Krakow's Wałęsa Affair
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FREE MAY 2009 Edition 55 ISSN 1898-4762 krakow POST www.krakowpost.com "Memory Processed" Witkacy & Photography: inside part of Photomonth, Psycholizm, City Life page 6 City Life page 8 Citylife A Worldly Education A look at international schools in Krakow Wojciech Załuski Many families who arrive in Krakow from abroad are faced with the question of what's the best school for their chil- dren. If they are not sure of how long they will stay, some may consider send- ing their kids to one of the two interna- tional schools in the city, instead of to a Polish state school, where they will first of all have to learn a new language. There are several advantages to the international choice. Naturally, if the family decides to move away soon af- terwards, the children can follow their education in English in another inter- national school elsewhere. The teach- ers at such schools are in tune with the "Summersweed," OFF Programme, part of Photomonth Krakow / photo Jakub Karwowski problems of a global and diverse society. The annual Month of Photography Festival will take place from the 5th to the 31st of May, and the related exhibitions will Multi-ethnic and international pupils focus on two central themes this year: "Memory Processed" and Czech photography. For more, see City Life page 6. are in themselves the greatest assets of such establishments. If a family plans on staying longer and their kids have enough time to learn the local language, state school may be KRAKOW’S WAŁĘSA AFFAIR INSIDE a good choice. The advantage of a local school is that one is not alienated from the society one lives in, which may hap- pen if one follows the international edu- University entangled in defamation row Krakow cation path. Tolerance in a new form The British International School of Cracow (BISC) is located a short stroll >> page 4 from the Old Town, whereas the sec- Nick Hodge ond International School of Krakow lies a few kilometres from the actual city Poland proper. One of Krakow's most hallowed institu- has been justly awarded. The issue polarised Above all, both schools answer to the tions has come under fire due to a biog- the press, with many coming to the defence NATO job not for Sikorski needs of an international group of man- raphy of Solidarity hero Lech Wałesa. The of the national hero, whilst others called for >> page 7 agers and directors, enriching the ex-pat Jagiellonian University was challenged by a dispassionate approach. community in Krakow. They were both the government over Lech Wałęsa: Idea and A subsequent wave of interviews with Mr. started after 1989, the date that marks Reality, an exhaustive work that was origi- Wałęsa's childhood peers suggested that the Feature the beginning of the rapid transforma- nally the masters dissertation of 25-year-old illegitimacy story should not be dismissed tion from the centrally planned econo- historian Paweł Zyzak. outright. Regional news station Gazeta Daytrips by car my to the free market. Although the 620 page book deals mainly Pomorska filmed a number of inhabitants >> pages 8-9 I visited the ISK during “Pi day,” dur- with Wałęsa's political odyssey, revelations of the village of Popowo, birthplace of the ing which the school was full of kids, about the former president's youth were former president. Mr. Wałęsa's erstwhile happily concerned with their Pi pies, seized upon by journalists. The most explo- neighbours spoke with calmness about the Interview moving between the spacious open hall sive allegation is that Wałesa fathered a son affair. Their conclusion was that Wałęsa had and the cafeteria. The whole building out of wedlock, and that the child later died run away to Gdańsk after he discovered Historian Adam Zamoyski looks almost like a palace and it is sur- in tragic circumstances. Later in the book, that his girlfriend was expecting a baby. ponders Poland's past rounded by trees and a well-kept lawn, Mr. Zyzak revisits the familiar theory that Four years later, the child, named Grzegorz, >> page 10 all fenced in and cutting the school off Wałesa had been an informer for the com- drowned while playing in the river. Accord- from the outside world. Everywhere on munists during the seventies. ing to villagers, Wałesa came to the funeral, the walls hang colourful pictures made Wałęsa lambasted the claims as "outra- but the mother was so overwrought that by students of every age and skill. Mrs. geous, disgusting and barbarous slanders," she pushed him away when he attempted to Mleczko, an experienced primary level adding that he was considering leaving the speak to her. teacher and now the main assistant of country if such attacks on his dignity did In early