The Embassy of the Republic of Poland

Spring 2012 The Embassy of the Republic of Poland Newsletter #4 Washington, DC May 2011

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From the Ambassador

Dear Readers,

We have lots of news to share with you this month, starting with the working visit of Poland's Minister of the Interior and Administration Jerzy Miller (page 2), who met with his U.S counterparts to discuss the most current challenges of mutual interest for our countries: security, anti-terrorism and cyber-security. These matters are especially important on the eve of Poland's presidency of the Council of the European Union, which begins July 1, 2011.

Poland's Minister of Foreign Affairs' visit to Benghazi, Libya earlier this month (page 4) stepped up Poland's engagement in the area of democracy promotion in countries to the east and south of the EU – as did Solidarity leader and former President of Poland Lech Walesa’s April 28 visit to Tunisia, during which he discussed democracy building with the country’s new leaders. During our presidency, Poland will also focus on deepening the EU's integration process and supporting EU membership enlargement.

One of the countries where Poland is taking the lead in supporting democracy promotion is Belarus. This month, we announced – in cooperation with the German Marshall Fund of the United States – a contest for graduate journalism students on democracy in Belarus (page 4). The contest is named for our dear friend, former U.S. diplomat and GMF Brussels Executive Director Ronald Asmus, by whose passing on April 30, 2011 we were deeply saddened.

We celebrated Poland's 220th anniversary of the Constitution of May 3, 1791 with a reception at the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery on May 5 with several hundred guests. You can read about the event and the significance of the Constitution on page 3.

At the end of this week, Poland will extend its hospitality to U.S. President Barack Obama.

At that same time, Poland will be hosting a summit for Central and Eastern European heads of state. Bilateral talks with Polish leaders and President Obama – as well as his dialogue with regional leaders – are expected to advance transatlantic cooperation on democratization, energy and security.

The first week of May was observed throughout the U.S. as Holocaust Remembrance Week, and as part of those commemorations, I was the guest speaker at the City of Alexandria's Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust (page 6). I also read the names of Holocaust victims of Polish descent at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, where I was joined by a group of Polish Survivors.

My Embassy and Polish Consulates in the U.S. have worked for years to push for media stylebook entries on concentration camps. Why? Because whenever topics concerning World War II and the Holocaust are covered in the press, we see an increase in the usage of such factually incorrect phrases as, "Polish concentration camp." There were no Polish concentration camps, ever. We react whenever we see this happen, but we need you to do so as well. We've put together a step-by-step guide to take you through what to do when you such phrases published (page 5).

Last but not least, we bring you news from the EU Embassies' Open House Day, when we joined 26 other embassies throughout Washington DC in opening our doors to guests.

We had a wonderful turnout, and for those of you who were unable able to attend, we have created a virtual tour through that day on page 8.

I'll be part of the Polish delegation welcoming President Obama in Warsaw during his visit May 27 and 28. We’ll bring you news from that visit in our next issue. Meanwhile, you'll be able to follow along with his visit in real time on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Kind regards,

IN THIS ISSUE Ambassador’s Welcome

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Minister Jerzy Miller’s U.S. Working Visit

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Visa Waiver Legislation for Poland Celebrating Poland’s May 3, 1791 Constitution Day

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Special Segment from Libya: Minister Sikorski’s Visit

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Lost and Found: Jacek Malczewski

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World Bank Report

Ronald D. Asmus Freedom Journalism Contest Against Polish Death Camps: How-To Guide

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Holocaust Remembrance Week

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EU Embassies’ Open House Day

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To Watch / To Read: Recommendations

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Did You Know

May 2011

Embassy of Poland Newsletter

Minister of the Interior and Administration Jerzy Miller’s U.S. Working Visit Poland's Minister of the Interior and Administration Jerzy Miller visited Washington DC on a working visit May 2-3, 2011. The Minister held talks with U.S. government officials from the State, Homeland Security and Justice Departments on security, anti-terrorism and cyber-security. Topics also included U.S.-Poland cooperation in combating organized crime as well as terrorist threats.

