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    Advent – The Spiritual awaiting for Christ

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    redakcja
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    Advent – The Spiritual awaiting for Christ
    Shutterstock

    Four weeks before Christmas Polish people prepare for the birth of Christ. These weeks are known as Advent. It is a time of fasting, prayer and spiritual preparation for Christmas. It should not just be all about the parties, decorating, and shopping, lest we forget what this time of the year is truly about.

    One of many living traditions are special early-morning masses called “roraty”, usually starting when it is still dark outside. Churchgoers light candles at different times during mass so they gradually bring light to the day which symbolizes the upcoming Nativity of Christ, a miracle that brought light and salvation to the world.
    The word “roraty” originates from the first words of the introit, a psalm or antiphon sung or said while the priest approaches the altar for the Eucharist. The first prayer begins with the word “Rorate coeli”, translated from Latin means “Heaven, drop the morning dew”. This service has a very special atmosphere since it begins before sunrise in darkness. Candles are lit at the altar and in the hands of the people participating at the service. As the mass comes to an end, the sun has risen and the world is waking up with the sunrise.. Roraty has been celebrated in Poland since the 12th century and continue to be celebrated in cities and villages throughout the country to this day.

    One of many living traditions are special early-morning masses called “roraty”, usually starting when it is still dark outside. Churchgoers light candles at different times during mass so they gradually bring light to the day which symbolizes the upcoming Nativity of Christ, a miracle that brought light and salvation to the world. There is also one special white candle at the altar, called “roratka”, wreathed in blue ribbon, which symbolizes Mary, the Morning Star, preluding Christ, the Sun.

    The word “roraty” originates from the first words of the introit, a psalm or antiphon sung or said while the priest approaches the altar for the Eucharist. The first prayer begins with the word “Rorate caeli”, translated from Latin means “Heaven, drop the morning dew”. This service has a very special atmosphere since it begins before sunrise in darkness. Candles are lit at the altar and in the hands of the people participating at the service. As the mass comes to an end, the sun has risen and the world is waking up with the sunrise. Roraty has been celebrated in Poland since the 12th century and continue to be celebrated in cities and villages throughout the country to this day. Researchers believe that it has played a major role in the rise of devotion to the Blessed Virgin in our country.

    Since roraty is a special kind of mass, every diocese that wants to celebrate it, needs a special permit from the Vatican. There used to be a range of customs regarding roraty throughout Poland but they were all unified by cardinal Stefan Wyszyński in 1961. Also, since Vaticanum II, it can be celebrated only in Advent on weekdays, when there is no other solemnity, like the Immaculate Conception. These days, roraty is directed especially to children, who find this unusual mass quite attractive and wake up before dawn to storm their local church with lanterns in hands and go in a procession to greet the Light coming to the world.

    Stradivarius In the Warsaw Royal Castle

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    redakcja
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    Stradivarius In the Warsaw Royal Castle
    Wikipedia

    From December 7th until December 21st 2018, for the first in post-war Poland, Stradivarius has come in to the hands of Janusz Wawrowski. A virtuoso, one of the greatest Polish violinist of his generation, Wawrowski has been granted the opportunity to exclusively play these exceptional violins. It is all thanks to the sponsors Roman Ziemian and Stephan Morgenstern, the founders of the FutureNet portal.

    The violins were given the honorable name of “Polonia” December 4th of 2018 and have been deposited in a glass case specially made for them, for public presentation. The construction of the display glass case will allow the removal of the existing safety barrier and bring the visitor closer to this rare instrument and observe all its structural nuances.
    Stradivarius is considered to be the greatest violins ever made. These special kind of violins have been handcrafted by the master luthier Antonio Stradivari. Stradivari was believed to have been born in Cremona, Italy in 1644. Although the details of his childhood — including his birth place and how he managed to become the most skilled luthier in Cremona Italy — are not certain. One thing is undoubted though; Stradivari dedicated his life to crafting and perfecting the violin. He reached prominence within his lifetime and has gained even more admiration and recognition since his death more than 250 years ago.
    Stradivari designed and crafted more than 1,000 violins and instruments during his lifetime, nearly 650 of which still exist today. These violins and instruments are considered the finest ever made and continue to be the greatest in terms of their form, sound and beauty.

