonowska-Wisniewska, Mrs. Teresa Garvin

Mr. Tom Szynakiewicz, Mrs. Kasia Zak, Mr. Jakub Medrala, Hon. Consul John Petkus

Dr. Krzysztof Palczewski, Dr. Janina Styperek, Dr. Januariusz Styperek, Dr. Grazyna Palczewski

Mr. Jan Karaszewski, Mrs. Izabella Karaszewski

encouraging all students to achieve their highest dreams.

Counselor Pawel Gebski bestowed the award on behalf of the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Washington, DC. Conrad and Ivona Lowell, the owners of Lowell International Company in Chicago, the largest distributors of imported food from Poland and Europe, were awarded a Special Recognition by Lady Blanka. Not only does their business exemplify the great American success story, but their philanthropic efforts include regularly do-

Lady Blanka and MP Daniel Kawczynski with the Polish American Folk Dance Company

nating Lowell Food products to those in need in Polish communities throughout the U.S. including AIPC. They were sponsors of this Ball and donated hundreds of pounds of sweets for the guest goodie bags.

Among the guests at the Ball were Consul Sabina Klimek, Head of Trade and Investment for the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland; Provost William Baeslack, III from Case Western Reserve University and his wife Barbie; MP Daniel Kawczynski, a member of England’s Parliament; Consul John

Seated (l-r); Mr. Jacek Schindler, Mrs. Julia Gessner, Mr. Raimundo Diaz, Mrs. Raquel Jarosz, Mr. Zbigniew Jarosz Standing (l-r): Dr. William Anderson, Mrs. Barbie Freeman, Mr. Paul Lundrum, Mrs. Karen Lundrum, Mr. Andrew Denmart, Dr. Julianne Grayson

Mrs. Henya Betras & Mr. Joseph Betras with friends

Seated (l-r): Dr. Januariusz Styperek, Dr. Sanjay Srivatsa, Dr. Krzysztof Palczewski, Dr. Stanislaw Wnuk Standing (l-r): Mrs. Stacy Langenderfer, Dr. Janina Styperek, Mrs. Katarzyna Dorosz Srivatsa, Dr. Grazyna Palczewski, Dr. Wojciech Cymer, Mrs. Elzbieta Wnuk

Seated (l-r): Dr. Anna Luszczynska, Dr. Rebecca Friedman, Ms. Nancy Stack-Savoie, Mr. Pedro Botta Standing (l-r): Mr. David Kramer, Mr. Isiah Thomas, Dr. Markus Thiel, Dean John Stack, Ms. Maria Elena Torano, Dr. Michael Hughes, Mr. David Skipp

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Dr. Ewa Piencentile, Mrs. Ludmilla Wrobel, Dr. Jerzy Wrobel, Mr. Piotr Nowocien, Ms. Agata Gac, Mrs. Iwona Nowocien

Seated (l-r): Mrs. Paulina Trochimiuk, Mr. Pawel Trochimiuk, Mrs. Anna Lukaszek Guerrero Standing (l-r): Mr. Mikolaj Bauer, Mr. John Frank Velez, Mr. John Bussel, Dr. Laura Alonso, Ms. Lynne Schaefer, Mrs. Beata Paszyc, Ms. Ewa Grzybowska, Mr. Ignacio Guerrero, Mr. Douglas Evans

Ms. Susan Cox, Mrs. Rose Kruszewski

Dr. Jack Pinkowski, Mrs. Pinkowski

Mrs. Anna Niziol & Mr. Robert Niziol with friends

Ball guests

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Mr. Zbigniew Slabicki, Mrs. Anna Slabicki

Mr. Alexander Lubanski, Ms. Marta Lefik, Ms. Kasia DeMare, Mr. Peter Nowak, Ms. Maria Villarroel, Mr. Patrick Misciewicz

Petkus from the Honorary Consulate of Las Vegas; Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and Henya Betras, and Miami’s Archbishop Thomas Wenski.

It was such a pleasure to see so many new faces too. Grzegorz Fryc, President of the Pangea Network USA and a longtime friend of the Institute, organized the second 60 Million Congress, a global gathering of entrepreneurs connected to the Polish diaspora, in Miami to coincide with the Ball and of his guests attended for the first time. These included TV news correspondence, Rita Cosby; the President of the Polish Club of Denver, Kasis Zak; and Bartosz Skwarczek, CEO of international business, G2A.COM. Another large symposium was also held in Miami to give the participants - who were primarily from Poland - the opportunity to attend the Ball. The Polish-American Leadership Summit 2018, a project

by Poland businessman, Michal Lisiecki, focused on creating direct business relations between Poland and the U.S. and Central/ South America. Among those who flew from Warsaw to the U.S. on a private charter were Jerzy Kwiecinski, Minister of Investment and Economic Development of Poland, Tadeusz Kocinski, Undersecretary of State and Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Technology of Poland, and members of the Kanceleria Sejmu.

The artistic program by Alexandra Silva’s incredible Miami-based New Century Dance Company performed charming dance routines reminiscent of old Hollywood movies. New York City’s Polish American Folk Dance Company led by director An-

drzej Buczek showcased beautiful waltzes, and Marcelina Beucher sang a soaring aria that filled the room. To top it all off, the evening’s fantastic band, Eight Note, kept guests on the dance floor for hours, elevating the fun, liveliness and joy that brings so many successful people from all over the world back year after year.

The International Polonaise Ball is a wonderful opportunity for guests to meet, network and have a great time. It is truly a night to remember!

Mr. John Frank Velez, Mrs. Beata Paszyc, Mr. Krzysztof Porowski, Mrs. Paulina Trochimiuk, Mr. Pawel Trochimiuk

Seated (l-r): Mr. Adam Brozek, Mrs. Anna Bielicka, Mr. Lukas Lupinski Standing (l-r): Mr. Marcin Bolec, Consul Darek Barcikowski, Mr. Lukasz Holubowski

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Mr. Krzysztof Porowski, Mr. Tadeusz Kościński - Minister of Investment and Development

Dr. Eduardo Padron, Marquis Alex Montague, Mr. Jim Eroncig

Seated (l-r): Ms. Zdzislawa Jakubiak, Mrs. Eva Korzeb, Mrs. Barbara Gabis Standing (l-r): Mrs. Ewa Jozefowicz, Mr. Janusz Jozefowicz, Dr. Kasia Gabis Castro, Mr. Stanisław Gabis, Mr. Kazimierz Korzeb

Ms. Nicoletta Csop, Mrs. Natalia Staszewski, Ms. Sasha Staszewski, Mr. Zygmunt Staszewski, Ms. ­­­­­­­­­­­­Lily Bekteva

Dr. Marek Pienkowski, Mrs. Joanna Pienkowski

Mr. Kamil Szymański, Ms. Anna Dudtkiewicz, Mr. Tom Szynakiewicz, Mrs. Kasia Zak, Mr. George By Byczyński, Mr. Bartosz Skwarczyk, Mr. Piotr Nowak, Mrs. Rita Cosby, Mr. Tomaczek Bednarek, Mr. Gregory Fryc, Mr. Piotr Lacek, Ms. Marta Lefik, Mr. Alexander Lubanski, Mr. Mariusz Bernatowicz, Mrs. Anna Klonowski, Mr. Zbigniew Klonowski

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A Ver y Special Brunch

Sunday, February 10, 2018 Hosting a lovely brunch on the day after a black-tie event is the perfect way to wind down a formal occasion and an excellent opportunity to network. Held in the Pompeii Ballroom at the Eden Roc Hotel, it offers a casual atmosphere in a grand setting, a delicious array of foods and four hours to mingle with dozens of VIPS, friends and members of The American Institute of Polish Culture.

The Polish American Folk Dance Company entertained with traditional dances and posed for photos with the guests.

Dr. Michel Pawlowski, a member of the Institute’s Board of Directors and the Polish Studies Chairman, was the Emcee during the day. Successful Polish business women featured in a book by Kinga Langley were recognized by the Institute.

At the conclusion of the Brunch, Lady Blanka thanked everyone for their continued generosity and kindness in supporting the Institute’s mission that has remained unchanged for 46 years. It was a fantastic weekend of celebration!

Hon. Consul Robert Joskowiak, Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, Mrs. Cindy Joskowiak

Consul Sabina Klimek, Mr. Jan Karaszewski, Mrs. Izabella Karaszewski, Mr. Janusz Liberkowski, Mr. Andrzej Bytnar

Consul Darek Barcikowski, Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, Mrs. Joanna Bolec, Mr. Marcin Bolec

Mrs. Bozena Zaremba, Ms. Wanda Urbanska, Dr. Michel Pawlowski, Ms. Eva Baker

Mrs. Roza Toroj and Mr. Grzegorz Okon with the Polish American Folk Dance Company

Mrs. Elzbieta Chrzanowski, Mr. Zbigniew Chrzanowski

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Mrs. Beata Paszyc, Archbishop Thomas Wenski, Nel Velez-Paszyc, Lydia Bolec

Ms. Lynette Janac with a friend

Mr. Ana Maria Brajnovic, Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, Archbishop Thomas Wenski

Mr. Mariusz Majchrzak, Ms. Joanne Staron

Lydia, Nel, Stas, Sophia, Alicja

Dr. Pat Riley, Dr. Marek Chodakiewicz, Ms. Wanda Urbanska

Polish American Folk Dance Company

Mrs. Ivona Lowell, Mr. Conrad Lowell

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Mrs. Joanna Wiela, Mrs. Klaudia Juniewicz, Mrs. Jolanta Knight

Ms. Lynne Schaefer, Mr. Zbigniew Slabicki

Sitting (l-r) Mr. Leonard Nock, Ms. Liliana Komorowska, Ms. Iga Henderson Standing (l-r) Dr. Ewa Piacentile, guest

Ms. Barbara Stephens, Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, Dr. Irena Siemiginowski

Anniversary Concert

Saturday, November 17th, 2018 | 7:00pm Morris W. and Fannie B. Haft Theater 227 West 27th Street New York, NY 10001

For more information, please email: secretary@pafdc.org Connect with PAFDC

www.pafdc.org

Tickets priced at $30 Adults, $25 Seniors & Children under 12 Tickets can be purchased at: Music Planet 649 Manhattan Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11222 718.383.2051

beginning October 10th, 2018

Join Lady Blanka Rosenstiel in

SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF

POLISH LEADERS

LIVE & LEARN IN

PRAGUE This scholarship fund, created by Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, provides funding for college students from Poland to attend the American Institute on Political and Economic Systems (AIPES) in Prague, Czech Republic each summer. The premier leadership program, sponsored by The Fund for American Studies, is designed to explore the political, economic and cultural issues of the world as it grows under democratic principles. AIPES embodies diversity and culture as its cornerstone to educating future leaders. Make a contribution today, and provide a student from Poland with an unparalleled educational experience. Contact Ed Turner at 202-986-0384 or eturner@TFAS.org to contribute to the Lady Blanka Rosenstiel Scholarship Fund today!

