Szanowni Państwo, Drodzy Czytelnicy,

• Authors: Majchrowski Jacek

Title variants

EN

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers,

• Languages of publication: PL EN

Abstracts

EN

It was with pride that I learned about the selection of Kraków as the host city of the 41st session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. I find the role of host of this exceptional event a truly great honour, especially that the mission and values of UNESCO are exceedingly important to Kraków. Kraków was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978 as one of the very first 12 sites in the world. It is not only an age-old centre of European culture with the priceless and completely preserved fabric of a mediaeval urban complex, a cradle of Polish statehood, and the most ancient university in this part of Europe. It is also one of the most eagerly visited tourist destinations in Poland. A city focused on the future, complementing its heritage with creativity and recognising culture as the foundation of its development. The title of European Capital of Culture 2000 and the important festival projects initiated at that time marked a symbolic return of the city to its due place in the family of cities – cradles of European culture and thought. Since that time Kraków, which boasts a very dense network of museums and is a living hub of music, film, theatre and literature, has developed new institutions of culture. Thanks to the significant concentration of the publishing sector, the spiritual patronage of Stanisław Lem and Kraków Nobel prize winners – Czesław Miłosz and Wisława Szymborska – Kraków has recently been recognised as UNESCO’s City of Literature. As a member of the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN), Kraków provides shelter to persecuted artists from all over the world, while the quality of its programmes and intersectoral cooperation, intended to develop a friendly location with thriving diversity, earned the city the IFEA World Festival & Event City title. Contemporary Kraków is a dynamic academic centre, home to 23 institutions of higher education attended by over 180,000 students. This huge accumulation of talent and knowledge attracts international business, think tanks and research projects, having become a significant centre of business and business support services. The city’s historic fabric reflects a tradition of multiculturalism and tolerance that has fuelled Kraków’s development over the centuries. Reminders of the time when it was the Royal Capital of Poland and the birthplace of Polish literary language, as well as tales of the treasures of Kraków’s libraries and monasteries, intertwine with mediaeval heritage brought by settlers from Germany and the entire continent of Europe, the creative contribution of the vibrant Jewish community, and the dynamic social transformations in post-war Poland which meld together into combinations and an urban narrative found nowhere else in the world. Kraków is a true gateway and a meeting place with the lavish cultures of Central and Eastern Europe, the locus of the flow and the creative clash of thoughts best embodied by the figure of Lajkonik – the hobbyhorse of Kraków: a local, folk figure impersonating a Tatar Rider cavorting every year in the city streets to commemorate an incursion that took place eight centuries ago, bringing luck to locals and tourists alike with a touch of his mace. The care for such a rich material and intangible heritage is a special obligation on us. Kraków has been Poland’s first city to have the cultural park regulations introduced to help safeguard authenticity and beauty of its historic centre. Thanks to the long-term involvement of national funds, but also of highly efficient local programmes, we have already revived and beautified the historic centre for years, combining diligent care for the past with a daring and courageous outlook to the future. I encourage all of you to become familiar with the texts collected in this issue, presenting Kraków against the broad background of the cultural heritage of Poland. Let them become the best encouragement and invitation to visiting our country, and an inspiration for a better insight into Kraków itself: the host city of the 41st session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. JACEK MAJCHROWSKI Mayor of Kraków

Keywords

PL

Kraków; Światowe Dziedzictwo UNESCO; 41. sesja Komitetu Światowego Dziedzictwa UNESCO; Narodowy Instytut Dziedzictwa; Ochrona Zabytków; World Heritage Review

EN

41st session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee

• Publisher: Narodowy Instytut Dziedzictwa
• Journal: Ochrona Zabytków
• Year: 2017
• Issue: Dodatek Specjalny. Dziedzictwo w Polsce.
• Pages: 9-10

Dates

published

2017

Contributors

author

Majchrowski Jacek

• Prezydent Miasta Krakowa

Identifiers

ISSN

0029-8247