On May 2, Minister Miller held talks with Janet Napolitano, U.S. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security; James M. Cole, Deputy Attorney General of the Justice Department; and the U.S. State Department’s Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Daniel Benjamin.

"We discussed issues related to the Polish presidency," Minister Miller told Polish reporters in Washington DC on May 3. Poland will take the presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1. Areas of discussion included information exchange as pertaining to terrorist threats as well as travel between the U.S. and EU. He also underlined that the threat of terrorism is still very much alive, despite the announcement of Osama bin Laden’s death on May 1.

“We should approach this [death] with moderation,” the Minister said.

“Since September 11, we live with the knowledge that the world has sadly changed for the worse. We have no illusions that the death of Osama bin Laden solved the problem [of terrorism].”

On May 3, Minister Miller held a meeting with Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute of the Department of Homeland Security. He also visited the National Cyberspace and Communications Integration Center, where he discussed cyber threats and personal data security with U.S. government officials.

Ambassador Kupiecki meets with Sen. Kirk & Rep. Quigley

On May 12, Ambassador Kupiecki met with Illinois Senator Mark Kirk and Congressman Mike Quigley to discuss the U.S.Poland partnership, including advancing legislation for Poland's inclusion in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, ahead of President Obama's visit to Poland.

"For Poland, partnership and ongoing dialogue with the U.S. Administration as well as the U.S. Congress on all matters of mutual interest including security, economy and democratization continues to be of strategic importance," Ambassador Kupiecki said. "Poland hopes that President Obama's upcoming visit later this month will move this partnership forward."

Above photo courtesy of Senator Kirk’s office.

The Minister described this set of meetings as more practical and hands-on, with a specific focus on what Poland’s efficiencies in these areas are.

On Poland's visa waiver issue, the Minister said that the U.S. intends to speed up work in this direction at the interface between Congress and the administration.

Photo: Min. Jerzy Miller with the Hon. Janet Napolitano, May 2, 2011, at the Department of Homeland Security

Visa Waiver Legislation for Poland • Read the Kosciuszko Foundation’s appeal for visa waiver legislation support here, & learn about how you can write your members of Congress & get involved in this effort.

• Read the Polish American Congress’ appeal here. The PAC has also launched a petition drive on this issue; you can read and sign it here.

• To locate / contact your representative, click here.

“The Secure Travel and Counterterrorism Partnership Act of 2011” • House bill H.R. 959 is sponsored by Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley • Senate bill S.497 is sponsored by Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk and Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski

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Embassy of Poland Newsletter

May 2011

Celebrating Poland’s May 3 Constitution Day The Embassy of Poland celebrated the 220th anniversary of the Constitution of May 3, 1791 with a reception at the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery on May 5, 2011.

"The significance of the anniversary lies not only in the acknowledgement of Poland's democratic traditions," said Ambassador Robert Kupiecki in his welcome address to more than 500 gathered guests. "It also warns against taking for granted freedoms and liberties without a secure environment. Poland lost its sovereignty too often, and fought for its freedom too often to know the value of security."

Poland’s Constitution of May 3, 1791 was Europe’s first modern, written constitution, and the world’s second – the U.S. Constitution of 1787 preceded Poland’s by just four years.

The Ambassador highlighted Poland's priorities in its upcoming presidency of the EU, Poland's partnership with the U.S., and President Obama's upcoming visit to Poland.

"Eighteenth century Poland was home to many nations," the Ambassador said. "Today Poland is part of a much greater household - the European Union. Beginning this July, we will have the honor to preside over our European family," when Poland takes leadership of the Council of the European Union.

And while European integration brought peace, prosperity and stability to the European continent, the Ambassador said that areas east and south of the EU are still in strong need of care and support.

View the complete photo gallery from the event on our Facebook page.

Event guests included members of the U.S. administration and Congress, the U.S. Armed Forces, diplomatic corps, political science institutes and think tanks, international financial institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, business leaders, Polish and U.S. media, and local science and art institutions.