Visit www.TFAS.org to learn about all of the programs sponsored by The Fund for American Studies.

CONNECT: @TFASorg

Aleksandra Wójtowicz

POLISH STUDENTS SPONSORED AT AIPES

by Matthew Kwasiborski Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, President of the American Institute of Polish Culture, has been sponsoring Polish students going to the American Institute on Political and Economic Systems (AIPES) since 1999. Thirty-five percent of the Polish students (45 of 129) who have benefited from this great academic and cultural experience have received scholarship support from Lady Blanka Rosenstiel.

AIPES was launched by The Fund for American Studies (TFAS), in partnership with Charles University in 1993. The program takes place each summer in Prague, Czech Republic. It was the first international program organized by TFAS, which now hosts other programs around the world for students in the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America.

This summer, AIPES 2018 welcomed 100 students from 37 countries to Prague for the 25th annual Institute. The 2018 Institute began on July 7 and ended on July 31. We are pleased to have hosted Ms. Aleksandra Agnieszka Wójtowicz, who joined us this summer for the institute. While attending AIPES, Aleksandra, along with the rest of the AIPES class, have been studying conflict management, the political economy of liberty, and political philosophy. We have four outstanding faculty members from Georgetown University (2), California State University/San Marcos, and Texas Tech University. All participants take four exams in each subject and provided they are successful they will receive nine ECTS credits from Charles University.

In addition to our core curriculum, AIPES welcomed Mr. Pavol Demes, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and a key member of

the Velvet Revolution. Mr. Demes spoke about his role shaping civil society in Slovakia while forming an effective foreign policy in Slovakia after the Velvet Divorce.

Our Polish participant also had a great opportunity (along with her colleagues) to present her cultural heritage to the rest of the group. Each year, AIPES hosts a cultural presentations evening, so that the students are able to share their country’s history and culture.

On July 30, 2018, the AIPES 2018 students attended a formal graduation ceremony at the beautiful 14th century Carolinum, a great symbol of Charles University. We are honored to host Mr. Pavol Demes, as mentioned above as our recipient of our AIPES Freedom Award.

As a new graduate of AIPES 2018, Aleksandra now join the ranks of nearly 18,000 alumni of TFAS, representing more than 100 nations around the world.

The Fund for American Studies wishes to thank the American Institute of Polish Culture, especially Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, for their continued support of Polish students attending AIPES. We are proud of all of our Polish alumni, and we hope that the future leaders of Poland continue to attend AIPES thanks to Lady Blanka Rosenstiel and the American Institute of Polish Culture.

Donations to the Lady Blanka Rosenstiel Scholarship Fund can be made on the TFAS website at https://tfas.org/programs/international-programs/prague-czech-republic/

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STAR-STUDDED WEEKEND

by Joseph Mikolaj Rej, Jr. Buffalo, New York was a hub of activity for Poles and Polish-Americans on July 21-23, 2018. The Western New York (WNY) Polish community held ten Polish related events, including the 73rd Polish Happy Hour Buffalo which kicked off the 40th Annual Polish American Arts Festival, the Trail of Hope exhibit opening, the 60 Million Conference (Global Polonia Summit), 100th Anniversary of Poland Regaining its Independence Gala, and the 80th Annual General Pulaski Parade.

The Polish Happy Hour Buffalo is the largest monthly Polish event outside of Poland, hosting up to 1,500 guests at a time. The Happy Hour began as a way to connect those involved in the Polish community with those who had become disconnected and to bring in new people who had never been involved. Since its first event in 2013, the event has raised more than $100,000 for Polish churches and other non-profits in the Buffalo/WNY area.

The Secretary of State of the Republic of Poland, Anna Maria Anders, was on hand to cut the ribbon for the Trail of Hope exhibit which pays tribute to her father, the great Polish General Władysław Anders. He and his troops overcame horrific obstacles when crossing from the Soviet gulags and Iraqi deserts on foot to Britain. Also present were Honorary Consul Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, founder of The American Institute of Polish Culture and the Chopin Foundation, and Adam Kownacki, the 8th ranked boxer in the world and number 1 in Poland.

A global Polonia summit, the 60 Million Conference, brought leaders from all across America and Poland. Discussion panels covered a wide range of important topics such as the state of Polonia, how to tap into the vital resource of 10 million Polish-Amer58

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icans, the role of Polish women in shaping the future of Polonia in the US, and capitalizing on Poland’s economic success. Those involved in the conference included Secretary Anders; Consul General of the Republic of Poland Maciej Golubiewski; Honorary Consul Lady Blanka Rosenstiel; Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland Darek Barcikowski; Elizabeth Kociański-Copeland, best known as WWE Hall of Famer, Beth Phoenix; Adrian Kubicki from Polish LOT Airlines; Conrad and Ivona Lowell of Lowell Foods International; and Brian Rusk of the General Pulaski Association.

Several local government officials took part as well, including US Congressman Brian Higgins whose district has more people of Polish heritage than any other district in America.

Niagara Falls in white and red

The 100th Anniversary of Poland Regaining its Independence Gala featured proclamations presented to Secretary Anders and three other individuals were recognized: »» Joseph Mikolaj Rej Jr. was awarded the WNY Polish American Citizen of the Year for organizing over 100 Polish related events in the area since 2013 and helping to raise more than $100,000 for local Polish non-profit organizations and churches. »» Actor Loretta Swit received the Polish American ICON Award.

Ms. Swit is internationally renowned for her role as Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the television series M.A.S.H., which still holds the record for the most watched program in television history. »» Lady Blanka Rosenstiel was honored with the Polish Culture Lifetime Achievement Award. Lady Blanka is considered by many to be the First Lady of Polonia. She has led her non-profit, The American Institute of Polish Culture, for 47 years in supporting and presenting lectures, books, films, and exhibitions that share the rich heritage of Poland and its contributions to America. Her other non-profit organization, the Chopin Foundation of the United States, has been guiding gifted young American pianists to achieve their dreams in classical music since 1977.

Everyone took part in the 80th Annual General Pulaski Parade in honor of the 100th Anniversary of Poland regaining its Independence. The largest Polish flag in the US was suspended over the parade by a hook and ladder fire truck. Disco Polo music star, Junior, performed along with various dance groups and bands from the region and Canada.

This exciting weekend put the spotlight on the Buffalo/WNY Polonia community. More than a dozen buildings or landmarks were lit up in white and red in honor of Poland, including Niagara Falls. Joseph Rej, the organizer of the entire weekend said, “ A lot of preparation led up to this weekend, the who’s who of Polonia showed up, the celebrities came, and all the stars aligned. Buffalo/WNY Polonia is a community of approximately 350,000 people - proof that Polish pride is strong here. TVP gave over two and half minutes of television coverage of the weekend to its 10 million plus viewers! While people can see Polish patriotism is alive in Buffalo/WNY with all the white and red colors and lights everywhere, it is my hope they see this Polonia is OPEN FOR BUSINESS.”

Mr. Joseph Mikolaj Rej, Mr. Adam Srzoczyk, Mrs. Patrycja Srzoczyk, Sen. Anna Maria Anders, Mr. Grzegorz Fryc Sen. Anna Maria Anders, Mrs. Rita Cosby, Mr. Brian Rusk, Mr. Tomaczek Bednarek

Traditional Polish costumes

Hon. Consul Darek Barcikowski, Lady Blanka Rosenstiel

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RETURN TO WARSAW

by Thomas Swick In summer, Warsaw smells of linden trees. The remembered scent greeted me promptly, as even the street leading in from the airport is lush with leaves. They help soften the blow of gray apartment blocks.

I headed, as I almost always do, to Krakowskie Przedmieście.

When I lived in Warsaw in the early ’80s, I would use the street, with its reconstituted grandeur, as a refuge from the drab, dilapidated city beyond. On recent visits back, having seen more cities, I had begun to think of Krakowskie Przedmieście as possibly the world’s most perfect street. It is infinitely cozier than Fifth Avenue, and much more varied than the regimented Champs-Élysées.

In the space of only a few blocks it contains all the classic elements of a great urban boulevard: shops, galleries, bookstores, restaurants, cafes, gracious apartment houses, baroque and neoclassical churches, historic palaces (including the president’s), a grand hotel (Bristol), a fine university, diminutive parks, and heroic statuary honoring, among others, a pope, a poet, and an astronomer.

Krakowskie Przedmieście is more than a thoroughfare; it is a capital and a culture, distilled to their essence.

