(I wrote this piece in 2004 after a visit to Krakow.) For most people in West Europe, it seems Poland is a bit of a mystery. Relatively, Poland was more connected with other countries than other Communist states – there are 6 Million Poles living in USA – and yet we know little of it. My good friend and colleague Marek summed up most people’s understanding of Poland – Warsaw, communism, poor, Lech Walesa… and that’s about it. Oh, and of course Vodka.
My awareness of Poland comes from 2 incidents in 1982. My mother organized a business conference for herself and 30 colleagues to Warsaw, and at that time, Solidarity was gaining strength, the government was fighting them, and we saw the results on TV – it seemed like a country turning upside down. My mum was adamant – “that’s just stuff on TV, the country is not like that, why shouldn’t we go?” As I waved her goodbye at the airport, for the second time I felt it may be the last I saw of her. The first time had been when she was on a similar trip to Moscow 2 years before. Suffice to say, she returned from both, enriched and enthusiastic.
My other memory of that year was the World Cup in Spain. Poland had a tremendous team then, led by Zbigniew Boniek (how exactly do you pronounce his first name?) They reached the latter stages and were faced with the prospect of a game against the might of Russia – a draw would see them through. The significance of this game against the Big Bear did not strike me until the seconds after the final whistle. A small group of Polish supporters had been able to make the trip to Spain, and they were crying with joy that their team had beaten their oppressors.
In a 2 day trip I learned more about Poland than in the rest of my life. The visit to Krakow has put much in perspective. I came away flooded with the warmth of Polish friendship, and fascinated by the history of a country which has been passed back and forth between big neighbours, disappeared off the map twice, and which was violently abused to the worst degree in the war by the Nazis. Finally, the moment of joining the EU is a triumph, which the Poles do not celebrate overtly, but which gives them the quiet belief that they have returned to rightful status in Europe.
I told Marek that I wanted to stay in Poland for a weekend after a business trip, and he immediately invited me to join him and his wife to go to Krakow, a 4-hour drive from my usual business destination of Warsaw.
Driving from Warsaw, you begin to realize just how large Poland. There are 38 Million people, but we didn’t see many in the journey. On the way, I asked Marek if there was much difference between the Krakow and Warsaw people. He explained to me “they are different – they walk more slowly”. I took this as a kind of national stereotype for the difference between a big and a
small city, but it is really true. As we came to the edge of the city, I noticed that everybody was slower than I had seen in Warsaw (or most other cities) and this gave me a good feeling already. The streets were absolutely beautiful – old buildings, cobbled roads, uncrowded and atmospheric. I could feel this would be a good visit.
After checking into the hotel, we went straight to the Wawel, (Polish for a hill), where lay a castle that has been home to various royal families over the centuries, as well as some less savory visitors. Our guide, Katja, explained in excellent English about the history, which I realized was too long and detailed to follow closely. But certain things really struck me. Firstly was how the battle for independence has been at the centre of Polish history. Often, she would mention various renowned heroic characters who “fought for our independence”. Also the royals were not always Polish, even there was a feeling that it was better to have a non-Polish king. Therefore Hungarians and Swedes were among the past nationalities of the rulers. On top of this, there was even once a female King – no, not a queen, in the 14th century, they crowned Jadwiga as the King. How very progressive!
The courtyard of the castle was a mixture of styles, including Italian influ
enced balconies and details. Many of the rooms had beautiful wall paintings around the top edges, depicting certain battles, and one that showed the whole course of Life, from first breath to funeral. As well as this, there were many heavy tapestries. These numbered 160 originally, although the collection now stands at 134. After the war, they were taken away, and kept in a collection in Canada, only to be returned after the fall of communism (this was a common theme for many of the treasures of the Polish royal history). These tapestries are made of heavy material, as well as silver and gold, and it took one man one year to make a square metre of the pattern. The largest of the tapestries was 40 square metres. A lot of work and skill.
My favourite rooms were the chapel, and the ballroom. The chapel was a little room with echoing acoustics, built next to the King’s bedroom, and even there was a small window for the King to listen to the service. So, no need to get out of bed to be holy! Then the ballroom was beautiful, with a balcony that meant the orchestra was above the audience. Immediately you could imagine the parties and the glamour of it all. However, the feeling in this room was touched by the news that the Nazis had used it for a cinema during the Second World War. The history of Poland is filled with such contradictions, it seems.
There were of course many paintings of the royals too, and also of battles. There was one very distinct depiction of some battles with the Turkish, reminding me of some I had seen at the Doge’s palace in Venice. Sure enough, Katja told us the painter spent much time in Venice. More contradictions, as on the left of the painting, there was a group of monks chanting, in the middle was the scene of terrible cruelty, and on the right was the sight of the Devil in his boat, taking the souls of the Turks away. The religious meaning is obvious. For some reason, I thought of Bush…
Also at the Wawel was the ancient cathedral. This houses the largest altar in Europe, and the whole building was bathed in gold and glory. Again, I liked the chapels, 21 of them lining the side walls, all ornately painted. Although I don’t have any religion myself, there is always a special atmosphere in such a beautiful church. I really sense the devotion and faith (and certainty) which created such impressive buildings. As we passed through, we found all kinds of tombs and altars of the royals, and the crypt downstairs was also very atmospheric.
