Poland Watch

Women during Warsaw Uprising

Feminoteka Foundation [EN] in cooperation with the Warsaw Rising Museum [EN] have prepared the multimedia exhibition about day-to-day life of women during Warsaw Uprising (1944). Leaving aside the Uprising's controversies, authors focused on perspective of mothers, daughters, soldiers and heroines. The exhibition will be opened on October 22nd (details [PL]). Here is the trailer for the exhibition, underneath you can read subtitles.

• I was wearing casual clothes. None of us, women, had dressed up for Uprising. 
• To tell the truth there was no hygiene. You could wash your hands under the tap and eat anything.
• I dressed up as if I was going to the ball. I was wearing white blouse, my favourite sweater, skirt, white socks and sandals.
• We didn't have a period. I think that negative emotions were the reason. None of my friends had period and it made it easier for us.
• In my haversack I had dressings, a few photographs, a pencil, piece of paper and underpants. It was a belt haversack, green and not big.
• Bombs are exploding, everone is crouching, you don't know if bomb is going to hit this house or the other. People are crying, shouting, they can't stand it.
• It's said I helped to deliver a child. It's said, because I was as if in a trance. I don't remember it well.
• Washing wasn't the most important thing, the more important was avoiding German bullets. When they shot it's better to be dirty than clean and dead.
• As long as I don't lose this toothbrush, I will not get killed.
• As for the clothes... You undressed from time to time, when you could wash yourself. You didn't undress for sleeping or anything else.
• You are free when you feel you are with others on the equal terms.

Anna Dryjanska

Under the new Polish law Polanski would be castrated

Both Polish and abroad media are still abuzz with Roman Polanski's case. The famous Polish director, citizen of France, was arrested last Saturday in Switzerland in connection with sex charge.

"The Academy Award-winning director pleaded guilty in 1977 to a single count of having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, acknowledging he had sex with a 13-year-old girl, but fled the United States before he could be sentenced. U.S. authorities issued a warrant for his arrest in 1978." (CNN).

Roman Polanski (source: Guardian.co.uk)

Many Polish politicians and artists decided to speak up for Polanski:

Lech Walesa, former president, refers the case using catholic discourse: Polanski is a great person, he has done much for Poland and world. He might have sinned. If he had, then forgive him this one sin (Gazeta.pl).

Radoslaw Sikorski, Minister of Foreign Affairs also calls Polanski's crime a sin: I think that everyone who admires his films just like I do, shares my opinion that when you sin you might get a free pardon (Gazeta.pl). 

Krzysztof Zanussi, filmmaker, was interviewed by journalist Monika Olejnik and blamed the 13-year-old, outraging many people: 

Krzysztof Zanussi: If Polanski wasn't famous, then the fact, that over thirty years ago in Los Angeles, which is the city of particularly easy virtues, he decided to have services of the underage prostitute, cause that might be what had really happened...

Monika Olejnik: No! She was a 13-year-old girl who wasn't a prostitute. Money wasn't concerned, so it wasn't a prostitution.

Krzysztof Zanussi: In this world a whole lot of things is done not for money, but to get famous, to make a career. I think Polanski made a mistake (...) I don't believe in innocence of the victim. She didn't seem to be there accidentally (Gazeta.pl).

Bogdan Zdrojewski, Minister of Culture points out that Polanski didn't have a fair trial: We can't forget that the victim has forgiven Polanski and stated clearly: it wasn't a rape. At the beginning of eighties I was very interested in philosophy of law and American law, and even then it was a common opinion, that Polanski avoided the legal lynch in court: the jugde wasn't acting fair (Gazeta.pl).

Donald Tusk, Prime Minister seems to be more distanced: None of us would like to see Roman Polanski going to prison, this is obvious. But I don't think we should perceive the things that are going on as a particular tragedy or harm. A serious crime had been commited and it was well known that in these matters Americans are consequent and pretty ruthless (Gazeta.pl).

The Polanski's case is by no means simple. It raises a lot of questions of political, moral and legal nature. Opinions in Poland are much more polarized and divided than mainstream media discourse might show. Some people admit Polanski did wrong but want him to be immediately released. Some argue that nobody should be above the law. The polarization is clearly visible in the internet. There is a Polish petition on Facebook demanding release of Polanski, signed by Oscar winner Andrzej Wajda and other known Polish artists. The opinions of Polish Facebook users are divided: almost four hundred declared to support the petition, still over three hundred declared to be against it.

But there is one thing most of them could probably agree with: over thirty years ago Polanski did wrong, but he deserves a fair trial. Yes, Polanski have had sex with 13-year old girl (and admitted it), but yet he didn't have a fair trial as even Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza in Los Angeles says there was "substantial misconduct" in the handling of the original cast (Associated Press).

The biggest irony of the moment of Polanski's arrest is the fact, that a few days earlier the lower house of Polish parliament approved legislation that would make it obligatory to chemically castrate offenders who rape children under 15 (Taiwan News). The bill still needs approval from the upper house and president, but if it was in force and Polanski would have commited the crime in Poland, he would have been castrated. Now, some of the members of the government which proposed the bill want Polanski to be forgiven for committing the very same crime. Apparently life isn't as simple as preparing the bill.

Anna Dryjanska 

Polish Ombudsman: I don't like feminists

Ombudsman is an independent central office,  which is supposed to protect freedom and rights of the people. Janusz Kochanowski who helds the office since 2006, appeared on Thursday evening popular political programme of a prominent journalist Monika Olejnik (TVN24).

