Current issue:
EVENTS - 10.2009
Americans appreciate Warsaw
The Californian newspaper „Los Angeles Times” has named Warsaw one of 29 places in the world which are worth visiting this year. According to the editors of this paper, the attractiveness of our city is due to its reasonable prices, high quality services for tourism, excellent cuisine and the Chopin Year celebrations that are coming up soon. American tourists are visiting our country more and more often. They enjoy the food, architecture, and hospitality. They feel safe here, and the Chopin concerts at Łazienki Park are one of the must-see points.
Will the Hoover monument return?
Herbert Clark Hoover was president of the United States during the years of the greatest crisis, from 1929 to 1933. After the First World War, Hoover served Europe, and Poland too, with his humanitarian activities. Thanks to the help received from the humanitarian organizations he led, more than a million Polish children survived the difficult period of hunger and epidemic from 1919-1921. He also visited Poland personally – and not empty-handed – after the Second World War. He did all of these things as a private citizen. In 1921, the Polish Parliament granted this great American honorary citizenship, and the residents of the capital funded a monument out of gratitude to the American in Hoover Square, in Warsaw. The monument was created by Xawery Dunikowski. Unfortunately, the beautiful sculpture did not survive the war, and afterward there was not any political will to restore it. Does that mean we ought to completely forget about this symbolic monument of gratitude? And can we not afford to recreate it in the times when we consider the United States to be our closest ally? Initiative has already been taken to do so. Let us hope that this artistically interesting monument in memory of this great friend to Poland will return to Krakowskie Przedmieście Street.
Did you know that Warsaw…
• is a city of nearly two million people? Actually, nobody really knows exactly how many residents there are.
• was already a city of a million people in 1924? At that time, there were 31 cities like that in the world – now, there are 380.
• has 40 historic palaces within its city limits? The President of the Republic of Poland lives in one of them.
• has more libraries than Rome or Paris?
• has had a zoo for 80 years, which is visited by a half a million parents and children per year?
• has a rich theater life? Every year, in Warsaw’s theaters, there are one million spectators.
• has 173 institutions of higher learning, with 280,000 students, among whom there are more than three thousand foreigners?
• is a city with 56 museums, which are visited annually by 2,200,000 people?
• has 18,187 hotel beds (as of the first half of 2008)?
• is found among the 10 cities in the world which are particularly worth visiting, according to the „Best in Travel 2009” in the Lonely Planet guidebook?
Is Warsaw likeable?
National capitals are generally not well-liked by other cities in those countries. Perhaps these are just provincial complexes or jealousy, or maybe fear of the dynamics of life in big cities and the endless competition there. In any event, Warsaw has its supporters and fans, but also enemies and people who hesitate to acknowledge it. Recently, a survey by Millward SMG/KRC showed that Warsaw is best loved by... Varsovians themselves, as stated by 90% of the capital city residents! The level of Warsaw’s „likeability” averages 48%. Residents of Cracow like Warsaw the least, which can be explained by historical events – Cracow was once the capital of our country, and Warsaw „took away” its status. Aside from Varsovians, the residents of small towns and villages like Warsaw, which may come from the big-city myth about all of its attractions (cinemas, theaters, concert halls, clubs, restaurants, and bars). The Palace of Culture and Science was acknowledged by nearly everyone in Poland as the symbol of Warsaw; the symbol of our city, the mermaid, took second place.
The construction of the museum under way
In Warsaw, the building of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews has begun. It is to show the world that has already disappeared and remind visitors that Poland was a country where a significant part of the population was Jewish for many centuries, and that Warsaw, before the outbreak of the Second World War, was the largest Jewish city in Europe. The museum will have three floors, very interestingly designed by the Finnish studio Lahdelma&Mahlamaki, which won an international architectural competition for it. There will be a large crack running through the entire building, which refers to the parting of the Red Sea. In addition to multimedia exhibitions, there will also be an auditorium, a library, and an educational center. The investment will cost 152 million zloty. The Museum of the History of Polish Jews will stand across from the Monument to the Victims of the Ghetto, in the Warsaw district of Muranów, which was part of the Jewish ghetto during the war, where the Germans imprisoned the Jewish population of the city. The museum is supposed to open before April of 2013, before the 70th anniversary of the uprising in the Warsaw ghetto.