On this bright June afternoon it looked better than ever. (The nostalgia that normally accompanies a return to a former home is magnificently tempered when that home was formerly Communist.) I walked with summery crowds past sidewalk cafes in a soothing but puzzling calm – until I realized that there was no traffic. The perfect street had found the perfect solution (at least for the weekend).

Heading toward the Old Town, I came across a bench with a button at one end. I pushed the button and unleashed the Grand Polonaise Brillante, Op. 22. The writing on the bench, in Polish and English, informed me that it had been from the building across the street, in 1830, that Fryderyk Chopin had left Warsaw on a stagecoach to Vienna, “never to return.”

Krakowskie Przedmieście – its treasures now with musical accompaniment – began its descent into Plac Zamkowy.

Tour groups swarmed the cobblestones of Świętego Jana Street.

Because it was rebuilt, the Old Town is sometimes criticized for being Disneyesque. Such complaints usually come from people who have never seen it deserted on a winter’s night. It is an exquisitely detailed, faithfully rendered, and now a well-worn replica of the original. It is long past its days as the commercial heart of the city, and so has the feel more of an attraction than of a vibrant urban center. But it is far from being what one might call plastic.

I bought a delicious oat cookie and entered the Rynek. Children danced around the fountain at the base of the Syrena statue, and the Cepelia shop teemed with colorful wooden sculptures. Saints, angels, peasants, shepherds, mountaineers in traditional dress, whole wedding parties, and crowded nativity scenes. Many of the figures possessed an endearing mixture of piety and whimsy – and told me clearly I was back in Poland.

This essay is adapted from Swick’s book, The Joys of Travel: And Stories That Illuminate Them.

Thomas Swick taught English at the English Language College in Warsaw from 1978-79. During 1980 through 1982, he wrote about his experiences in his first book Unquiet Days: At Home in Poland. From 1989-2008, he was the travel editor of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. His work has appeared in numerous national magazines and literary quarterlies, as well as in six editions of The Best American Travel Writing. His most recent book, The Joys of Travel: And Stories That Illuminate Them, contains a story about his return to Warsaw to visit the prison where his wife was born. He and Hania live in Fort Lauderdale.

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The Last Goodbyes MY MOTHER IRENA

by Magdalena Grocholski

“Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality”

Emily Dickinson

Irena was born December 24, 1919 at the family estate in Smolice, Poland. At the age of 20, her education was interrupted by WWII when Germany invaded Poland. The entire family relocated to Warsaw where Irena became a messenger for the Resistance. She was caught and imprisoned, along with her sister Maria, in Warsaw’s infamous Pawiak Prison. A few months later, she was released for a lack of evidence.

She married Andrzej Findeisen, a Home Army officer and had two children. My brother Andrzej was born 23 days after my father was killed on the second day of the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. When WWII ended, she looked for ways to support us, and with a good grasp of the English language, she was hired by the American Embassy.

In 1947 the Soviets began their political purges and Irena was imprisoned because she was employed by the American Embassy. Foreign languages were considered suspicious, and all employees of the Embassy and their friends were convicted of espionage after a trial based upon trumped-up charges. She endured two years of a brutal, unimaginable torturous investigation and was ultimately sentenced to ten years in the political prison system. When Stalin died seven years later, Irena was granted her freedom.

Her knowledge of English and her mathematical skills helped her make the decision to pursue a career in science. She became an interpreter at the Warsaw Polytechnic Institute, where she also met and married Stanislaw Bellert, a great mathematician who was being considered for a Nobel Prize. Irena received a MA degree in English Philology and was offered a position as an Adjunct Professor. Upon graduation, 62

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she also accepted a one year scholarship to MIT where she studied under famous linguists. Back in Warsaw, she resumed her studies and received her PhD in 1964.

Irena was part of numerous symposiums, she lectured all over the world, and she wrote 38 scientific abstracts on a fairly unknown topic--formal linguistics.

When the University of Warsaw refused her request to extend a sabbatical leave in Canada in 1974, she made the difficult decision to remain in Canada as a Professor at McGill University in Montreal, where she taught for 20 years until she retired. It was the beginning of a “new” life of freedom. She was free to travel and free to attend conferences and scientific seminars whereever she chose.

In her retirement, Irena became active in different foundations among Polonia, such as the Romer Foundation, and she founded the Canadian Heritage Foundation. At her home outside of Montreal, she met with well-known Polish artists, writers, scientists and politicians. In 2007, Poland’s President Lech Kaczynski awarded 45 women who were victims of the Stalin prisons and Soviet repression the Cross of the Knight of the Order of Polonia Restituta–orders conferred for outstanding achievements in the field of education and social. My mother was one of these women.

She could not attend but wrote a letter that was read during the ceremony: “When I was arrested during Stalin’s oppression, I had to leave my little children aged 4 and 5 years old. For two years, until the end of the trial and my imprisonment for 10 years, I did not know anything about their fate. I did not sign any “confession” nor any incriminating testimonies made up by the investigative “officers.” I was [eventually]

“The Way to our Goals is not Easy”

1

found innocent and was rehabilitated, but no one can give me back those seven years during which my children were in the orphanage. Today, I want to say thank you for remembering us and for honoring our sacrifices.”

My mother Irena was a trailblazer, a courageous spirit whose creativity, curiosity and compassion never wavered. She died peacefully on December 17, 2017 at the youthful age of 98.

1

The title of Irena’s memoirs

A ZEST FOR LIFE The American Institute of Polish Culture was fortunate to have among its friends and members a memorable person who lived life to the fullest; a person who embraced all, who set the bar high for himself and enjoyed lifting others up and helping them find success. He was generous in spirit and spread a love of books, education, classical music and the arts.

Marvin Leibowitz was born on April 7, 1928 outside of Chicago. After he finished high school, he was deployed to Japan during the Korean War. By 1955 he was living in Miami, where he began a business, ABC Distributing, Inc., a unique mail order company that thrived for over 50 years and employed more than 1,000 employees. His philanthropy, leadership skills, wisdom and allaround goodwill earned Marvin countless friends and great respect over several decades.

An easy-going, fun-loving person, Marvin enjoyed telling anecdotes but perhaps his favorite story was how he met the love of his life. On a flight back from Poland, the land of his forefathers, he met Columbia-born Isabel. They talked the whole trip and the rest, as he would say, is history. They married and raised three beloved children.

Marvin passed away in February 2018. His smile, humor, advice and support will be truly missed.

RENAISSANCE MAN

by Magdalena Grocholski On July 16, 1933, Ignacy Grocholski was born to Remigiusz and Barbara (née Czetwertynska); he was their sixth of ten children.

He grew up loving skiing, a passion that began as it was the only transportation to school during the winters. Eventually he became a professional skier, although he never surpassed the skill of his older sister, Barbara Kurkowiak, who was an Olympic competitor and winner of 26 gold medals.

After his studies, Ignacy became an accomplished architect in Poland, designing Zakopane style homes, and he also opened an architectural office in France. His work can be seen throughout the world. He moved to Miami in 1977 because he loved the warm climate, beautiful foliage and exciting Latin culture, and he continued working as an architect and a general contractor.

Ignacy was fluent in several languages. He loved to read and had hundreds of books on his shelves in English, Polish, French and Spanish. He also played the organ and piano and composed his own pieces. He was eager to share his strong faith, cultural views and opinions with his extended family, and he was always interested in their lives. He inspired everyone to find their dream and to go for it.

Ignacy Grocholski was a Renaissance man with a strong character, curiosity about life and an adventurous spirit. He died on March 7, 2018. His piano composition “Mournful Eulogy” was played at his funeral.

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GENER AL EDWARD LEON ROWNY

The arms negotiators Edward L. Rowny, left, and Paul H. Nitze at a briefing in Washington in 1983.

Credit: Teresa Zabala/The New York Times

Edward Rowny was born in 1917, the son of a Polish immigrant and a Polish-American mother, and he had great pride for his heritage. He participated in returning Ignacy Jan Paderewski’s remains to Poland in 1992, and later he founded the Rowny-Paderewski Scholarship Fund to bring Polish students to the U.S. to study American-style democracy.

Rowny graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1937 and, because he felt war in Europe was imminent, immediately entered the United States Military Academy (West Point). He graduated in 1941 and began a 38-year career in the U.S. Army. In World War II, Gen. Rowny led a battalion with the 92nd Infantry Division driving up the west coast of Italy. He was on Gen. McArthur’s staff when the Korean War began in 1950 and was a planner of the Inchon Landing. In addition to seeing combat with the X Corps, he helped to evacuate thousands of troops trapped near the Chosin Reservoir by airdropping a bridge.

Early in the Vietnam War, he proved the viability of arming helicopters and creating a sky cavalry for fighting counterinsurgency operations.

In 1973, President Nixon appointed Gen. Rowny as the Joint Chiefs of Staff Representative to the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). He served under Presidents 64

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Nixon, Ford, and Carter until retiring in 1979. President Reagan appointed Gen. Rowny as his first Chief U.S. Negotiator for the new Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) with the rank of Ambassador.

During Reagan’s second term, Ambassador Rowny served as his Special Advisor on Arms Control. He was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal with a citation reading “Rowny was one of the chief architects of peace through strength.”

During his Army career, Gen. Rowny earned MAs from Yale in Engineering and International Affairs and a Ph.D in International Studies from The American University. He retired in 1990 after completing almost 50 years of continuous government service. He went on to write several books about his experiences including It Takes One to Tango in 1992 about his service to five presidents as an arms control negotiator. At the age of 96, he wrote a memoir, Smokey Joe & The General and in 2014 he assisted in writing a third book, West Point ’41, The Class That Went To War and Shaped America.