 Janusz Kochanowski, Polish Ombudman for Citizen Rights (fot. PAP)

"I don't like feminists, because they don't like women. Women who are satisfied with their social roles don't become feminists. Feminists are very often frustrated, unhappy, don't have husbands, lovers, children." said Kochanowski.

The remark of Ombudsman is very peculiar for a few reasons. Firstly, as a person who is supposed to protect freedom and rights of the people he should be well aware of the fact, that they are often limited on the basis of prejudices and stereotypes concerning the whole social groups. That's why he should be the last person to promote hostile comments about any social group. 

Secondly Kochanowski himself sometimes supports legislation for a gender equality, which is exactly what feminists do all of the time (among other things). Feminists in Poland worked hard for gender equality long before the Ombudsman office has been established (1988) and have achieved much more than Kochanowski in this respect. Deprecating them and claiming they don't like women seems to be at least absurd, not to say thoughtless or disrespectful.

And thirdly in a democratic country considering oneself a feminist (anti-racist etc.) should come naturally to an Ombudsman. Person who is prejudiced and promotes stereotypes doesn't fit for an office obliged to prevent discrimination and promote equality. 

Astonished journalist asked Kochanowski what do frustrated men become (as we aleready have been told frustrated women become feminists). He didn't answer. Maybe one of them became the Ombudsman? 

source: TVN24 video [PL]

Anna Dryjanska

Polish-Scottish connections: past, present and future

Polish-Scottish relations are not very well known, although they are really close and long-lived.These connections began as long time ago, as in 16th century, when the first major Scottish emigration started with big colonies in Poland, especially across the Vistula basin. Then it transformed to one of the greatest Scottish emigrations of the last several centuries, as there were at least 40 thousands Scots settled in Poland in 17th century. There was huge influence and great reception of the Scottish Enlightenment in Poland. One of the best example of influential Scottish man that time is John Baildon, who lived more than a half of his life in Prussian Silesia (which is part of Poland since 1945). He was involved in several pioneering industrial undertakings, some of them in Polish cities and towns: Gliwice, Chorzów, Lazany. A major steel work in Poland was named after him: Huta Baildon in Katowice. 

Huta Baildon in Katowice, Poland

Another good example of Scottish impacts in Poland is Hassling Ketling of Elgin – this time fictional character. He is one of the most popular figure in Henryk Sienkiewicz's famous novel Pan Wolodyjowski, the third part of the award winning The Trilogy. Despite Ketling is fictional, his appearance in 19th century Polish novel proves significant reception of Scots in Poland during the centuries, the more that he was the positive character helping the king of Poland, John Casimir, fighting the Turks in 17th century.

Another example is famous Scottish Jacobite, Bonnie Prince Charlie, who was descendant of Polish kings. His mother was Maria Clementina Sobieska, granddaughter of the king of Poland, John III Sobieski.

Poles have influenced a lot of Scots too. There were big Polish armed forces in Scotland during the Second World War. Most of them stayed in Scotland after the war and lived there for years, making a liberating impact on popular memory. And the most recent huge Polish migration to Scotland, since 2004, stimulated Scottish economy as well as local culture. Poles are present and visible in Scotland not only as good workers and skilled experts, but as great artists, fresh and active animators of social and culture life and good companions too. More and more of Polish actors, musicians, painters and photographers became recognised in Scotland. They take part in local events, exhibitions and festivals, including famous Fringe Festival, Leith Festival and Edinburgh Festival. They even organize their own Polish festivals in Scotland, aimed not only to promote Polish culture, but also to support Polish-Sottish integration. One of the most recent and most valuable example is Polish Cultural Festival, which took place in Edinburgh in April this year. Its effects are, inter alia, photo exhibition and a mural on Leith Walk area. An official ceremony unveiling a mural accompanied by the opening of an exhibition will take place on the 3rd of October. These events will be held in conjunction with the big, international, two day conference entitled "Scotland and Poland, a historical relationship, 1500-2009."  

The conference is organised by the Polish Cultural Institute in London, the Scottish Centre for Diaspora Studies at the University of Edinburgh, and the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Edinburgh. It will start on the 1st of October at 6.30 pm. at the University of Edinburgh. It's free event, but advance booking is essential. More details about the conference are available on web sites of Polish Cultural Institute. Tickets are available for booking online from University of Edinburgh.

The conference starts with public lecture by Neal Ascherson: “Brothers and sisters for a 'That': Rediscovering the Polish-Scottish Relationship”. Archerson is distinguished Scottish journalist and commentator, specialist of East Europe including Poland. He witnessed and reported the most important events in the modern Polish history: Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, the Papal visit to Poland in 1979, the birth of Solidarity in 1980 and covered the decisive Polish Parliament elections. He was granted the Polish Order of Merit in 1992. Neal Ascherson knows Poland for sure, so it's worth to come to Edinburgh and take part in his exciting lecture and in all accompanied events.

Maciej Lewandowski

Association in Bialystok prints leaflets comparing city incinerator to Auschwitz's crematorium

Does the end justify the means? Social Option, the Bialystok's association protesting against the planned new city incinerator, seems to agree. During the last few days the association distributed a few hundreds of leaflets comparing the incinerator to crematorium in Auschwitz. The leaflet shows photograph of starving children from the Nazi Germany's extermination camp titled "genetic disorders caused by the contaminated environment."

Jaroslaw Mensfelt, the spokesperson of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and State Museum [EN] is outraged: "How can you compare the mass murder of over one million people to the concept of city incinerator? I can't even follow this way of thinking, so unimaginable, tactless and disrespectful for the victims."  

Bialystok's city council intends to take the case to court, if the Social Option broke the law. 

source: Gazeta Wspolczesna [PL], Gazeta.pl [PL]

Anna Dryjanska