Memory of the Warsaw ghetto
Around the downtown in Warsaw, where the Germans separated the Jewish ghetto by building a wall, there are 21 plaques memorializing this terrible event. On Leszno, Bielaƒska, Bia∏a, Âwi´tokrzyska, Twarda, Ch∏odna, and a dozen or so other streets, there are bronze plaques on pedestals or on the walls and elevations of buildings. Everything was placed on the borders of the Jewish district during the occupation, where the mass murder of Polish Jews, as well as those brought from other European countries, took place. Next to each plaque there is a map of the ghetto and archival photographs. The Germans created the Warsaw ghetto in 1940 as „a prison in the heart of the city.” This memorial project was created by the Warsaw city authorities and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
The 25th Warsaw Film Festival
This festival will take place from the 9th to the 18th of October, 2009. During this time, you will be able to see films from around the world. Among them there are pictures by Steven Soderbergh, Lukas Moodysson, and Duncan Jone. Among the films being presented, there are titles like „500 dni miłości” (500 Days of Summer), directed by Marc Webb (USA, 2009). The main roles are played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. It is a kaleidoscopic portrait of the modern generation of twenty-somethings, which is stuck between hope and cynicism. Another is „Adam”, directed by Max Mayer (USA, 2009). The main roles are played by Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne. It is not the usual romantic comedy about obstacles on the road to human intimacy. Awarded at Sundance 09. Another is „Girlfriend Experience”, directed by Steven Soderbergh (USA, 2009). Sex and the credit crisis in the interpretation of one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers. The main role is played by porn star Sasha Grey. „Mamut” (Mammoth), directed by Lukas Moodysson (Sweden, Germany, Denmark, 2009). In the main roles, Gael García Bernal and Michelle Williams. The film stirred up a lot of controversy at this year’s festival in Berlin. „Moon” was directed by Duncan Jones (Great Britain, 2008). It is an original science fiction film with the excellent Sam Rockwell in the main role. It was awarded at Sundance 09, Tribeca 09, and Edinburgh 09 (Best British Debut). Then there is „Notorious”, directed by George Tillman Jr. (USA, 2008). Jamal Woolard plays the title role. It is a story of the rise and fall of the legendary rapper, Christopher „Biggie Smalls” Wallace, who gained world fame as Notorious B. I. G. Then Polish connections: „Nic osobistego” (Nothing Personal), directed by Urszula Antoniak (Netherlands, Ireland, 2009). With great insight, „Nic osobistego” explores the decision to live alone, and the problems with maintaining or disavowing this choice. „Muchy” (Fly; Fliegen) was directed by Piotr J. Lewandowski (born in 1975, in Warsaw). In 2007, he graduated from the Baden-Wirtemberg Film Academy. He is an animator and director of short films. „Najlepszy kontakt” (Contact high) was directed by Michael Glawogger (Austria, Germany, Poland 2008). It is a comedy of absurdities and misunderstandings. A group of young thieves ends up in Drogomyśl, in Poland. „Dezinformacja” (Defamation; Hashmatsa) was directed by Yoav Shamir (Israel, Austria 2009). It is a dazzling and funny documentary in which the director travels around the world looking for an answer to the question of what anti-semitism is today, two generations after the Holocaust. „Zabić sędziego” (Kill the Referee; Les arbitres) was directed by Yves Hinant (Belgia 2009). It is a documentary that portrays the world of football umpires, filmed „live” during the EURO 2008 European Championships. „Car” / Tsar was directed by Pavel Lungin (Russia, 2009). Poles as a background to Ivan the Terrible, who seriously believed that he had been given a holy mission. He introduces absolute rule, and ruthlessly destroys whoever stands in his way. „Oczy Simone” (Les Yeux de Simone; The Eyes Of Simone) was directed by Jean-Louis Porchet (Switzerland, 2009). 8 min. edited by Urszula Lesiak. Irene Jacob goes to a retrospective of Krzysztof Kieślowski’s films at a cinema in a small town. More information at www.wff.pl
The mayor of Warsaw advertises her city
At the invitation of the association Poland Street in London, the mayor of Warsaw, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, met with Poles who are living in that city. The meeting took place as part of a project called „12 Cities: Come back? But where?” Young Poles (because they were the main participants at the meeting) were interested in the job market in Warsaw, and real estate and the cost of living in our city. The mayor emphasized that the chances of finding a job in Warsaw are very good, because unemployment amounts to only 2.3 percent. It is easy to find work in accordance with one’s qualifications. And thanks to European Union funding, Poland’s capital does not feel the crisis. Apartments are certainly cheaper than in London. As the mayor pointed out, another attribute of Warsaw, for those who are looking for their place in life, is safety. 75 percent of residents in Poland’s capital are not afraid to leave home after dark. Returning to Warsaw from London will not be a shock, since the same chains of clothing stores, bars, and restaurants operate in both cities. The meeting lasted for five hours.