    However, there is a caveat; they only work in the hands of the greatest virtuosos. They are capricious, like a living organism and only the genuinely highly skilled players bring out their full potential. Janusz Wawrowski has yearned them for years, believing that their absence marginalizes Polish artists in the international arena.
    This Stradivarius is much more than a great violin. It is the ambassador of our music in the world. It’s story and amazing sound arouses interest immediately, whenever I mention it and whenever the Stradivarius appears!  says Janusz Wawrowski

     Before the Second World War Poland owned Stradivarius. Unfortunately, all these extremely valuable instruments were removed, sold or handed over. Now, for the first time in the post-war history of Poland, we have “our” Stradivarius. What’s more – it is an absolutely unique instrument!
    Janusz Wawrowski is the only violinist with a long-term contract with Warner Classics and a laureate of the Phonographic Academy Fryderyk 2017 Award for classical music – album of the year, solo recital. He is a graduate and lecturer at the Music University of Fryderyk Chopin in Warsaw. Wawrowski is a laureate of many international violin competitions. He gave concerts at the Berlin Philharmonic, the Musikverein in Vienna, the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, the Lithuanian National Philharmonic, and the Conservatory.

    Poland's future energy mix: clean coal, nuclear power and offshore windfarms

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    redakcja
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    Poland's future energy mix: clean coal

    The annual UN Climate Change conference is currently taking place in Katowice Poland. Environmental activists are criticizing the Polish government for basing the country’s energy production on coal-based power plants. The Polish side argues that there is currently no feasible renewable energy source available as neither solar nor wind power is economically viable in Poland at the moment.

    However, the future could lie in clean nuclear power but it will be a while before the reactors are up and running. In connection with the Climate Change conference, Polish President Andrzej Duda has vowed that he won’t let anyone murder the Polish mining sector.

    Poland still has significant reserves of coal and intends to use them in the dozen years or so before Polish nuclear reactors will become operational. The Polish company JSW, the EU’s largest coking coal producer, has announced that it plans to increase output by 2,5 to 3 million tonnes a year.

    Environmental activists present at the UN Climate Talks in Katowice are critical of the company’s plans, saying that there is no such thing as clean coal. Corrine Le Quere, a co-author of the Global Carbon Project Report, stated at the conference in Katowice that there is cleaner and dirtier coal but in the end, greenhouse gas emissions are unavoidable as long coal will be used on an industrial scale. In her opinion, the resource which in Poland is known as “the black gold” must replaced by wind and solar energy if the world is to be able to tackle climate change and deal with air pollution. 

    Representatives from JSW argue that renewable energy sources cannot be used to replace coking coal with today’s technology and  that decades will pass before an alternative to coking coal could be developed for the blast furnaces needed in crude steel production. The company also points to the fact that despite this state of affairs, they are pulling their load to decrease emissions by investing in solar panels for other purposes and by converting methane gas into energy.

    The CEO of JSW, Daniel Ozon, emphasizes that coking coal is distinct from thermal coal for power generation, has a long future as well as being is on an EU list of strategic minerals.

    He maintains that there is simply no available technology that would be economically feasible for substituting coal in blast furnaces where crude steel is produced. Ozon is convinced that it will be another two or three decades until there is a good substitute that is economically feasible.

    The Polish Minister of Energy, Krzysztof Tchórzewski, announced in November that nuclear power will be used to decrease carbon gas emissions in Poland and that he believes that nuclear energy will provide Poland with 10 gigawatts a year by 2040.

    Another source of energy to be pursued by the ministry is offshore wind farms.The Polish state-owned power company PGE is planning to build wind parks with a capacity of 2.5 gigawatts per year. According to the plans, the wind farms will be completed after 2025.