He had a beloved hobby that he began as a boy. After winning a contest selling newspapers and receiving a harmonica, he played ever since, including, sometimes, for the Soviets he was facing at the negotiating table. “He made his first YouTube video at the age of 94 playing the harmonica,” his son Michael Rowny said, “the first of several.”

Edward L. Rowny passed away in Washington DC on December 17, 2017 at the age of 100 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in honor of his lifetime service and dedication to America. He was preceded in death by his first wife of 47 years Mary Rita in 1988, and is survived by his second wife of 23 years, Elizabeth (Betty) Rowny. He is also survived by five children, ten grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren, and a step child and a step granddaughter.

“After swearing me in, President Reagan asked me, ‘Do I now address you as ambassador or general? ’ ‘Sir, it took me 20 years to become a general,’ I said, ‘and only 20 minutes to become an ambassador.’

“The president stood up, saluted sharply, smiled and said, ‘Yes, sir, General.’”

excerpt from Smokey Joe & The General

AN ACCOMPLISHED WOMAN Barbara Marta Wachowicz was an esteemed biographer of Poland’s most influential people, and she enthusiastically extolled everything that encompassed Polish accomplishments. She found joy in writing and her numerous non-fiction books, film and theatre scripts, short stories, publicity pieces and other literary endeavors were widely popular; her involvement with photography, radio, TV and exhibitions also earned her great respect throughout Poland. Lady Blanka was an avid fan and their friendship spanned many decades.

Born in the village of Podlasie in 1937 to parents who were soldiers in the Home Army, young Barbara was a witness to the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 and other history-changing events in Poland during WWII. She was so determined to tell the true stories of the Poland she knew, that she pursued and received a degree in journalism at the University of Warsaw and another degree in film history and theory at the Higher School of Theater and Film in

Lodz. She was a long time member of The Polish Writers’ Association and The Association of Authors (ZAiKS), both located in Warsaw. She was married to set designer, Józef Napiórkowski, for 58 years.

Ms. Wachowicz received several awards and honors during her lifetime. For her outstanding efforts she was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta and the Education 21st Century Award - the “Polish Nobel” for tirelessly promoting culture, patriotism and the beauty of the Polish language. The American Biographical Institute dedicated The 2008 Great Women of the 21st Century to her. In 2018 she was awarded the Golden Cross of the Pilsudski Union and was nominated for the Polish Lexicon of the 100th anniversary.

Barbara’s signature color was purple and it was as much a personality trait as was her passion and love for Poland. Her clothes, stationery, book covers, hats, jewelry - really everything - were always in shades of purple. She created a visual per-

sona that stood out from others and suited her charm, whimsical outlook and positive approach to life.

Prof. Lech Ludorowski, the Chairman of Towarzystwo im. Henryk Sienkiewicz, stated that Wachowicz was “...a unique phenomenon of our time...an authority in the biographies of the great Poles.”

Ms. Wachowicz died on June 7, 2018 and was buried in the historic Powązki Cemetary in Warsaw. She will be truly missed.

In Memoriam Marvin Leibowitz 1928-2018

Beloved partner, friend and humanitarian.

He strived to make the world a better place.

May The American Institute of Polish Culture continue to do the same.

Isa Leibowitz and Family Good News

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THE COUR AGEOUS HEART

by Dr. Markus Thiel

Irena Sendler with people she saved

Ms. Sendler is among the “Righteous Among the Nations” at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem (which honors the approximately 7,000 Poles who saved Jews, the largest group in the world). Nonetheless, her acts of heroism were largely unknown outside of Europe until the 21st century, when a group of teenage girls in Kansas wrote a play, “Life in a Jar,” that became a national hit. Ms. Sendler was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, and she died in 2008 at the age of 98 years old.

“Every child saved with my help is the justification of my existence on this Earth, and not a title to glory.”

Irena Sendler

Dr. Markus Thiel, Lady Blanka, Mrs. Christine Caly-Sanchez

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Every Thursday evening from May 10 to May 31, 2018 the Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence at FIU presented European-themed outdoor movies free of charge on WALLCAST, a soaring, 7,000-square-foot projection wall that uses striking visual and audio technology, at the New World Center Soundscape Park in Miami Beach. This exciting month-long program was established in coordination with the European Consulates of Poland, France, Italy and Spain, as part of the diplomacy grant, “Getting to Know Europe.”

To kick off the series, the Polish film The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler was shown, giving the audience an inside look at the full extent of Polish Catholics’ involvement in the underground movement against the German occupation in World War II and their efforts to save Jews under dire circumstances. Poland was the only country that the Germans decreed instant death to any citizen, their families and possibly their entire village who harbored or helped Jews. The film depicts the true story of the Polish Catholic, Irena Sendler, who was part of a clandestine organization, Zegota, which was established in 1941. She was instrumental in saving the lives of almost 2,500 Jewish babies and young children from the brutality of the Warsaw ghetto. The children were smuggled out and handed over to convents and foster families who raised them as their own, avoiding their certain deportation to the death camps.

Irena Sendler, a social worker who posed as a nurse as it would give her open entry into the Ghetto, risked her life and the lives of other selfless Poles who helped her, many times over by her sheer willpower and bravery. Irena’s commitment, compassion and love for other people never wavered and her audacious acts in the ever-present threat of torture and death are rarely surpassed.

The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler captivated the audience on May 10 th in its portrayal of a woman who refused to be broken, of a Polish heroine who stood up to her country’s oppressors, and of a community who risked everything to save the lives of their fellow countrymen.

Wallcast in Miami Beach

SPEAKING THE TRUTH “My name is Bozenna Urbanowicz and I am a Polish Catholic Holocaust survivor.”

“Bozenna’s written work has been a staple of my 6th Grade English curriculum for almost ten years. Her words impact my students and will continue to live on in them, as she leaves an indelible mark on young minds. She has spoken in person to my students on several occasions, as well as at my Catholic church, and it is my pleasure to call her a dear friend.

She has brought something very special to my career, to my family, and to my life.”

Danielle Lyon Middle School English Teacher, BS MS, Miami, FL

This is how I introduce myself when I talk about my life to young students. Usually the teacher has prepared the students before I arrive. When I visit and speak at schools, most educators are anxious to hear my story, but there are always those who are not open-minded nor very interested in what I have to say. That is fine with me as it does not deter me from speaking my truth. I show up on time and tell the students what hate did then, does now, and will continue to do if we do not change.

I tell them about my family and how we survived the Holocaust during WWII. During the Q & A period that usually follows my presentation, at first the students sit quietly, thinking. And then suddenly, as if a dam has broken, they begin talking at once, asking dozens of questions. I answer each and every one of them slowly, making sure they understand. This is very important to me. One of the most frequently asked questions is, “How come we are not taught this part of history?” I encourage them to discuss this with their Principal and other school leaders. At the end of my talks, the children stand up, applaud, stomp their feet on the gym bleachers, and sometimes

even call out “Grandma! Grandma!” -- an endearing name given to me by students in Florida.

One of my most gratifying moments was a meeting with a very well-dressed woman in my village of Southampton, who said, “I know you.” I answered, “But I don’t know you.” She quickly replied, “You wrote a book about the Holocaust, Children of Terror, which I use in my classes alongside The Diary of Anne Frank.” She was a teacher from, I believe, Illinois. I thought to myself... with teachers like her, our students are in good hands.

My book is also available in Polish as Przerwane Dziecinstwo and in German as Forloren Kindheit.

EXCERPTS OF A SPEECH DELIVERED BY BOZENNA’S SON STEPHEN TO THE US CONGRESS ON MARCH 12, 2018

Stephen and Tim Gilbride

My name is Stephen Gilbride and I am here today in a personal capacity to deliver a message from my mother. (...) I am the son of a survivor of the atrocities inflicted on Polish citizens by Nazi Germany throughout WWII. In my early twenties, I learned more details about my Polish-Catholic grandmother who survived several concentration camps, experiments, sickness and starvation. In 1984, I attended the Catholic University of Poland in Lublin, Poland.

I was present when the country faced down Soviet suppression with the U.S. supported Solidarity movement. I have personally visited Poland several times since attending University there to learn more about my heritage and the history of Poland. I have visited the German

death camps including Auschwitz and Majdanek where almost twenty-five percent of the German Holocaust victims were non-Jewish undesirables. (...)

Please vote against the JUST Act of 2017 because this act discriminates against Polish Catholic Holocaust survivors like me. While the Act recognizes and redresses the suffering of 3 million Polish Jews, the suffering of 3 million ethnic Poles and other non-Jewish victims is notably omitted and effectively excluded. The United States must not discriminate against non-Jewish, racial, ethnic nor religious groups whose members may be in the same position as Jewish claimants of atrocities and losses.

This legislation sanctions open discrimination

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of ‘other victims of Nazi persecution’ such as Polish Catholic Holocaust survivors and their descendants. Such exclusion of non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust creates the appearance of impropriety and reasons for grave concern.

In 2002 my mother, Bozenna Urbanowicz, prepared a report about her experiences teaching the Holocaust as a Polish Catholic Holocaust survivor in the US, and presented her findings to a Polish-Jewish dialogue group. She reported that in the 13 years of teaching the Holocaust, from 1989-2002, she collected over 2,500 questionnaires and letters from students and teachers, she spoke in both private and public schools, universities, churches and civic organizations. She had an opportunity to listen to comments from survivors, educators, students, and the general public. Based on this experience, she reported on the systemic discrimination of non-Jewish victims in teaching the Holocaust in the United States. A teacher told me, “I have never heard of the Polish victims or the 5 million others. How come our schools teach only the story of the Jewish people?” I replied “Please raise this issue with your principal.” And she replied, “I can’t say anything. My job is on the line.” (...)