April, after protests in the press director Erica Mazzeo, with Polish blood not cease. "I'm not joking," he added. about Minister Kudrycka's threats to the in her veins, kindly shows me the build- Minister of Science and Higher Education university, the government retreated on its ing where just a few steps from the loud Barbara Kudrycka threatened to send a state plan to vet UJ's history department. Mean- hall, focused and quiet children validation commission to investigate the while, public opinion has remained largely study their subjects. Mrs. Mlec- university's history department in order to balanced about Wałesa. His alleged zko also takes me to the new >> 2 judge whether Mr. Zyzak's masters degree collaboration with the SB (Com- >> 3 2 Krakow Post MAY 2009 www.krakowpost.com“ News Krakow I could not stop thinking at all those moments of history, the Letters human responsibility, my responsibility as citizen of the world. To the editor Dear readers, link! “ journalist Wojciech Załuski on his ar- Xavier Bernard Also, the May 2009 edition marks the ticle "Armenian Anniversary: Krakow (European French citizen living now in I am very excited to announce the one-year anniversary of Lifeboat Ltd.'s takes part in Armenian tribute." Picking Kazimierz). launch of the new (beta) version of the ownership of the Post, and my role as up the KRK Post at Balice's airport and Krakow Post website this month. While editor-in-chief. reading it in the train going downtown, there are many aspects we are still It's been a very satisfying year as the I felt transported in time. The Armenian working on, we have introduced some newspaper has gone through many genocide description and the “Polish ******* features that will hopefully make your changes and improvements, and I'm Perspective” was so well written I could online experience richer and more in- looking forward to making the Krakow not stop thinking at all those moments To the editor: teractive. First of all, once you complete Post even better. of history, the human responsibility, my a very simple and free registration pro- See you on www.krakowpost.com! responsibility as a citizen of the world. Re the position of Grażyna Zawada cess, you can comment on every single The author taking us by the hand and the Krakow Post in "Trips off the article on the website, including articles Anna Spysz through his well written article, leading Tongue" on page 15 of the City Life in- from previous editions. We also have a Editor-in-Chief us to what Krakow is today. An open sert in the March edition of the Krakow forum set up, a PDF archive, and an RSS cultural city celebrating the memory Post: feed. not only of its own citizen but of all I'm certainly no expert on Interna- Future updates will include several who have suffered because of their race tional Women's Day, but I would think stylistic and functional changes already ******* or religion. Thanks to Krakow Post for that flirtatious repartee in the bar has in the pipelines, but we'd love to hear showing in your free newspaper such very little to do with it. from you if you have any comments quality. or suggestions just click our "contact" Please allow me to congratulate your Jim Waite, Kraków << Schools from page 1 science department with the funny- looking metal pipes, which I remember from my high school, although I don't exactly recall their purpose. The school has students from France, England, the USA and other countries. Here they are able to study their native languages, including Polish. “Our international school makes it easier for our students to be the future citizens of the global world, which now much more than ever before is free from national and cultural barriers,” says Erica Mazzeo. If students wish to continue their studies, the school enables them to acquire a High School Diploma and Advanced Placement International Di- ploma (APID) certificates, which are widely respected by many universities around the world. With Jonathan Jarrett, head of BISC, I found myself in the middle of a discus- sion about what it means to be a part of a certain culture or nation. Jonathan has The science lab at the ISK / photo ISK moved from one international school to another, finally settling, at least for a while, in Krakow. His own children ing, and the International Baccalaureate teacher asked me and my husband to not understand what he says but find are theoretically English, but with the Diploma Programme, proposed by the come and explain to him that when the this less important, but I know a mother constant changes of home, Mr. Jarrett school, enables them to enter higher teacher says “Nie rób tego,” it means that whose child is fragile and not so easygo- admits that their experience is different education.