How does Krzyżowa contribute to the building of Europe through its inhabitants? Five people connected to Krzyżowa either professionally or socially answer this question. In addition, they reconsider what reconciliation and opposition are in the face of Russia's attack on Ukraine. They are interviewed by Prof. Dr. Waldemar Czachur, Irene Hahn-Fuhr, Elżbieta Kosek, Dr. Anna Quirin and Dr. Robert Żurek.

What is the situation with regard to German-Polish reconciliation?

Anna: The Polish ambassador in Berlin, Dariusz Pawlos, was asked the following question at an event: Are we still in the process of reconciliation or are we already partners? I would like to start our conversation with this question: Where do we stand on German-Polish reconciliation?

Irene: I would challenge the claim that reconciliation can ever be considered a closed issue. The word itself indicates a process. In both interpersonal and inter-state relations, periods of closeness alternate with periods of distance in order to get closer again. These are politically and socially natural situations. It would be good if we in particular - those who have been working for years on German-Polish relations in an awareness of historical contexts - did not exaggerate these different periods with different conflicts of interest. On the contrary, we should feel motivated again and again to consider how rapprochement can be fostered. As Albert Camus said: 'One must imagine a happy Sisyphus'. Clarifying long-standing and recurring disputes by means of argumentative negotiation processes would bring us much closer to an equal partnership than if we fall into and persist in periods of 'conciliatory kitsch'.

During three days of talks, workshops and group work, people participating in the Krzyżowa conference 'The future begins today...The new reality of international exchanges with the young in the lead role' tried to diagnose the challenges of the times of change and, above all, to develop solutions that would help optimise international youth meetings.

The diagnosis was helped by a workshop in which the topics of intercultural exchanges were looked at from a psychological, educational, geopolitical or technological perspective by such experts as:

dr Anna Kubiak - Psychologist, works with children and youth and their families in a systemic approach, assistant professor at the SWPS University in Poznań;

Prof. Dr. Jacek Pyżalski - researcher, pedagogue, trainer, professor at the Faculty of Educational Studies of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, works for modern, youth-friendly education;

Prof. Dr. Monika Sus - political scientist, associate professor at the Polish Academy of Sciences and visiting professor at the Centre for International Security at the Hertie School in Berlin, her research focuses on international politics, in particular the foreign, security and defence policy of the European Union;

The 1st edition of the international Konrad and Paweł Jarodzki Artist In Residence Programme has come to an end. Over the course of 6 weeks, the invited artists: Ulufer Çelik, Daniel Mikulski, Andrea Pichl, Jacek Zachodny were able to focus on research, developing ideas and creating new works. They also worked on workshops with students hosted in Krzyżowa as part of youth exchange programmes. The artists shared the results of their residencies with us during 'open studios'.  

41 young people from Środa Śląska and Saterland spent 6 days in Krzyżowa as part of a Polish-German meeting of young people from partner cities. The meeting took place from 17.09 to 22.09, and its program was extremely diverse, intensive and dynamic. There were language and integration workshops, hiking in the mesmerizing Ślężański Landscape Park, a visit to a school in Środa Śląska and learning about the city's history.

From October 12 to 16, 2023r. Polish-German school exchange Cottbus - Opole took place.

20 students from Poland from PSP No. 7 in Opole and 18 students from Germany from the Schmellwitzer Oberschule school, aged 12 to 14, met at the Krzyżowa Foundation to take part in an intercultural school exchange for the first time.

On October 02, Dr. Annemarie Franke - Vice-Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of the Krzyżowa Foundation - and Dr. Robert Żurek - Managing Director, Member of the Board, received the Princess Jadwiga Śląska Award on behalf of the Krzyzowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe.

This unique award is given to individuals and institutions for significant contributions to reconciliation and deepening of Polish-German cooperation or outstanding charitable activities.
The chapter of the Princess Hedwig of Silesia Award also decided to honor Marian Turski, an outstanding historian and journalist, with this year's award.

On Saturday (07.10.2023), the Silesian Cultural Award ceremony took place at the National Forum of Music in Wroclaw.
This year's winners were the director of the Krzyżowa-Music Chamber Music Festival, Matthias von Hülsen, well-known writer, Marek Krajewski, and writer and journalist, Karolina Kuszyk.

The awards were presented jointly by Lower Saxony's Minister of the Interior, Daniela Behrens, and Lower Silesia Regional Board Member, Krzysztof Maj.

The Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe will be a partner of the PNWM in the project Likhtar/ Ліхтар. The project is aimed at female teachers, educators and specialists in formal and non-formal education involved in Polish-German-Ukrainian youth exchange. Likhtar will include networking meetings, trainings, consultations, among others.

The Likhtar/ Ліхтар project has been running at the German educational institution Bildungsstätte Bredbeck since April 2022. Likhtar brings together people involved in international youth work from Poland, Germany and Ukraine, motivates and strengthens to implement exchange projects during the Russian war against Ukraine.

We invite you to participate in the project "Women in Resistance - Female Stories Unheard. European Remembrance of Women in Resistance Against National Socialism".
The project includes:
Three traveling meetings of young people from Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic.
An international essay contest in which the three best literary works, written in English, will receive a cash prize.
A prize-giving ceremony in Leipzig (October 2024).