Schools are using inappropriate books as teaching tools that portray Poles in a negative light. Books such as Painted Bird and Maus pro-

mote ethnic divisions and are widely used for Holocaust education in the classrooms. (...)

Applying her own life experience to demonstrate what happened to ethnic Poles under German occupation in WWII, my mother has been on the forefront of the struggle for truth and justice for Polish Holocaust survivors. She reminds us that the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington officially recognizes 11 million victims of the Holocaust: 6 million Jewish and 5 million non-Jewish victims, often referred to as ‘others.’ (..) She believes that...“we cannot expect the next generation to live in peace if we are promoting one side while diminishing the other side of this important story. If we keep distorting history in such a cruel and hateful way, we will not have peace on earth and the slogan “never again” will eventually mean nothing.” (...)

We call on the US Congress to immediately withdraw this shameful inequitable legislation, assure proper respect for Polish victims of Nazi Germany, in particular for Polish Catholic Holocaust survivors like my mother Bozenna Urbanowicz, and fundamentally support Holocaust representation that is a balanced presentation of history, promotes friendship and peace, and discourages the manipulation of history, discrimination, and ethnic bias.

To find out more about Bozenna Urbanowicz and to read the speech in it’s entirety please go to: http://www.currenteventspoland.com/news/gilbright_auswitz.html ADVERTISEMENT

Ryszard Bolko, Esq, CPA, MBA Legal Insight. Business Instinct.  Business Transactions  Civil Matters  Tax Issues  Wills, Trusts and Estates  Real Estate 1825 NW Corporate Blvd, Suite 110 Boca Raton, Florida 33431 Tel (561) 609-0199 Fax: (561) 609-0198

E-Mail: Richard@bolkolaw.com

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www.bolkolaw.com

by Anna Dr abek “Druhna*, come outside quick–we need you!!” says a thirteen-year-old girl in a frantic voice. I jolt awake, my eyes pop open, and before I can fully find and put on my eyeglasses in the pitch-black tent, my feet are already on the cold, damp ground. Fumbling to find my hiking boots on the wooden luggage rack I built with my fellow co-camp leaders, I trip and lean into the heavy canvas army tent. The other leaders are still fast asleep. “Tilt your flashlight down!” I snap at the girl in front of me, unable to concentrate on leaving the tent with the beam of white light shining straight in my face.

After several disorienting, chaotic seconds, I am finally outside. I find myself in front of two young teenage girls, huddled together, their glistening eyes radiating genuine fear. Behind them, I see the small

orange fire we lit together for their warta– the night watch– just an hour ago, before I went to sleep. Around us, the deep, dark night sky and the black shadows of the surrounding pine trees. “Alright, what is it?”

I ask in a hushed, calm voice.

Warta during summer camp is a rite of passage, a duty and a source of numerous stories for Polish Scouts around the world.

Through warta, scouts as young as age eleven are entrusted with the responsibility of watching over the entire camp and are expected to swiftly signal possible threats or insecurity to the camp’s peaceful rest. It teaches courage, trust, discipline, responsibility, and good judgment. Warta is one of the many activities that transfers positive skills to young Poles and children of Polish heritage in multiple countries around the world.

The Polish Scouting Organization outside of Poland operates in the United States, Canada, Argentina, Great Britain, Ireland, Ukraine, France, Sweden and Australia. Within the U.S., Polish Scouts are active in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Arizona, California and Washington.

Polish Scouting offers opportunities for male and female children to learn many new skills, work on constant self-improvement and serve God and our countries in a constructive environment, while remaining faithful to the motto “God, Honor, Homeland” and the Scout Law. The organization is open to scouts as young as age four and on up. The four youth branches of scouts are skrzaty (ages 4-7), zuchy (ages 7-11), Good News

HARRIET IRSAY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT ESSAY

MAINTAINING TIES TO POLAND THROUGH SCOUTING

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harcerki/harcerze (ages 11-15), and wedrownicy/wedrowniczki (ages 15-21). After this last stage, dedicated scouts can earn the rank of instructor and become scoutmasters, at which point they dedicate their time to leading younger generations of scouts.

Self-improvement never ends in the scouting movement; scouts young and old earn specialized patches and ranks that move them up the scouting hierarchy. Throughout the year troops hold weekly meetings, and each troop’s year long work, from the zuchy branch onward, culminates in regional and sometimes national summer camps. Every seven years, a worldwide jamboree is held to welcome Polish Scouts over age 11 from all over the world to sing, grow and play together as they celebrate a shared Polish heritage, despite growing up in such different parts of the world. The Polish Scouting Organization is vital in maintaining Polish heritage wherever we

Poles are in the world. It is a bond that helps to ensure Polish roots remain engrained in young people’s sense of self, and helps unify descendants of the Polish diaspora.

Anyone who has been a Polish Scout will understand the unfounded fear of shadows on warta. On this particular dark night in Connecticut it was a fear of coyotes that prompted the girls to wake me up; in Australia it may have been a kangaroo and in Canada, a grizzly bear. The immediate surroundings and details of the activities vary, yet the emotions felt and lessons learned are the same. In the end, these shared experiences strengthen Polish patriotism and build a foundation of positive memories and a love of Poland. *Druhna (female) and Druh (male) is the title used by all scouts for all other scouts.

It signifies friend and guide and is used to erase hierarchal differences between scouts young and old.

Did you know....

30 for a few years, and she was chosen by one of the most prolific ad agencies in the world, McCann-Erikson, to be a global influencer (millennial term for someone who is able to influence sales, trends, hits and the like through various social media platforms). She also attends the University of British Columbia.

Ann is also the founder of Makotronics Enterprises where she can continue her true passion - inventing. Recently, Ann introduced the eDrink, a mug that converts the heat from a hot beverage into the electricity to power up another device, an iphone for example. Her company holds several patents on emerging technology and she is always trying to find sustainable ways to better life. Through her work, Ann’s hopes are to inspire people of all backgrounds to create their own solutions rather than becoming avid consumers.

And she’s only 20 years old!

Ann’s advice for young people: ...that batteries may be obsolete soon? That a hot cup of coffee could charge your phone? In fact, both of these are happening now thanks to the inventiveness of a teenager with a fascination for harvesting energy.

Andini “Ann” Makosinski, a Filipino-Polish Canadian, first appeared in the public eye in 2013 when she was 15 years old. She had invented the Hollow Flashlight that runs on the energy from the hand holding it by utilizing the Thermoelectric effect - electric voltage that is created when there is a different temperature on each side of a device - that was already being used in specialized and controlled scientific environments. Ann

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figured out how to harness a person’s body heat to power a useful object. She says she was inspired to find an inexpensive way to help a friend in the Philippines who did not have enough light to study in the dark.

Since those ‘early days,’ Ann has been very busy. She is a sought after media personality (Jimmy Fallon had her on his show a few times), speaks on the lecture circuit (she recently finished her fifth TEDtalk!), has received numerous science and engineering awards, and travels throughout the world as an ambassador for innovation and inspiration. Time and Forbes magazines have named Ann in the top of 30 Under

1. Take calculated risks. But take RISKS! Get outside of your comfort zone a little every day.

2. Don’t waste your time, you can’t get it back.

You don’t necessarily need to have a minute by minute schedule, but at the start of every day — or even the night before — write down every single thing you want to do that day.

3. You are an average of the five people you spend the most time around. Think about that. Are the people you hang out with motivated, inspiring, kind, and supporting? Friends can be honest if they don’t like something you’re doing, but if they’re being discouraging most of the time, there’s something wrong there.

EUROPEAN CAREER EXPO On March 29, 2018 Florida International University organized an informative and well prepared European Career Expo. Many Consulates and businesses from Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Poland participated on the panels and in student exchange sessions.

Prof. Markus Thiel, Director, Politics & International Relations, European & Eurasian Studies Program at FIU opened the forum.

He was followed by presentations on International Careers in Diplomacy, International Careers in Business, and European Perspectives. Later in the program students and employers shared

experiences working in Europe and how it transformed their lives.

Mrs. Beata Paszyc, Honorary Vice Consul of Poland, distributed brochures, books and information about study abroad programs as well as working opportunities in Poland. She also promoted the activities of The American Institute of Polish Culture such as the cultural events, publications and lectures at FIU. Many students visited the Polish booth and were very interested in considering Poland as a career or academic destination.

AÂ networking session and lunch concluded the FIU Career Expo.

Mrs. Beata Paszyc, Ms. Eva Baker with FIU students

Students at the Polish booth

Panel

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HARRIET IRSAY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT ESSAY 72

“Motherland” by Jacek Malczewski (1854–1929)

THE HISTORY OF HERBALISM IN POLISH SOCIETY

by Anna Malinowski Fleischer Poland has experienced a history rich in herbal tradition that has left its mark on modern culture to this day. The country’s herbalism has been impacted bya a wide variety of both cultural and societal establishments that range from religious institutions to the economic divisions. In Poland’s early days, the Catholic Church popularized plant remedies by using medicinal herbs in wreaths for fumigation and spiritual purposes while in the current climate its monetary contribution to the economic sector and popular opinion dominate its position in society.

Today one of the best ways we can uncover how pervasive herbalism was in an early society’s culture is through its representation in, above all things, artwork. Similar to the prevalence of medicinal plants in Chinese drawings, there is a significant immersion in herbal medical depictions in Poland. There is a relatively high number of masterpieces from famous symbolists such as Jacek Malczewski and Władysław Podkowiński whose work include images of traditional remedies and are a direct connection to the prevalence of folk-influenced herbal treatments at the time.