The Californian newspaper „Los Angeles Times” has named Warsaw one of 29 places in the world which are worth visiting this year. According to the editors of this paper, the attractiveness of our city is due to its reasonable prices, high quality services for tourism, excellent cuisine and the Chopin Year celebrations that are coming up soon. American tourists are visiting our country more and more often. They enjoy the food, architecture, and hospitality. They feel safe here, and the Chopin concerts at Łazienki Park are one of the must-see points.
Will the Hoover monument return?
Herbert Clark Hoover was president of the United States during the years of the greatest crisis, from 1929 to 1933. After the First World War, Hoover served Europe, and Poland too, with his humanitarian activities. Thanks to the help received from the humanitarian organizations he led, more than a million Polish children survived the difficult period of hunger and epidemic from 1919-1921. He also visited Poland personally – and not empty-handed – after the Second World War. He did all of these things as a private citizen. In 1921, the Polish Parliament granted this great American honorary citizenship, and the residents of the capital funded a monument out of gratitude to the American in Hoover Square, in Warsaw. The monument was created by Xawery Dunikowski. Unfortunately, the beautiful sculpture did not survive the war, and afterward there was not any political will to restore it. Does that mean we ought to completely forget about this symbolic monument of gratitude? And can we not afford to recreate it in the times when we consider the United States to be our closest ally? Initiative has already been taken to do so. Let us hope that this artistically interesting monument in memory of this great friend to Poland will return to Krakowskie Przedmieście Street.
Did you know that Warsaw…
• is a city of nearly two million people? Actually, nobody really knows exactly how many residents there are.
• was already a city of a million people in 1924? At that time, there were 31 cities like that in the world – now, there are 380.
• has 40 historic palaces within its city limits? The President of the Republic of Poland lives in one of them.
• has more libraries than Rome or Paris?
• has had a zoo for 80 years, which is visited by a half a million parents and children per year?
• has a rich theater life? Every year, in Warsaw’s theaters, there are one million spectators.
• has 173 institutions of higher learning, with 280,000 students, among whom there are more than three thousand foreigners?
• is a city with 56 museums, which are visited annually by 2,200,000 people?
• has 18,187 hotel beds (as of the first half of 2008)?
• is found among the 10 cities in the world which are particularly worth visiting, according to the „Best in Travel 2009” in the Lonely Planet guidebook?
Is Warsaw likeable?
National capitals are generally not well-liked by other cities in those countries. Perhaps these are just provincial complexes or jealousy, or maybe fear of the dynamics of life in big cities and the endless competition there. In any event, Warsaw has its supporters and fans, but also enemies and people who hesitate to acknowledge it. Recently, a survey by Millward SMG/KRC showed that Warsaw is best loved by... Varsovians themselves, as stated by 90% of the capital city residents! The level of Warsaw’s „likeability” averages 48%. Residents of Cracow like Warsaw the least, which can be explained by historical events – Cracow was once the capital of our country, and Warsaw „took away” its status. Aside from Varsovians, the residents of small towns and villages like Warsaw, which may come from the big-city myth about all of its attractions (cinemas, theaters, concert halls, clubs, restaurants, and bars). The Palace of Culture and Science was acknowledged by nearly everyone in Poland as the symbol of Warsaw; the symbol of our city, the mermaid, took second place.
The construction of the museum under way
In Warsaw, the building of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews has begun. It is to show the world that has already disappeared and remind visitors that Poland was a country where a significant part of the population was Jewish for many centuries, and that Warsaw, before the outbreak of the Second World War, was the largest Jewish city in Europe. The museum will have three floors, very interestingly designed by the Finnish studio Lahdelma&Mahlamaki, which won an international architectural competition for it. There will be a large crack running through the entire building, which refers to the parting of the Red Sea. In addition to multimedia exhibitions, there will also be an auditorium, a library, and an educational center. The investment will cost 152 million zloty. The Museum of the History of Polish Jews will stand across from the Monument to the Victims of the Ghetto, in the Warsaw district of Muranów, which was part of the Jewish ghetto during the war, where the Germans imprisoned the Jewish population of the city. The museum is supposed to open before April of 2013, before the 70th anniversary of the uprising in the Warsaw ghetto.