    The farms will be built 30 kilometers north of the Polish coast, as that specific location is the only place in Poland where winds are strong enough for wind power to be economically viable. A diverse energy basket including coal-based power plants, off-shore wind farms and nuclear power is envisioned in the governments energy strategy recently published in a document titled “Poland Energy Policy 2040”.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    LOST WORK BY WYSPIAŃSKI RETURNS TO CRACOW

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    redakcja
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    LOST WORK BY WYSPIAŃSKI RETURNS TO CRACOW
    The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage/ fot. Danuta Matloch

    On the 111th anniversary of the death of the eminent Polish painter Stanisław Wyspiański, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage together with the National Museum in Krakow are showcasing two of is unique paintings. The National Museum in Kraków has gathered the largest and most valuable collection of works by Stanisław Wyspiański, one of the most important, original and respected artists from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The exhibition includes about 900 works. However, from January 15th, 2019 the Museum will display two newly acquired paintings by Wyspiański. It will commemorate the 150th anniversary of his birth.

    “Self-portrait” from 1897 and “Portrait of Doctor Jan Raczyński” from 1904 will be displayed in an exhibition entitled Wyspiański. Unknown. The paintings were acquired last week thanks to a subsidy from Poland’s Culture Ministry. For 110 years no one had the opportunity to see “Self-portrait”, only a photograph was publicly available, and the whereabouts of the canvas remained unknown. It turned out that the painting were owned by the descendants of the family that bought it when Wyspiański was still alive. Wyspiański, one of Poland’s most famous playwrights, painters and designers, was born in 1869 in Kraków. He died in the same city at the age of 38.

    Wyspiański’s own portraits were rarely made, created during important moments of his life and were always symbolic. The first self-portraits Wyspiańśki drew in a sketchbook in 1890, during the artist’s journey around Europe.

    Stanisław Wyspiański was a Polish playwright, painter and poet, as well as interior and furniture designer. He created a series of symbolic, national dramas derived from the artistic philosophy of the Young Poland Movement. Wyspiański was one of the most outstanding and multifaceted artists of his time in Poland under the foreign partitions. Wyspiański is known as the Fourth Polish Bard in addition to the Three Bards: Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Słowacki, and Zygmunt Krasiński.
     

    Polish masterpieces put on display at Chopin Airport

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    redakcja
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    Polish masterpieces put on display at Chopin Airport
    http://www.mkidn.gov.pl for. Danuta Matloch

    The Ministry of Culture is implementing a Project to introduce Polish art to the general public. 200 large format reproductions of the best Polish paintings of the most famous Polish artists were displayed during a vernissage for an exhibition called “Polish Family Album” at Chopin airport in Warsaw. The travelers from all over the world will be able to see reproductions works from the collections of the National Museum in Warsaw in atypical spaces.

    The exhibition includes 150 portraits, 45 landscapes and 40 other performances – all from the National Museum in Warsaw. The exhibition consists of large-format reproductions of portraits, landscapes and other paintings significant to Polish culture. The largest element of the exhibition is an area of 243 square meters.
    Travelers will be able to admire and learn about works from Olga Boznańska, Józef Chełmoński, Julian Fałat, brothers Gierymscy, Jacek Malczewski, Józef Mehoffer, Stanisław Witkiewicz, Leon Wyczółkowski, Stanisław Wyspiański and many others. Reproductions have been placed throughout the airport: in the departure and arrival hall, along the entire length of the main pier, in the VIP area.

    The collection is presented using new technologies. Traditional descriptions of works are accompanied by an interactive mobile application based on augmented reality technology. It provides an additional depth of knowledge about the works being admired. The exhibition is complemented by a 360 ° Virtual Reality film depicting the richness of Poland’s history, culture and nature.
     

    Miner’s Day in Poland

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    redakcja
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    Miner’s Day in Poland
    SHUTTERSTOCK

    On December 4th Poland celebrates those who have one of the hardest profession in the world, miners. Being a miner was always considered dangerous but at the same time prestigious. This day is called “Barbórka” and has been celebrated for centuries in a spectacular manner. The name of the holiday originates from St. Barbara, a patron of good death and difficult work. As miners often say, the movement of time and reality changes with life underground. The typical greeting for miners is Szczęsc Boze (God Bless) it is said that a casual ‘good day’ is good for those working under a beautiful, sunny sky.