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May 2011

Embassy of Poland Newsletter

Solidarity for Libya’s Democratic Aspirations: Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Visits Benghazi Poland's Minister of Foreign Affairs traveled to Benghazi, Libya on May 11, 2011 to meet with Libya's Transitional National Council – and its chief Mustafa Abdul Jalil – in a visit coordinated with EU High Representative Catherine Ashton and NATO allies.

“We wish the Libyan nation victory in democratization," Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told Chief Jalil, who recalled Poland's struggle for democracy during communism in their meeting.

Photos: Benghazi, Libya, May 11, 2011 Top row, photo credit: A. Meller via Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bottom: Minister Sikorski in Benghazi.

Photo credit: PAP / Pawel Supernak LEARN MORE: "Poland's Sikorski meets Libyan rebels, delivers aid," Reuters, May 11, 2011 "Poland's foreign minister on Libya's future," CNN World | Global Public Square, May 16, 2011

Minister Sikorski was the first foreign minister from the West to travel to the rebel’s capital, Benghazi, since the crisis there began. His visit was an expression of Poland’s political support of a Libyan future that includes the formation of a modern and democratic state and society, and took place in advance of Poland’s EU Presidency.

"What I saw reminded me of my country 20 years ago, just after Poland’s first free elections, which, together with the fall of the Berlin Wall barely six months later, came to symbolize the Cold War’s end," the Minister later wrote on the CNN blog Global Public Square.

In addition to meetings with the Council, the Minister delivered medical aid transport for those wounded in clashes in Libyan cities and visited a local hospital. His convoy was cheered by locals as it traveled through the city.

The Ronald D. Asmus Freedom Journalism Contest

The German Marshall Fund in cooperation with the Embassy of Poland in Washington DC announced The Ronald D. Asmus Freedom Journalism Contest on May 3, 2011 for graduate journalism students and 2010 and 2011 graduates.

The topic is democracy in Belarus: In the wake of Belarus' presidential elections on Dec. 19, 2010, how do the events in Belarus matter in an increasingly globalized, yet simultaneously hyper-local world? How can they be made relevant to U.S. readers? What do the restrictions, arrests and beatings of independent media journalists and editors in Belarus mean for Westernized countries?

Contestants can enter one of two categories: print or multimedia.

Each category has three prizes.

Winners’ entries will be published.

Winners will be flown to Washington, DC, where they will be honored in an awards ceremony at our Embassy. Entries are due June 30, 2011.

For more information, please visit the German Marshall Fund's website.

Application guidelines Application entry form

LEARN MORE about Ron Asmus, for whom the award is named.

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May 2011

Embassy of Poland Newsletter

Against Polish Death / Concentration Camps: A How-To Guide

The trial, conviction and release of John Demjanjuk has generated extensive media coverage. As such, there's an increase in the occurrence of factually incorrect slurs as "Polish death camps" in news articles. We react whenever we see such slurs. We need you to do the same.

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We'll use excerpts from actual articles to guide you through the process step-bystep. We’ll begin with this sentence: John Demjanjuk has been convicted of aiding the Nazis in the murder of at least 28,000 Jews at the Sobibor Polish death camp during World War II. Check the comments section. Has anyone reacted there to the phrase? If not, do so right away, so that readers see your correction right away. Remember that your comment should include a request / demand for correction.

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Example: Calling Sobibor a “Polish death camp" is factually incorrect. There were no Polish death camps. There were German Nazi death camps. Please correct this error immediately.

Gather your information and facts: 2 Article publication, title, author, and phrase. Also gather information on why the particular phrase used is incorrect. You can also include some historical context, such as: Example: Calling Sobibor "Polish" is incorrect for two reasons: The camps were set up and run by Nazi Germany, not Poland. It is also unacceptable to use the word "Polish" as a geographical descriptor because there was no Polish state at the time the camps existed. The territory on which the camps were located had been invaded and remained occupied by Nazi Germany throughout the entirety of the camps' operation.

Research who to write to. Each publication will differ, but there'll generally be an email address and /or phone number to the editor.

