May 26, 2026, 18.00
International Cultural Center in Kraków
Can a capital exist without a state? The history of Central Europe shows that it can. In the 19th century, cities such as Budapest, Prague, Zagreb, Ljubljana and Bratislava — deprived of political sovereignty—gradually became the symbolic centers of their nations, developing a “capital program” that allowed them to assume the role of actual capitals after 1918. They based their capital status on cultural and symbolic values and on a “sense of a great past,” that is, on heritage.
The starting point for the discussion will be Dr. Łukasz Galusek’s book, o be published in May by ICC Publishing, which explores the phenomenon of the “imagined capital” — the city as a form of a nation’s existence in the absence of its own state. The author analyzes the relationship between urban centers and the national community, showing how a sense of distinctiveness and the pursuit of autonomy were shaped through architecture, culture and urban space.
During the event, attendees will be able to purchase the book “Wyobrażone stolice. Miasta monarchii habsburskiej jako centra narodów 1815–1918” at a special price. The book will be available for purchase online at the ICC bookstore starting May 29, 2026.
The book “Wyobrażone stolice. Miasta monarchii habsburskiej jako centra narodów 1815–1918” is the twenty-fourth volume in the Library of Central Europe series, edited by Prof. Jacek Purchla.
Participants:
Dr. Łukasz Galusek – curator, architectural historian, cultural manager. Director of the Silesian Museum since 2025. From 2018 to 2025, he served as deputy director for programming at the International Cultural Centre. He specializes in the culture, art and architecture of Central Europe. Author of over 150 publications devoted to cultural heritage, particularly the connections between space, memory and identity, as well as issues of cultural education. Co-author and curator of exhibitions showcasing the art and heritage of Slovenia, Poland, Ukraine, Romania and Croatia.
Prof. Jacek Purchla, Ph.D. – art historian and economist, specialist in the field of cultural heritage. Founder and long-time director of the International Cultural Centre in Kraków, vice president of Europa Nostra and former chair of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Vice Mayor of Kraków from 1990 to 1991. Author of numerous publications and articles on urban development and heritage preservation.