Memory of the Warsaw ghetto
Around the downtown in Warsaw, where the Germans separated the Jewish ghetto by building a wall, there are 21 plaques memorializing this terrible event. On Leszno, Bielaƒska, Bia∏a, Âwi´tokrzyska, Twarda, Ch∏odna, and a dozen or so other streets, there are bronze plaques on pedestals or on the walls and elevations of buildings. Everything was placed on the borders of the Jewish district during the occupation, where the mass murder of Polish Jews, as well as those brought from other European countries, took place. Next to each plaque there is a map of the ghetto and archival photographs. The Germans created the Warsaw ghetto in 1940 as „a prison in the heart of the city.” This memorial project was created by the Warsaw city authorities and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
The 25th Warsaw Film Festival
This festival will take place from the 9th to the 18th of October, 2009. During this time, you will be able to see films from around the world. Among them there are pictures by Steven Soderbergh, Lukas Moodysson, and Duncan Jone. Among the films being presented, there are titles like „500 dni miłości” (500 Days of Summer), directed by Marc Webb (USA, 2009). The main roles are played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. It is a kaleidoscopic portrait of the modern generation of twenty-somethings, which is stuck between hope and cynicism. Another is „Adam”, directed by Max Mayer (USA, 2009). The main roles are played by Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne. It is not the usual romantic comedy about obstacles on the road to human intimacy. Awarded at Sundance 09. Another is „Girlfriend Experience”, directed by Steven Soderbergh (USA, 2009). Sex and the credit crisis in the interpretation of one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers. The main role is played by porn star Sasha Grey. „Mamut” (Mammoth), directed by Lukas Moodysson (Sweden, Germany, Denmark, 2009). In the main roles, Gael García Bernal and Michelle Williams. The film stirred up a lot of controversy at this year’s festival in Berlin. „Moon” was directed by Duncan Jones (Great Britain, 2008). It is an original science fiction film with the excellent Sam Rockwell in the main role. It was awarded at Sundance 09, Tribeca 09, and Edinburgh 09 (Best British Debut). Then there is „Notorious”, directed by George Tillman Jr. (USA, 2008). Jamal Woolard plays the title role. It is a story of the rise and fall of the legendary rapper, Christopher „Biggie Smalls” Wallace, who gained world fame as Notorious B. I. G. Then Polish connections: „Nic osobistego” (Nothing Personal), directed by Urszula Antoniak (Netherlands, Ireland, 2009). With great insight, „Nic osobistego” explores the decision to live alone, and the problems with maintaining or disavowing this choice. „Muchy” (Fly; Fliegen) was directed by Piotr J. Lewandowski (born in 1975, in Warsaw). In 2007, he graduated from the Baden-Wirtemberg Film Academy. He is an animator and director of short films. „Najlepszy kontakt” (Contact high) was directed by Michael Glawogger (Austria, Germany, Poland 2008). It is a comedy of absurdities and misunderstandings. A group of young thieves ends up in Drogomyśl, in Poland. „Dezinformacja” (Defamation; Hashmatsa) was directed by Yoav Shamir (Israel, Austria 2009). It is a dazzling and funny documentary in which the director travels around the world looking for an answer to the question of what anti-semitism is today, two generations after the Holocaust. „Zabić sędziego” (Kill the Referee; Les arbitres) was directed by Yves Hinant (Belgia 2009). It is a documentary that portrays the world of football umpires, filmed „live” during the EURO 2008 European Championships. „Car” / Tsar was directed by Pavel Lungin (Russia, 2009). Poles as a background to Ivan the Terrible, who seriously believed that he had been given a holy mission. He introduces absolute rule, and ruthlessly destroys whoever stands in his way. „Oczy Simone” (Les Yeux de Simone; The Eyes Of Simone) was directed by Jean-Louis Porchet (Switzerland, 2009). 8 min. edited by Urszula Lesiak. Irene Jacob goes to a retrospective of Krzysztof Kieślowski’s films at a cinema in a small town. More information at www.wff.pl
The mayor of Warsaw advertises her city
At the invitation of the association Poland Street in London, the mayor of Warsaw, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, met with Poles who are living in that city. The meeting took place as part of a project called „12 Cities: Come back? But where?” Young Poles (because they were the main participants at the meeting) were interested in the job market in Warsaw, and real estate and the cost of living in our city. The mayor emphasized that the chances of finding a job in Warsaw are very good, because unemployment amounts to only 2.3 percent. It is easy to find work in accordance with one’s qualifications. And thanks to European Union funding, Poland’s capital does not feel the crisis. Apartments are certainly cheaper than in London. As the mayor pointed out, another attribute of Warsaw, for those who are looking for their place in life, is safety. 75 percent of residents in Poland’s capital are not afraid to leave home after dark. Returning to Warsaw from London will not be a shock, since the same chains of clothing stores, bars, and restaurants operate in both cities. The meeting lasted for five hours.
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Information published at 11 October 2009