Write your letter. Include any and all relevant facts. Be firm. And tell the editor or journalist exactly what you'd like to see done: I would appreciate the immediate removal of the phrase "Sobibor Polish death camp" online and wherever else it may appear.

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Remind the publication that the New York Times recently updated its styleguide. You can include the actual entry: "Given the sensitivity of this topic, take extra care in historical references to the Nazi concentration camps of World War II. For camps in countries occupied by Nazi Germany, avoid ambiguous or misleading phrases like 'Polish concentration camp' or 'Polish death camp,' which could give the mistaken impression that the camps were run by Poland."

Send your email. Encourage others to do the same. Post links on Facebook; tweet about it. Tell us about the article and what you’ve done: washington.press@msz.gov.pl

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Check back within a day to see 7 whether the phrase has been updated. If not, send another email, make another phone call.

Other phrases that have been published: As unthinkable as these may seem, they’ve all been published: "Sobibor camp, located in Poland" The camps were not located in Poland, they were located in German-occupied Poland. That's a very important

distinction, because the camps were not on Polish soil because Poles and the Polish government wanted them to be.

They were there because Germany occupied Poland at the onset of World War II and set up their camps there to carry out their murderous plans on Jews, Poles, and anyone who opposed them.

Poles fought the Nazi invasion from day one of World War II until its very end, and paid an enormous price with the loss of six million human lives and massive destruction of the country.

"Polish Nazi" There were German Nazis. There were not Polish Nazis. Poland never collaborated with Nazi Germany.

"Polish concentration camp survivor" Media publications may explain that they mean this phrase to describe the survivor's nationality. Unfortunately, this phrase then conveys that someone survived a Polish concentration camp.

Explain that there are more precise ways of phrasing these words to ensure clear historical accuracy. For example, "Polish survivors of a German concentration camp."

Why is it important that you also react when we always do so?

Because it's important for media to hear these reactions from as many voices as possible, and for them to know that we’re all paying attention. And it’s important because people have started to forget: We cannot let that happen. And we cannot allow history to be distorted.

Photos of the Auschwitz-Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp: 1. The infamous entrance sign reads: “ARBEIT MACHT FREI” - “Work will set you free.”

Photo by Muu-karhu 2. The main entrance gate. Photo by Michel Zacharz

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May 2011

Embassy of Poland Newsletter

National Holocaust Remembrance Week Names Reading Ceremony U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum | Washington DC In the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Hall of Remembrance, white walls contrast sharply with black memorial tablets with the names of death and concentration camps in black letters: AuschwitzBirkenau; Buchenwald; Ninth Fort; Janowska; Chełmno. Candles flicker in memory of these camps' victims.

On sunny days, the hall is bright with sunlight that pours through a skylight high on the ceiling.

It's here that the museum holds its Names Reading Ceremony, a symbolic act of remembrance of the millions of Holocaust victims who perished during World War II. As part of the weeklong Holocaust Remembrance events held May 1 - 7, 2011 nationwide, Ambassador Kupiecki read the names of Polish Jewish victims here on May 6, 2011 – names that were submitted by Holocaust survivors and victims' families who live in the U.S. Holocaust survivors and victims' family members stood with the Ambassador as he read the names. Holocaust Survivor Charlene Schiff read a poem in honor of those who died. Together, the group lit memorial candles.

Photos: Top row: U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Names Reading Ceremony, May 6, 2011 Bottom row: City of Alexandria Days of Remembrance, May 4, 2011

Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust | The City of Alexandria, Virginia Ambassador Robert Kupiecki was the guest speaker at the City of Alexandria's Days of Remembrance on May 4, 2011.

"It is the obligation of all decent people everywhere to remember all those who perished, and to make sure their faces, their names, their innocent deaths are not forgotten," Ambassador Kupiecki said. "It is the obligation of all decent people to say 'never again,' and to start fulfilling that obligation by bearing witness, by passing the truth on to the next generation, and by fighting the silence, ignorance and indifference that are always the junior fellowtravelers of evil."

Held in Alexandria’s City Hall, the ceremony included a candle lighting with Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille, City Council Members and Rep. James P. Moran (Va.).