The cathedral also boasted one of the largest bells in Europe. We climbed up to see it, and heard that 6 people have to pull to get it playing.
My awareness of Poland comes from 2 incidents in 1982. My mother organized a business conference for herself and 30 colleagues to Warsaw, and at that time, Solidarity was gaining strength, the government was fighting them, and we saw the results on TV – it seemed like a country turning upside down. My mum was adamant – “that’s just stuff on TV, the country is not like that, why shouldn’t we go?” As I waved her goodbye at the airport, for the second time I felt it may be the last I saw of her. The first time had been when she was on a similar trip to Moscow 2 years before. Suffice to say, she returned from both, enriched and enthusiastic.
My other memory of that year was the World Cup in Spain. Poland had a tremendous team then, led by Zbigniew Boniek (how exactly do you pronounce his first name?) They reached the latter stages and were faced with the prospect of a game against the might of Russia – a draw would see them through. The significance of this game against the Big Bear did not strike me until the seconds after the final whistle. A small group of Polish supporters had been able to make the trip to Spain, and they were crying with joy that their team had beaten their oppressors.
In a 2 day trip I learned more about Poland than in the rest of my life. The visit to Krakow has put much in perspective. I came away flooded with the warmth of Polish friendship, and fascinated by the history of a country which has been passed back and forth between big neighbours, disappeared off the map twice, and which was violently abused to the worst degree in the war by the Nazis. Finally, the moment of joining the EU is a triumph, which the Poles do not celebrate overtly, but which gives them the quiet belief that they have returned to rightful status in Europe.I told Marek that I wanted to stay in Poland for a weekend after a business trip, and he immediately invited me to join him and his wife to go to Krakow, a 4-hour drive from my usual business destination of Warsaw.
Driving from Warsaw, you begin to realize just how large Poland. There are 38 Million people, but we didn’t see many in the journey. On the way, I asked Marek if there was much difference between the Krakow and Warsaw people. He explained to me “they are different – they walk more slowly”. I took this as a kind of national stereotype for the difference between a big and a
small city, but it is really true. As we came to the edge of the city, I noticed that everybody was slower than I had seen in Warsaw (or most other cities) and this gave me a good feeling already. The streets were absolutely beautiful – old buildings, cobbled roads, uncrowded and atmospheric. I could feel this would be a good visit.After checking into the hotel, we went straight to the Wawel, (Polish for a hill), where lay a castle that has been home to various royal families over the centuries, as well as some less savory visitors. Our guide, Katja, explained in excellent English about the history, which I realized was too long and detailed to follow closely. But certain things really struck me. Firstly was how the battle for independence has been at the centre of Polish history. Often, she would mention various renowned heroic characters who “fought for our independence”. Also the royals were not always Polish, even there was a feeling that it was better to have a non-Polish king. Therefore Hungarians and Swedes were among the past nationalities of the rulers. On top of this, there was even once a female King – no, not a queen, in the 14th century, they crowned Jadwiga as the King. How very progressive!
The courtyard of the castle was a mixture of styles, including Italian influ
enced balconies and details. Many of the rooms had beautiful wall paintings around the top edges, depicting certain battles, and one that showed the whole course of Life, from first breath to funeral. As well as this, there were many heavy tapestries. These numbered 160 originally, although the collection now stands at 134. After the war, they were taken away, and kept in a collection in Canada, only to be returned after the fall of communism (this was a common theme for many of the treasures of the Polish royal history). These tapestries are made of heavy material, as well as silver and gold, and it took one man one year to make a square metre of the pattern. The largest of the tapestries was 40 square metres. A lot of work and skill. My favourite rooms were the chapel, and the ballroom. The chapel was a little room with echoing acoustics, built next to the King’s bedroom, and even there was a small window for the King to listen to the service. So, no need to get out of bed to be holy! Then the ballroom was beautiful, with a balcony that meant the orchestra was above the audience. Immediately you could imagine the parties and the glamour of it all. However, the feeling in this room was touched by the news that the Nazis had used it for a cinema during the Second World War. The history of Poland is filled with such contradictions, it seems.
There were of course many paintings of the royals too, and also of battles. There was one very distinct depiction of some battles with the Turkish, reminding me of some I had seen at the Doge’s palace in Venice. Sure enough, Katja told us the painter spent much time in Venice. More contradictions, as on the left of the painting, there was a group of monks chanting, in the middle was the scene of terrible cruelty, and on the right was the sight of the Devil in his boat, taking the souls of the Turks away. The religious meaning is obvious. For some reason, I thought of Bush…
Also at the Wawel was the ancient cathedral. This houses the largest altar in Europe, and the whole building was bathed in gold and glory. Again, I liked the chapels, 21 of them lining the side walls, all ornately painted. Although I don’t have any religion myself, there is always a special atmosphere in such a beautiful church. I really sense the devotion and faith (and certainty) which created such impressive buildings. As we passed through, we found all kinds of tombs and altars of the royals, and the crypt downstairs was also very atmospheric.The cathedral also boasted one of the largest bells in Europe. We climbed up to see it, and heard that 6 people have to pull to get it playing.
(Part Two will be posted on Wednesday 17th June).