For example, the painting “Motherland” created by Jacek Malczewski in 1914 has been analyzed by the medical anthropologist, Anita Magowska, in her published work entitled, “Discovering Herbalism Through Art.” Upon examination, it was determined that a Polish baroness and her two children are depicted with a common rural landscape covered with the medicinal herbs “blue chicories” and “thistles.” 3 Therapeutically, thistle was a very important herb in Polish folk medicine in the early 20th century because it not only detoxifies the liver but it also protects its vital function.4 With its use dating back to more than 2,000 years for liver related ailments, thistle is a natural treatment that is revered amongst herbal users, so it is no surprise that it is illustrated so vividly in this master-

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piece. As many artists of this era drew inspiration and creativity in their artwork from Polish folklore, herbalism was not immune to representation in these paintings as a means of not only reflecting symbolic cultural sentiments of the time but also because of herbs significant use in the history of Polish health and well being.

Another segment of society that has played an important role in celebrating herbal folklore and its beneficial remedies is religious institutions like the Roman Catholic Church. Medicinal plants were commonly used for their symbolism and for ornamental viewing during rituals or festivals throughout the religious holidays. By blessing particular plants that were important herbal medicines of a local region during church observances, like Corpus Christi Octave and Assumption Day, these rituals reminded the general populace to collect the herbs that were being blessed.

This was a way of reviving herbal tradition in society and serving to help keep the population healthy. Additionally, by blessing the certain plant varieties, it was believed to “strengthen the action of the herb” and further enhancing its healing capabilities. Notably, herbal wreaths were blessed during the latter days of the Corpus Christi holiday where the herb named Common Stonecrop was used for fumigation and ritualistic purposes in order to keep an individual’s home free of ills and ill-will. Other medicinal quality herbs used in the wreath included chamomile, lemon thyme, and lady’s mantle, herbs that were considered to greatly benefit society by helping with ailments ranging from rheumatism to eczema.

Today herbal commerce has become a growing force in Poland and is developing substantially based on the needs of its people and the world as a whole. There is a large market base which is estimated to be a 300 million Euro industry. As herbal products are one the most common forms of over-the-counter medicines purchased by Polish consumers, it is not hard to see how there is tremendous economic interest in herbal processing. The most widely used herbal products in the market include herbal formulas, tablets, syrups and powdered herbs. It is important to note that the large variety of herbal products in Poland is high due to consumer demand.7 Euromonitor International, the world’s leading provider of strategic market research, calculated that herbal/traditional products in Poland are expected to see a significant growth into the near future where sales are estimated to approach PLN 1.1 billion in 2021.

Due to Poland’s rich history in herbal medicine through its prevalence in religion, art, and folklore, the general population trusts traditional living styles and therefore supports companies that make these products. Production of medicinal grade plants in Poland is assessed to be around 20,000 each year, including chamomile flower, valerian root, peppermint leaf, milk thistle fruit, St. John’s Wort, lime tree flower, and chokeberry. There are also wild plants that consist of approximately 100 species which are harvested from their natural environment. Poland’s landscape is particularly suited for herbal production with vast lowlands that are more adapted to medicinal cultivation than other environments in neighboring countries. In addition, as Poland makes its name in the business of herbal production, more countries who are also experiencing “health-conscious” consumers who wish to buy herbal products, will begin purchasing from Poland thus furthering their growth in this sector on an international market scale.

From historical artworks to modern day economic investment for herbal medicine ventures, herbalism within Poland has withstood the test of time. By preserving the herbal culture that has both permeated art, religious and economic sectors, Poland is on track to make a name for itself internationally in the worldwide herbal community.

CHRISTMAS TIME! Our annual Christmas party is always a fun occasion! On December 7, 2017 we spent a lively few hours with over 70 guests, members and supporters of The American Institute of Polish Culture and the Chopin Foundation of the United States. And once again, we were pleased that some new members attended.

We can never say enough about the culinary skills of Ms. Maria Blacha who is unsurpassed in preparing Polish canapes and sandwiches. We always offer a cheese board and seasonal goodies, but it seems that Pani Maria’s treats are the first to go! Lady Blanka Rosenstiel graciously thanked everyone for coming, and Beata Paszyc and Jadwiga Gewert talked a bit about the Institute

and Foundation. Then it was on to the entertainment. A charming holiday favorite, Little Drummer Boy, was played and sung by Nel Velez-Paszyc, and Bernard Krasuski tickled the ivories with a few lovely pieces by Chopin.

We held a raffle to raise funds for our organizations. Prizes were tickets to upcoming Chopin concerts and a few gorgeous gift baskets chock full of sweets from Lowell Foods, Chopin vodka, CD’s and books. Everyone had a good time and the party wound down with several guests singing Polish carols along with Lady Blanka.

Bernard Krasuski

Dr. Piotr Krasuski, Bernard Krasuski, Mrs. Beata Paszyc, Nel Velez-Paszyc, Conrad Krasuski

Mrs. Natalia Staszewski, Lady Blanka, Mrs. Roza Toroj, Mrs. Tatyana Verburg

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Mrs. Ela Piotrovsky, Ms. Leda Kwiatek, Lady Blanka, Mrs. Jadwiga Gewert

CELEBR ATING EASTER

Hon. Anaide Govaert, Nel Velez-Paszyc, Ms. Alicja Schoonover

Ms. Lynne Schaefer, Iain and Aneta Kulesza-Mestrinelli

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This year we hosted our annual Easter party for nearly 40 guests on Wednesday, March 21st in our offices. Bouquets of pastel flowers decorated the salon and trays of savories and sweets covered tables. Lady Blanka greeted guests, Zbigniew Slabicki served drinks and Maria Blacha circulated with plates of goodies.

Young American pianist Alejandra Sarmiento charmed the guests with the music of Chopin. After taking her bows, Beata Paszyc of AIPC, and Jadwiga Gewert of the Chopin Foundation talked about upcoming events and the importance of supporting our non-profit organizations. Both ladies expressed gratitude for members, donors and friends for their generosity and involvement.

And then on to the popular party raffle. There were three very special prizes--a tote bag filled with over $100 worth of Lowell Foods candy, vodka, a t-shirt and CD’s; two tickets to a Chopin Salon Concert and wine reception at Miami’s prestigious LaGorce Country Club valued at $100, and two tickets totaling $70 for an upcoming recital by the phenomenal Polish pianist, Rafal Blechacz. It was an excellent ending to a fun party!

Ms. Sabrina Noto with friends

Alejandra Sarmiento

Mr. Tom Swick, Mr. Mark Greenberg

Ms. Iga Henderson, Ms. Eva Kordos

Mr. Grzegorz Okon, Mr. Charles Korzeb

Did you know.... ...that there are a large number of tulips are named after well known people from all over the world -- movie stars, politicians, scientists, scholars, authors, et al. Jan Ligthart, a Dutch tulip breeder, has propagated many beautiful tulips commemorating extraordinary Poles. It takes him between ten to twenty years, sometimes more, to nurture his specialty tulips into the desired colors and textures he wants. The tulips here are wonderful examples of Mr. Ligthart's passion and his homage to special Polish people.

Pople John Paul II tulip

Nicolaus Copernicus tulip

Gen. Stanislaw Maczek tulip

Irena Sendler tulip

Fryderyk Chopin tulip

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CHOPIN FOUNDATION OF THE UNITED STATES For over 40 years the Chopin Foundation has continued to present Chopin’s music to an ever growing audience.

The Chopin for All Free Concert Series is unique to South Florida and provides public concert opportunities for young outstanding pianists. This helps them to achieve wider recJadwiga “Viga” Gewert, Executive Director ognition and experience, and encourages them to add Chopin’s music to their repertoire.

The Chopin Salon Concerts present masters of the piano in the elegant setting of the La Gorce Country Club. Collaborations with other local, national and international organizations bring even more classical music to the community. Please see our 2018-19 season concert listing on these pages.

Our Scholarship Program for Young American Pianists has been helping piano students perfect their interpretations of Chopin’s music, thereby preparing them for the next Chopin Competitions in Miami and in Warsaw. We are

ChopinConcerts Salon

getting ready for the Tenth National Chopin Piano Competition to be staged in Miami in February 2020. Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, the Founder and President of the Foundation, announced an increase of the competition’s first prize to $100,000! It will be the highest cash prize of all the music competitions in the USA! For all these years we have been fortunate to present our programs and assist a growing number of talented young musicians achieve national and international success. All of this has been possible thanks to the generosity of those who share our passion. We are immensely grateful for their support.

Our three regional Chopin Councils carry out our mission in their respective areas with music festivals and Young Pianists Competitions. For details, please visit their websites: • San Francisco (www.chopinSF.org) • Seattle (www.chopinnw.org) and • Virginia (http://www.chopininbarboursville.org) Please visit www.chopin.org to find out more on our programs. When in Florida, San Francisco, Seattle or Virginia, please join us to enjoy the music of Frédéric Chopin live in concert.