Six million Poles perished during World War II, half of whom were Polish Jews.

"Their loss changed my country forever," the Ambassador said, adding that the 1000 years of Jewish tradition in Poland was almost wiped out by the Germans. The key word, however, is "almost," the Ambassador stressed, since many in Poland, Israel and the U.S. continue to work on turning that "almost" into seeds of new Jewish life in Poland.

"The Jewish tradition lives and thrives in my country – cherished, protected, and developed by government institutions, countless people, and by vibrant Jewish communities," the Ambassador said.

The U.S. Congress established the National Days of Remembrance as an annual commemoration in 1980.

Ceremonies and services were held throughout the U.S. to honor the victims.

About the Survivors The Survivors who accompanied the Ambassador during the Names Reading Ceremony are (click the names to read their bios on the Holocaust Museum’s website): • • • • • • •

Marcel Drimer Manya Friedman Henry Greenbaum Leon Merrick Nina Merrick Samuel Ponczak Charlene Schiff (also spoke at the City of Alexandria’s ceremony)

LEARN MORE: View our photo gallery from both events

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May 2011

Embassy of Poland Newsletter

Lost and Found: Jacek Malczewski’s "Fencer" Who Isn’t This painting hangs in our Blue Salon. The artist is Jacek Malczewski, a prominent Polish Symbolist who studied at the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts – with, among others, the great Polish artist Jan Matejko – and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

It's a beautiful painting, and we thought it'd be interesting to feature it in our newsletter.

So we began researching. And found very little.

Malczewski is well-known; books and websites on him abound. But this piece isn't in most of them. We found short mentions of the painting in a couple of albums, where the painting was titled, "The Fencer," and described as a selfportrait. Malczewski frequently appears in many of his paintings, which are full of historic-patriotic themes and allegorical images – fauns nymphs, angels – which he used to represent Poland's 19th

century partitions and eventual victory.

Then we heard from a curator at Poland's National Museum in Warsaw, who told us about an old, black-and-white photograph of our very painting in a book published in 1968, "Jacek Malczewski," by Jadwiga Puciata-Pawlowska. The photo is captioned, "Portret Osiecimskiego" ("Osiecimski's Portret") and the painting is listed as lost.

The curator also found mention of this painting in a newer book on the artist by Dorota Kudelska, "Dukt pisma i pióra. Biografia intelektualna Jacka Malczewskiego," published in 2008. There, the author writes about how she researched Malczewski's correspondence to trace the painting's origins.

Turns out that our painting, which we've always referred to as a selfportrait titled “The Fencer,” is neither. It’s a portrait of Count Kazimierz Robert Osiecimski-Czapski (1867-1912). And there's an anecdote that may explain why the Count is holding a spade: Malczewski and the Count were said to have competed for the affections of the beautiful Maria Kinga Balowa, who was Malczewski’s muse; her face appears on many of the symbolic figures in his paintings.

World Bank Report: “Can Poland Lead Again? Transition to a Low-Emissions and Energy Efficient Economy”

North American Association of Warsaw University of Technology Alumni: Contact Information

Our Embassy hosted a seminar on April 13, 2011, "Can Poland Lead Again? Transition to a Low-Emissions and Energy Efficient Economy," on a recently published World Bank report: "Transition to a Low-Emissions Economy." Erika Jorgensen and Leszek Kasek, World Bank analysts and the report's authors, were among the seminar's speakers, as was Ruth Greenspan Bell, Senior Fellow at the World Resource Institute.

If you graduated from the Warsaw University of Technology (Politechnika Warszawska), a new alumni association for the school was recently formed. To join, please contact: Andrzej S. Nowak, Professor of Civil Engineering University of Nebraska – Dept. of Civil Engineering anowak2@unlnotes.unl.edu

Watch a video with the three experts to learn about the report’s findings and what Poland’s transition to an energy-efficient economy will entail.

Read about the association’s inaugural meeting here.