    To prevent accidents miners used to build chapels devoted to their patron, St. Barbara. St. Barbara is also a very celebrated “Nameday” in Poland, Barbara is a popular feminine name.  In the mining tradition, Barbórka begins with the morning Holly Mass in the church or in the miners’ guildhall by the figure of Saint. Barbara. After the service, the miners dressed in gala uniforms and hats with plumes start the procession through the streets of their cities. The brass band plays the most important role in the march, it is a background for the participants who sing the mining anthem. During this occasion, concerts, artistic performances, games and balls are organized, in which entire mining families participate.

    In Poland there were over hundred mines, besides black and brown coal there was also copper, silver and salt. However salt miners have their own patron, St. Kinga. Polish coal mines are mainly concentrated in Upper Silesia.

    An important element of Barbórka are traditional miners’ meeting, also called a tavern get-together. To this day the meetings are carried out according to the traditions established many years ago. It is led by the presidium headed by the chairman, who “are never mistaken in beer matters”. The room is divided into two rows headed by their leaders, sitting at two tables the miners compete with each other. During the meetings a gala costume is also obligatory. Punishments and prizes are decided, and duels are fought between the rows, with the main beer challenge. The basic instructions are given in Latin, as it was performed in the past.  
     

    Poland to ask for $850 bln in war reparations from Germany

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    redakcja
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    Poland to ask for $850 bln in war reparations from Germany
    Gazeta Polska

    Members of the Polish parliamentary committee dealing with World War II reparations from Germany have met at the headquarters of the New Records Archives in Warsaw. For over a year, the archive has been digitalizing its records of German war crimes in Poland. The archive houses a report made by the Polish Government-In-Exile in London in the years following World War 2 on the extent of material and human losses inflicted on Poland by Nazi Germany.

    The Deputy Director of the New Records Archives, Mariusz Olczak, informed the press that the digital catalog will be published on their website  in the coming days and that it contains an alphabetical list of the places, identified by the Polish Government-In-Exile, were German war crimes were committed between 1939 and 1945.

    Olczak argues that the most valuable of part of the report refer to very small towns and villages that often were not an object of interest to historians. He claims that many tend to forget that the German terror was not limited to the concentration camps and the destruction of Warsaw and other major Polish cities, but that it also took aim at Poles living in small towns and villages.

    The director of the New Record Archives, Dr. Taduesz Krawczak, emphasized that pressure must be put on Germany to make its records accessible to the public. He argued that Polish researchers have been hindered by German legislation which makes their World War II records of certain statistical materials classified for most researchers. Dr. Krawczak stated that it’s necessary to abolish the legislation as soon as possible, in order for all researchers to have access to the material which is currently only availabe to those with special permission.

    The head of the Parliamentary Committee for the Assessment of the Compensation Amount due to Poland from Germany for the Damage caused during World War II, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, reiterated that the committee’s final report on the scope of Germany’s war crimes in Poland will be published in 2019.

    Mularczyk argues that the effects of the Second World War are still felt by Polish society. He states that in comparison to Western Europe, Poland’s worse road infrastructure and weaker economy can be partly explained by the fact that the country has been developing at a slower rate for decades after the war as it had to rebuild all the wartime damages. He also stressed that the demographic process was stopped and that the population of Poland would be much greater today if not for the loss of almost 12 million citizens in the Second World War.

    According to Mularczyk, the issue of reparations requires permanent regulation in Polish-German relations but that until recently, the Germans believed or still believe that that war reparations is only an internal discussion in Poland. Mularczyk is working hard to change that perception and visited the the German parliament recently, speakingbefore the German Foreign Affairs Committee to present the factual problem concerning Poland not receiving reparations. He is also concerned with the problem of Polish citizens often facing a closed court path in private compensation cases.

    The sum that Poland will ask for in reparations in next year’s final report has not been determined yet but Mularczyk says that after taking inflation into consideration, an estimated 850 billion dollars could come into play.