La Gorce Country Club • 4 pm 5685 Alton Road, Miami Beach, Florida

Adam Golka

Andrew Tyson

Award winning, internationally renowned Polish-American pianist Underwritten by

Winner of the 2015 Géza Anda Competition in Zürich Underwritten by Vivianne Swietelsky, VS Miami Properties Group

November 18, 2018

Margarita Shevchenko January 20, 2019

Prize Winner of the Cleveland and Chopin International Piano Competitions Underwritten by Honorable Norman S. Edelcup, former Mayor, City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

March 31, 2019

Salon Concerts with wine reception are FREE for Members Non-members are also welcome: $50 (concert + reception) Elegant buffet dinner optional: $60 p/p (wine & tip included) Cocktail Attire Requested

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED 305-868-0624 • info@chopin.org

Chopin forFREE All Concerts

Underwritten by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and Harvey & Roberta Chaplin All Concerts Are Presented in Two Locations Saturdays at 3 pm

Broward County Main Library • 100 S. Andrews Avenue • Fort Lauderdale

Sundays at 3 pm

Granada Presbyterian Church • 950 University Drive • Coral Gables

November 3 & 4, 2018 Elliot Wuu

Hilton Head International Piano Competition winner and Gilmore Young Pianist

December 1 & 2, 2018 Lindsay & Ashley Garritson Piano & Cello

January 12 & 13, 2019 Anna Miernik, Poland

International Artists Exchange

February 2 & 3, 2019 Carmen Knoll

Award winning young American pianist

March 23 & 24, 2019 Sara Daneshpour Prize winner of the 2017 International Rubinstein Competition

April 27 & 28, 2019 Young Pianists Concerts

Selected local piano students in an all-Chopin program

May 18 & 19, 2019 Andrew Li

Top prize winning young American pianist

ADMISSION FREE! No Tickets Required for Chopin for All Concert Seating on a first-come-first-served basis Plan to arrive early!

Partnership Concerts (305) 868-0624

www.chopin.org Concert pianos generously provided by

Sławomir Dobrzański February 24, 2019 • 5 pm “Chopin and His Contemporaries”

In partnership with the Village of Key Biscayne

ADMISSION FREE Key Biscayne Community Center 10 Village Green Way, Key Biscayne

Kevin Kenner

May 4 (7:30 pm) May 5 (3 pm) Winner of the 1990 International Chopin Competition in Warsaw.

In partnership with St. Martha’s Yamaha Concert Series

Tickets: www.saintmarthaconcerts.com La Merced at Colonial Florida Cultural Center 3220 NW 7 Avenue, West Wynwood

POLAND MEET AMERICA...

By Annette Alvarez ...met Miami this summer. How you ask?

Good question. Here is your answer.

For the second year in a row, Global Ties Miami hosted students from Wyższe Szkoły Bankowe (WSB) Universities’ Executive MBA Program through the Global Ties U.S. Meet America Program. Their study tour brought the 18 students to Miami, then on to Washington, D.C. and finally to Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio for a whirlwind experience designed to provide information on their studies and context via meetings with business leaders of American and global companies.

In Miami they met with Kjell de Orr, Managing Partner of Insights, Digital, Innovation, Sustainability, for the New Link Group. A presentation on mining data and its use in research to predict and influence future behavior made for a lively discussion. An afternoon mini-workshop on How to Conquer the Americas Markets was enlightening and led by Cezary Wlodarczyk, President of the W AGENCY INC., and a native of Gdansk, Poland. The theme, Poland Meet America, was continued by Beata Paszyc, Honorary Vice Consul of the Republic of Poland and Executive Director of The American Institute of Polish Culture Inc., who shared the work of the Institute in celebrating Polish culture and traditions.

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But one doesn’t get to know Miami in conference rooms; for that you have explore the Everglades and visit Calle Ocho to dine on arroz con pollo, have a cortadito with your flan, and then an impromptu group salsa dance when the Latin rhythms sway you!

It is too early to say if WSB Universities will return to Miami next year, but one thing is certain. The smiles and appreciative remarks of every student confirms that often the most valuable learning experiences happen outside of the classroom, outside of your comfort zone.

For more than fifty years, the Miami Council for International Visitors, now known as Global Ties Miami, has arranged serious, substantive meetings across South Florida for individuals on U.S. Department of State international exchange programs. They ask their members to host visitors for dinner in their homes. What starts as an evening of polite and interesting conversation becomes a unique and memorable “dinner diplomacy” where strangers become friends, perhaps never to see one another again, but secure in the knowledge that for one evening, all was right in the world. For more information, visit their website: www.GlobalTiesMiami.org or telephone: 305-421-6344.

Annette Green Alvarez, Executive Director of Global Ties Miami since 2005, has welcomed almost three thousand international visitors to Miami. They were participants of U.S. Department of State professional exchange programs from the International Visitor Leadership Program, Open World Leadership Program, the Fulbright Program, Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and most recently the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI).

She is a former member of the Global Ties U.S. Board of Directors. Her efforts in promoting global, social, diplomatic, and cultural ties were recognized by proclamations from the City of Miami, and the Mayor and Commissioners of Miami-Dade County. She earned a B.A. in Modern Languages from Texas A&M University.

THANK YOU MEMBERS! A big welcome to our new members! This year we rolled out a new promotion that included membership with the purchase of each ticket to our International Polonaise Ball and Brunch. We now have over 225 active members and we could not be happier! Your support and generosity allows us to bridge generations and nations by promoting Polish heritage and helping to build a strong Polish presence in America.

And welcome back to those who have renewed their membership! We are thrilled you are part of the Institute again.

By renewing year after year, you are helping us grow into a respected resource for Polish history and culture in the US and abroad.

Our members are truly the backbone of our organization! We thank you all for being part of our past and part of our future.

In 2017, the Institute celebrated 45 years of promoting and supporting the rich heritage of Poland in the US and honoring the many contributions made by Poles. Our programs focus on cultural and education, which are presented in the yearly Good News magazine. Our Annual International Polonaise Ball is our primary fundraiser, but we also rely on the generosity of our friends across the globe. Please help us stay current and build the best non-profit we can!

We want to Update our database, so please send or email us your current address, phone # and email. Please also Renew your membership or Join as a new member. Only $50 per individual and $75 per family. Invite your family and friends! Be part of our thriving, well-established and prestigious organization. We want to Keep in Touch!.

Membership is available online at www.ampolinstitute.org or you can send a check. Donations are tax-deductible.

1440 79th Street Causeway Suite 117 Miami FL 33141

Tel. 3058642349 info@ampolinstitute.org www.ampolinstitute.org Good News

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THE CIRCLE OF GIVING “I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

Author unknown A personal favorite of Lady Blanka, this quote is a simple yet eloquent sentiment for a life of giving back. It is a truth that Lady Blanka strives to live by and it clearly defines what she envisioned for The American Institute of Polish Culture when it was founded in 1972. The numerous educational and cultural programs presenting new ideas and scholarship that the Institute has offered for over four decades, stand as a testament to a lifelong commitment in giving that lifts others up and brings untold benefits to thousands of people.

But the Institute’s mission could not have been achieved without the truly generous support of friends and members who opened their hearts and never thought twice about giving. Their contributions have ensured that AIPC can continue with current programs and events, and continue to develop new ones that enrich so many lives. Programs such as the Blanka Rosenstiel Lecture Series on Poland at FIU and

the and the fund created for Polish Studies at the University of Virginia, the Kosciuszko Chair at IWP, the publications and special projects, and the Harriet Irsay Scholarship Fund continue to flourish. All of these worthy programs are made possible by our largest fundraiser, the annual International Polonaise Ball, membership dues, and donations we receive from around the world.

Another way to contribute is through an individual’s estate planning. Once a family’s needs have been taken care of in a will, a thoughtful bequest to the Institute would be deeply appreciated. Bequests are critically important to AIPC; they provide a source of support that is not subject to fluctuations in the economy and are essential to the future of our work. Bequests come from individuals whose belief in what we do has always been integral to our success. By creating an endless circle of giving, we all leave a legacy of hope, passion and love for future generations.

THANKS TO OUR DONORS....

...for opening your hearts and never thinking twice about giving. Your generosity makes it possible for us to continue with our current programs and to develop new ones that enrich lives, such as the International Polonaise Ball, Blanka Rosenstiel Lecture Series on Poland at FIU, IWP and UVA, publications and special projects, and the Harriet Irsay Scholarship Fund. We are truly grateful. Thank you!

Donors in 2017 - 2018 Mr. Nabil Achkar Mrs. Ruby Bacardi Case Western Reserve University Ms. Beata Drzazga Florida International University Ms. Iga Henderson Mr. & Mrs. Zbigniew Jarosz Consul & Mrs. Robert Joskowiak, AFI Mr. & Mrs. Mariusz Kotowski Mrs. Rose Kruszewski Ms. Eva Kordos Mr. & Mrs. Conrad Lowell Dr. Michel S. Pawlowski Mrs. Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk

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Dr. & Mrs. Marek Pienkowski Baron Jason Psaltides Mrs. Mary Lou Rajchel Ms. Alicja Schoonover Mr. Grzegorz Okon & Mrs. Roza Toroj Dr. & Mrs. Jerzy Wrobel

Other Donors Lowell Foods Rosenstiel Foundation Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits

A DEDICATED CHAMPION On July 20, 2018, Piast Institute, our Polish-American family, and our Hamtramck community lost a great leader in the passing of Dr. Thaddeus C. Radzilowski as he was surrounded by loved ones.

Dr. Radzilowski was a highly accomplished historian and academic studying Poland and Central and Eastern Europe, and producing countless manuscripts on these important topics. Over the course of his rich academic career he taught at the University of Michigan, Madonna University, Heidelberg College, and Southwest Minnesota State University. He also served as the President of St. Mary College. He not only educated thousands of American students about Polish and Central European history, he mentored many of them and fostered countless community leaders.

In 2003, Dr. Radzilowski co-founded the Piast Institute with Virginia Skrzyniarz, and it quickly became the largest Polish-American think tank in the United States. As President of Piast, Dr. Radzilowski developed the organization into a major research center, one of the U.S. Census Information Centers, and a representative of Poland and Polish-Americans with a worldwide network of accomplished fel-

lows. Under his leadership, the Institute produced position papers, school curricula, research reports, conducted surveys, organized conferences and exhibits, and was very involved in the life of American Polonia. He also cultivated many relationships with Polish universities and institutions.

Dr. Radzilowski received many awards for his academic work, community involvement, and leadership through the decades.

