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POLAND
Classicist belle letters made a significant contribution to The music of Fryderyk Chopin, inspired by Polish tradition
the cementing of Poland's peoples of many cultural and folklore, conveys the quintessence of Romanticism.
backgrounds. The early 19th century novel “ Manuscrit Since 1927, the International Frederick Chopin Piano
Trouve A Saragosse" by Count Jan Potocki, which Competition has been held every five years in Warsaw.
survived in its Polish translation after the loss of the Contemporary Polish jazz with its special national flavour
original in French, became a world classic. Wojciech Has' has fans and followers in many countries.
film based on it, a favourite of Luis Bunuel, later became
a cult film on university campuses. Poland's great Cinema
Romantic literature flourished in the 19th century when
Graduates of the famous Lodz Film School include many
the country had lost its independence.
celebrated directors, among them Roman Polanski (Knife
The poets Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Slowacki and in the Water, Rosemary's Baby, Frantic, The Pianist) and
Zygmunt Krasinski, the "Three Bards," became the Krzysztof Zanussi, a leading director of the cinema of
spiritual leaders of a nation deprived of its sovereignty,
moral anxiety of the 70s. Andrzej Wajda's films offer an
and prophesied its revival. The novelist Henryk
insightful analysis of what is universal in the Polish
Sienkiewicz, who won the Nobel Prize in 1905, eulogised
experience - the struggle to maintain human dignity
the historical tradition. It is difficult to grasp fully the
under circumstances which hardly allow it. His major
detailed tradition of Polish Romanticism and its
films describe the identity of many of Poland's
consequences for Polish literature without a thorough
knowledge of Polish history.
generations. In 2000 Wajda was awarded an Oscar for
his contribution to cinema. In the 90s the films of Krzysztof
In the early 20th century many outstanding Polish literary Kieœlowski, such as The Decalogue (made for
works emerged from the new cultural exchange and
television), The Double Life of Veronique and the Three
Avant-Garde experimentation. The legacy of the Kresy
Colors trilogy, won great popularity. Other Polish film
Marchlands of Poland's Eastern regions with Wilno and
directors such as Agnieszka Holland and Janusz
Lwow (now Vilnius and Lviv) as two major centres for the
Kaminski have worked in Hollywood as well. Polish
arts, played a special role in these developments. This
animated films - represented by Jan Lenica and Zbigniew
was also a region in which Jewish tradition and the mystic
movement of Hasidism thrived. The Kresy were a cultural
Rybczynski (awarded an Oscar in 1983) - have a long
trysting-place for numerous ethnic and national groups tradition, and derivie inspiration from Poland's graphic
whose achievements were inspiring each other. The arts.
works of Bruno Schulz, Boleslaw Leœmian, and Jozef
Czechowicz were written there. In the south of Poland,
Theatre
Zakopane was the birthplace of the avant-garde works of The Polish avant-garde theatre is world-famous, with
Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy). And, last but not Jerzy Grotowski as its most innovative and creative
least, there was Wladyslaw Reymont awarded 1924 representative. One of the most original twentieth-
Nobel prize in literature for his novel Chlopi (The century theatre personalities was Tadeusz Kantor, painter,
Peasants).
theoretician of drama, stage designer, and playwright,
After the Second World War many Polish writers found his ideas finding their culmination in the theatre of death
themselves in exile, with many of them clustered around and his most recognised production being "Umarla
the Paris-based "Kultura" publishing venture run by Jerzy klasa" (Dead Class).
Giedroyc. The group of emigre writers included Witold
Museums and Festivals Poland offers a wide spectrum of
Gombrowicz, Gustaw Herling-Grudziñski, Czeslaw
cultural experience. Those interested in high culture will
Milosz, and Slawomir Mrozek.
enjoy the renowned music festivals like Wratislavia
Zbigniew Herbert, Tadeusz Rozewicz, Czeslaw Milosz Cantans and the Warsaw Autumn. Polish museums
(Nobel Prize in 1980), and Wislawa Szymborska (Nobel exhibit remarkable art collections - masterpieces
Prize in 1996) are among the most outstanding 20th including Leonardo da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine at the
century Polish poets, including novelists and playwrights
Czartoryski Museum in Krakow; the Veit Stoss High Altar
Witold Gombrowicz, Slawomir Mrozek, and Stanislaw
in St. Mary's Basilica, Krakow; and the Last Judgement by
Lem (science fiction). The long list includes Hanna Krall
Hans Memling (The National Museum in Gdansk).
whose reportage focuses mainly on the war-time Jewish
Ethnographic museums and open-air site-seeing
experience, and Ryszard Kapuœcinski with books
museums also hold attractive collections. The panorama
translated into many languages.
of Polish culture is completed by a medley of local
Music
festivals.
OPEN TRADE 47
Oct-Dec 2007