    The take of the German authorities is that the case is closed in the light of international law and that the country currently has no obligations to pay out any war reparations to Poland.

    The European Commission continues the Article 7 procedure

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    redakcja
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    The European Commission continues the Article 7 procedure
    Gazeta Polska

    The European Commission has announced that it won’t revoke its complaint to the European Court of Justice nor drop the Article 7 procedure against Poland. The decision comes after the Polish government passed an amendment to the Supreme Court bill, allowing the judges who were recently forced to retire after the age of 65 to come back to their positions. The reinstating of justices was demanded by the European Court of Justice.

    The Czech European Commissioner for Justice, Věra Jourová, stated in radio interview that the amendment to the Supreme Court bill is a step in the right direction but that the European Commission still intends to implement article 7 on Poland, for the alleged breaking of the rule of law in the country. The final step of Article 7 could lead to political sanctions being placed on Poland, stripping the country of it’s right to vote in the EU. However, such a result is highly unlikely as the decision would have to receive unanimous support by the 28 EU member states represented in the European Council. Hungary and the Baltic states have already announced that they would veto any such attempts.

    Ryszard Czarnecki, an MEP of the ruling Polish Law & Justice Party argues that the European Commission can’t let the case go as it’s looking for reasons to undermine the Polish government. According to him, the amendment Poland made to the Supreme Court bill would have otherwise caused the European Commission to drop the case against Poland.

    Dobromir Sośnierz, MEP of the Freedom Party states that European Commission is on the hunt for the Law and Justice party, since it took Poland out of reach of German influence. He believes that Germany is using the EU and the Civic Platform and Modern parties to get back its influence in Poland. He claims that until it happenns, Germany won’t back off and that If this excuse doesn’t work, the Germans will find another.

    The state of rule of law in Poland will be discussed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of all EU member states on December 11th. According to unofficial sources, the Court of Justice in Luxembourg may give its final decision concerning the suspension of the Polish Supreme Court bill by the end of this year.

    Record Breaking Amount Paid for Polish Artwork – Almost 5 million zloty for Wojciech Fangor’s work

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    redakcja
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    Record Breaking Amount Paid for Polish Artwork - Almost 5 million zloty for Wojciech Fangor’s work

    A record breaking transaction was made in the Polish contemporary art market, almost 5 million Polish Zlotys, amounting to over 1.2 million Dollars was paid for the purchase of Wojciech Fangor’s masterpiece, “M39”.

    Wojciech Fangor’s “M39” was estimated to be worth 2 million zlotys before the auction. “M39” has an unusual story. The artist created only a few canvases on which he used the rosette motif. According to the auctioneer, DES UNICUM „M39” painted in 1969, was created for the artist’s individual exhibition in the prestigious New York Guggenheim Museum. The auction value greatly exceeded the estimation which suggests that perhaps Polish contemporary art is currently in vogue. Wojciech Fangor, born in 1922 became one of the creators of the Polish Posters School which significantly influenced the international development of graphic design in poster art. The artist passed away in 2015.

    The tradition of creating nativity scenes in Kraków has been awarded a place on the Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists

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    redakcja
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    The tradition of creating nativity scenes in Kraków has been awarded a place on the Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists
    Wikipedia

    On November 29th, during their annual meeting in Port Louis, Mauritius UNESCO Committee decided to register the tradition of creating nativity scenes in Kraków on to Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is Poland’s first intangible cultural heritage practice.

    The tradition of constructing Christmas ‘szopki,’ or nativity scenes, in Kraków dates back to the 19th century. This unique and beautiful custom is inseparable with the history of the city. Ever since 1946, the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków has been in charge of organizing the contest. The goal of the competition has always been the preservation of the tradition of nativity scene making. Hundreds of craftsmen have entered the contest throughout its history. The tradition of creating nativity scenes for the competition developed in many families; it has been handed down from generation to generation, and is still very much alive today.
    The nativity scene presents the biblical scene of the birth of Christ, encompassed by the most recognizable landmarks of the city. The figures are often mobile moved by mechanisms with illumination.
     

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