The monarch passed away on 28 August 2026 at the age of 89. Harald V had been King of Norway since 1991. The International Cultural Centre (MCK) has long-standing ties with Norway, a highlight of which was the visit by King Harald V and Queen Sonja to Kraków. On 11 May 2012, the Norwegian royal couple, accompanied by the President of the Republic of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski, and Anna Komorowska, visited the MCK’s headquarters on the Main Market Square.

The visit was linked, amongst other things, to the modernisation of the International Cultural Centre’s headquarters, carried out with the support of the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism for the years 2004–2009. These funds enabled a significant expansion and modernisation of the ICC’s premises.

Cooperation with Norway also encompassed research, expert and exhibition projects. Between 2009 and 2011, the ICC carried out a project on the management of sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in Poland and Norway, and in 2012, the ICC Gallery hosted the exhibition ‘Contemporary Norwegian Architecture 2005–2010’. The exhibition was organised in collaboration with the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo.During his visit to Kraków, King Harald V awarded Professor Jacek Purchla, the founder and then director of the International Cultural Centre, the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.

The visit by the Norwegian royal couple remains one of the most significant events in the history of the International Cultural Centre and a symbolic testament to the close ties between our institution and Norway.

We remember with gratitude King Harald V’s kindness towards the International Cultural Centre and the support which, thanks to our cooperation with Norway, has contributed to the development of our institution.