He was a corresponding member of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), he served as an advisor and consultant to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the U.S. Bureau of the Census, and was a member of the Ford Foundation Commission on Ethnicity on American Life. In 1999, the President of Poland presented Dr. Radzilowski with the Cavaliers Cross of the Polish Order of Merit for his distinguished contributions to the dissemination of Polish culture in the world.

In addition to his contributions in preserving Polish heritage in the U.S., Dr. Radzilowski was an American patriot, a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces who served his country in Vietnam.

Dr. Radzilowski is survived by his wife, Kathleen, three sons, John, Paul and Stefan,

grandchildren Radek and Diana, sisters Fran and Cynthia, and brothers, Norbert and Fred.

Those who knew Dr. Radzilowski well will miss him for his charm, his sense of humor, his countless stories, his sharp mind, and his infectious cheerfulness.

from Virginia Skrzyniarz, Piast Institute

Editors Note: In 2013, President Lech Walesa presented Dr. Radzilowski with the Lech Walesa Media Award at AIPC’s 41st International Polonaise Ball in Miami.

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With gratitude to Lady Blanka Rosenstiel Founder and President The American Institute of Polish Culture  Member of the Board of Directors Polish Assistance

“Rich in tradition, generous in compassion”.

62 years ago, a successful and philanthropic group of Americans of Polish heritage formed an organization to support World War II heroes and political refugees who immigrated to America from Poland to escape communism. Most of them were ex-military, but there were also government officials, educators, writers and artists. The older ones especially found it difficult to adapt to their new circumstances.

Today, a new generation Polish Americans is upholding the tradition of providing assistance to individuals who are at risk or in crisis due to poverty, mental or physical illness. Your support enables Polish Assistance to bring stability to these individuals by providing basic needs for housing, food and healthcare.

POLISH ASSISTANCE

Thank you for your support

15 East 65th Street, New York, New York 10065 ,Tel. 212-570-5560

www.polishassistance.org

Dr. Thaddeus C. Radzilowski President of the Piast Institute

1938 - 2018

www.PiastInstitute.org

To donate www.polishassistance.org

We believe great places contribute to the sum of human happiness.

VOLUNTEERS Volunteers are the ‘Angels’ of many non-profit organizations and events, and their dedication, skill and the generous donation of their time are beyond measure and essential to the success of AIPC. We hope you will consider becoming a volunteer for us. Typical duties include proofreading our publications, preparations for the Annual International Polonaise Ball, promoting Institute activities and events, recruiting new members and students for the scholarship program, and archiving documents and other materials. Volunteers are welcome to use the Institute’s library and other educational resources.

During 2017-2018, we relied on the skills and efforts of terrific volunteers: Maria Blacha Robert Bronchard Douglas Evans Eva Kordos Eva & Charles Korzeb Aneta Kulesza Mestrinelli Barbara Muze Grzegorz Okon

Sarah Okon Mery Olivera Elizabeth Piotrovsky Maggie Sadowski Anna Slabicki Zbigniew Slabicki Marta Spielman Teresa Szczepanik

”We are all like one-winged angels.

It is only when we help each other that we can fly.”

Luciano de Crescenzo

Please call if you would like to donate some of your time.

We would love to see you!

Contact: (305) 864-2349 or director@ampolinstitute.org

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ADVERISE YOUR BUSINESS HERE contact us at assistant@ampolinstitute.org or 305-864-2349

FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE AIPC has published about Polish culture, history, science and ties with other naForseveral Yourbooks Reading Pleasure tions that are part of libraries, homes, schools and organizations across America. Every title listed below is available from us or in Kindle version through Members AIPC in hashardcover published several books about Polish culture, history, Amazon. science and ties with other nations that are part of will receive a 40% discount on the prices listed when purchasing fromEvery us bytitle using thisbelow form or libraries, homes, schools and organizations across America. listed is available in hardcover from us via our website, ampolinstitute.org. or in Kindle version through Amazon. Members will receive a 40% discount on the prices listed when purchasing Each of these books reflect a love Poland, her website, people and the contributions that they have from us by using this of form or via our ampolinstitute.org. made the world over. You can learn about the great 19th century writer, Joseph Conrad, who was Each ofand these booksnovels reflectand a love of Poland, people and the contributions that they have made the world over. a beloved son of Poland whose short storiesher remain international classics today. century writer,into Joseph Conrad, whoand washer a beloved You learnSkłodowska about the great 19thHer Who has not heard ofcan Maria Curie? research radioactivity discov-son of Poland and whose novels and short stories international classics today.the Who has not of Maria Skłodowska Curie? Her research eries of the important elements ofremain polonium and radium changed world.

For heard over 600 years, radioactivity and discoveries of the important elements of poloniumand andthere radium changed the world. For over the Black Madonnainto of Częstochowa hasher imbued her believers with a sense of protection 600 years, the Black Madonna of Częstochowa has imbued her believers with a sense of protection and there have have been many stories about this iconic image throughout the ages. And a great Polish statesbeen many stories about this iconic image throughout the ages. And a great Polish statesman's sage advice is man’s sage advice is beautifully presented in a handsome volume worthy of the words of wisdom beautifully presented in a handsome volume worthy of the words of wisdom that are said to have inspired President that are said to have inspired President Thomas Jefferson.

Thomas Jefferson.

Add to your own book collection, help young students broaden their horizons, or donate to a local library. Your purchases will go toward the Institute’s commitment to provide of wonderful and or cultural universities Add ongoing to your own book collection, help a variety young students broadeneducational their horizons, donateprograms to a localatlibrary.

Your and in cities across America.

We are dedicated to the investing in a future with knowledge and and we believe you are too! purchases will go toward Institute's ongoingfilled commitment to provide a beauty, variety of wonderful educational and cultural programs at universities and in cities across America. We are dedicated to investing in a future filled with knowledge and beauty, and believe you are “I assure youweto leave offtoo! reading was like tearing myself

away from the shelter of an old and solid friendship.”

“I assure you to leave off reading was like tearing myself away from the shelter of an old and solid friendship.”

Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (1857-1924)

I am interested in learning more of Poland's history and culture.

Please send the following book(s) to me at the address below. Thank you!

The Saga of A Nation, 5 volume set, by Pawel Jasienica: The Piast Poland - out of print; Kindle version available only through Amazon.com Jagiellonian Poland I. The Silver Age II. Calamity of the Realm III. The Tale of Agony Boxed set of The Saga of A Nation - very limited - only a few left Conrad and His Contemporaries, by J.J. Retinger Madame Curie-Daughter of Poland, by Robert Woznicki Meetings with the Madonna, by Jan Dobraczynski Polish Contributions to Latin American Culture, by E.S. Urbanski The Accomplished Senator, by Wawrzyniec Goslicki - gilded volume The Accomplished Senator, by Wawrzyniec Goslicki - no gilding The Constitutions of Poland and of the U.S., by Joseph Kasparek-Obst; Kindle version available only through Amazon.com The Polish Presence in America by Julian Zebrowski; Kindle version not available at this time True Heroes of Jamestown, by Arthur Leonard Waldo - out of print; Kindle version available only through Amazon.com Sub-Total Discount TOTAL PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE SHIPPING AND HANDLING, so please call us for information before you place your order

NAME ADDRESS CITY

STATE

N/A $ 25.00 $ 25.00 $ 25.00 $ 25.00 $125.00 $ 12.00 $ 20.00 $ 12.00 $ 22.00 $ 45.00 $ 35.00 N/A $ 35.00 N/A (

)

EMAIL ZIP

ALL OUR BOOKS CAN ALSO BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AT www.ampolinstitute.org Mail your order to The American Institute of Polish Culture 1440 79th Street Causeway, Suite 117, Miami, FL 33141 Or fax it to 305-864-5150 or email to info@ampolinstitute.org If you have any questions, please call 305-864-2349

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The American Institute of Polish Culture Membership and Contributions Title (Please check one): Mr.

Mrs. Miss Ms. Dr. Other:

First Name

Last Name

Address City

State_______________ Zip ______________

Home Phone ______________ Work Phone ____________ Cell Phone ______________ Fax ______________________ Email

Membership

Tax Exempt Donations Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law

Yearly Membership Fees (non-tax deductible) Please check one:

 Student

free

 Individual

$50

 Family

$75

Membership includes a free copy of the Good News publication, a discount on books published by AIPC, member-only open-houses and announcements for all cultural events organized by the Institute.

(in the following categories) Please check one:

 Patron  Benefactor  Sponsor  Super Sponsor  Other Amount

$150 $500 $1,000 $2,000 $ ______

Please designate the amount and the programs which you would like your donation to fund:

 40th Anniversary Chronicle  Polish Lecture Series at FIU  Publication Fund  Visiting Professors Fund  Special Projects Fund  Harriet Irsay Scholarship Fund

$ _________ $ _________ $ _________ $ _________ $ _________

at AIPC $ _________  Blanka Rosenstiel Scholarship at The Fund for American Studies $ _________ Many of our supporters have remembered AIPC in their will while also providing for their family. A bequest will provide the continuing financial support necessary for AIPC to further its mission. For more information about charitable giving, please do not hesitate to call.

Signature ________________________________________ Date____________________________ Please make checks payable to: The American Institute of Polish Culture, Inc. 1440 79th Street Causeway, Suite 117, Miami, FL 33141, Tel: 305.864.2349, info@ampolinstitute.org www. ampolinstitute.org

DUES, DONATIONS and ALL OTHER PAYMENTS CAN NOW BE MADE ON OUR WEBSITE 86

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The Polish Eagle through 1,000 years The American Institute of Polish Culture 1440 79th Street Causeway Suite 117 Miami, Florida 33141 USA $15.00