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May 2011

Embassy of Poland Newsletter

EU Embassy Open House Day: May 7 Our guests began their tour with the “Human Solidarity, Polska Solidarnosc” exhibit, which was accompanied by a short film on the dramatic events of the post-World War II decades in Central and Eastern European that culminated in Poland’s Round Table, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of Communism. You can watch this film here.

Left: On the screen - Gen. W. Jaruzelski announces martial law in Poland, Dec. 13, 1981.

Guests also learned about Poland’s tourist highlights and where to visit (left).

A great website to learn more if you’re planning a trip is Poland Tourism.

We featured a mini-exhibit on Nobel Laureate and Polish poet Czeslaw Milosz (right).

We treated guests to two types of pierogi, kielbasa, and Zywiec beer (above).

Children of all ages had their own table, where they could color the iconic Solidarity logo (above & right).

Thanks to all who attended!

And we invite everyone to join us next year.

You can view our full photo gallery on this Facebook photo album.

P.S. We’re putting together a video from the event, which we’ll post on our Facebook page when it’s ready.

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May 2011

Embassy of Poland Newsletter

To Watch: “Path to Glory: The Rise and Rise

of the Polish Arabian Horse”

A new documentary film on Poland's amazing Arabian horses from Horsefly Films, whose directors were allowed unprecedented access to Poland's legendary horse stud facilities. The film follows the history of the animals as spoils of war from Poland's battles with Turkey through their near decimation during both world wars and current revival following Poland's independence from Communism in 1989. The film intersperses interviews with key figures with never-before-seen photos and rare footage – such as a short film shot in 1937 of Polish-Arabian horses leaving for the U.S. with Tennessee horse breeder J.M. Dickinson. (Click on the poster on the right to watch the trailer.)

To Read: “The Origins of Modern Polish Democracy” Edited by M.B.B. Biskupski, James S. Pula and Piotr J. Wróbel Ohio University Press, 2010 Perfect for our Constitution Day issue, this collection of essays explores the idea of democracy in Polish thought and practice – from the uprisings of the mid-19th century through post-1989 independent Poland. The essays examine how Poland's deep democratic roots were put severely to trial during partitions and wars, and how the idea of democracy continued to evolve among Polish exiles and underground Polish circles through the recovery of Poland's democracy at the end of the 20th century. According to the publishers, the book is "the only single-volume English-language

history of modern Polish democratic thought and parliamentary systems and represents the latest scholarly research by leading specialists from Europe and North America."

Did You Know: Warsaw’s Old Town + Dinosaurs house cat walked across fine mud in what is now Poland."

The discovery was made by a team led by Polish scientist Grzegorz Niedzwiedzki (University of Warsaw and the Polish Academy of Sciences), and included Stephen Brusatte of the American Museum of Natural History and paleontologist Richard Butler.

Established in the 13th c., Warsaw's Old Town is the city's oldest district. It grew up around the castle of the Mazovia Dukes, which became the Royal Castle. The Old Town was badly damaged in the 1939 German invasion, and nearly leveled during and after the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. It was rebuilt after the war with the aid of pre-World War II architecture students' drawings

and paintings by 18th c.

Italian artist Bernardo Belloto; original bricks were reused and rubble was sifted in search of reusable decorative elements. Its Market Square was the site of many Solidarity-era protests. Today, it's a popular meeting spot for locals and tourists alike.

Who doesn't love dinosaurs? We sure do! So here's a really cool fact about Poland and dinosaurs: the oldest evidence of these creatures was found in Poland last year. You can read here about that evidence – fossilized tracks – and about how "just one or two million years after the massive Permian-Triassic extinction, an animal smaller than a

Photo: The 250 million year old footprints of Prorotodactylus isp. from the Early Olenekian of Stryczowice, Poland show reduced digits I and V and parallel three middle digits, traits of the dinosaur-lineage. The gait, though, was quadrapedal.

These are the oldest known fossils of the dinosaur lineage.

Photo + Caption Credit: Grzegorz Niedzwiedzki

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To SUBSCRIBE give FEEDBACK offer COMMENTS Justine Jablonska: newsletter editor-in-chief washington.press@msz.gov.pl

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