With pride and joy, we announce that on December 17, 2024, Consul General Martin Kremer presented, on behalf of Dietmar Nietan, the German Government Coordinator for Polish-German Cross-Border and Inter-Societal Cooperation, a certificate of recognition to Dr. habil. Robert Żurek for his outstanding contributions to building Polish-German relations.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to our director and colleague, who inspires us every day with his dedication and passion for fostering dialogue and mutual understanding.
Read more: Dr. habil. Robert Żurek Honored for Contributions to Polish-German Relations
Since 2023, the historic House on the Hill has been undergoing renovation.
Thanks to the support of our partners—particularly the Freya von Moltke Foundation, the Willy Robert Pitzer Foundation, and the Dr. Rolf M. Schwiete Foundation—the first phase of renovation has been successfully completed. This included drying and insulating the basement, insulating and restoring the facade, replacing the roof, and renovating the wooden veranda.
Currently, the second phase is underway, focusing on the renewal of all installations (water, sewage, heating) and the adaptation of the room layout on the first and second floors to the new utilization concept. In spring, plastering will take place, wooden floors and stairs will be restored, and the building will be prepared for the third phase: furnishing and finalization.
In 2024, an essential element of this comprehensive renovation—the replacement of electrical installations—was financed and completed with funds from the National Freedom Institute (Narodowy Instytut Wolności). This included electrical works, new wiring with sockets, an alarm system, surveillance, telecommunication networks, and antenna installations.
NIW funding amount: 250,000 PLN
Read more: House on the Hill - undergoing renovation
On November 14, a debate was held in Wrocław at Barbara / Wrocław Institute of Culture, focusing on the transformations in Poland after 1989 and the country’s path to NATO and the European Union.
The participants in the debate included:
*Monika Sus – political scientist, professor at the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and visiting professor at the Centre for International Security Research at Hertie School in Berlin.
*Łukasz Kamiński – historian, director of the Ossolineum National Institute, former president of the Institute of National Remembrance, and academic at the Historical Institute of the University of Wrocław.
*Katarzyna Kaczorowska (moderator) – journalist and reporter, contributor to Magazyn TVN24, Newsweek, and Tygodnik Powszechny, as well as editor-in-chief of Głos Uczelni, the UPWr university journal.
The debate was attended by students and teachers from high schools in Wrocław, with a total of 84 participants.
Read more: Debate on Poland's Path to NATO and the European Union || November 14, Wrocław
On 10 December 2024, a seven-day seminar entitled ‘Remembrance, Understanding, Future’ will commence in Krzyżowa and Wrocław, uniting young participants from the Western Balkans—Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia—alongside their peers from Poland and Germany.
The aim is to bring closer the experience of Polish-German reconciliation after the Second World War, overcoming the burdens and traumas of the past, and to identify contemporary examples of Polish-German dialogue, in order to reflect together with the participants on whether and to what extent they can be an inspiration for other nations seeking to understand each other despite a burdensome past.
Read more: ‘Remembrance, Understanding, Future’ Seminar brings together youth from Western Balkans, Poland,...
