The launch of “Herito” magazine coincided with the 20th anniversary of the International Cultural Centre in Kraków. Since its inception, we have used its pages to create a platform for dialogue between neighbouring countries, inviting authors from across Central Europe to contribute, and acting as the region’s voice to the world. Across 60 issues, we have been reflecting on its future whilst drawing on the past. This anniversary edition serves as a reminder of our purpose and opens up new threads that prompt further questions about the essence of Central Europe on the one hand, and its constant transformation on the other.
“Herito” – 850 essays on the identity and significance of Central Europe
The Polish-English magazine published by the ICC is intended to serve as a forum for discussion on identity, culture, the present and the future. As Prof. Jacek Purchla, the first editor-in-chief of “Herito” and long-standing director of the ICC, points out, the magazine focuses on issues of place and the reflections associated with it, space and its meanings, and the geography of the imagination and memory. The specific cultural dilemmas and experiences of Central Europe form the basis for reflections on the region’s heritage within the debate on the present day. The 60 issues of “Herito” have featured 850 articles, written by 502 authors, translated by 112 translators and edited by 30 editorial and proofreading staff.
“Herito’s” 60th anniversary and questions about the future of our region
During a celebratory gathering and discussion at the Potocki Palace centred on the 60th anniversary issue of “Herito”, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Bartos Sadulski, spoke with Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska and Ziemowit Szczerek about the new Central Europe. Questions arose about its transformations, its complex past and the stories that circulate amongst its cities and across its borders, as well as about the conflicts and the ideas that define it. We also discussed how we might interpret Milan Kundera’s famous essay “A Kidnapped West: The Tragedy of Central Europe” today, a work that raises questions about our region’s identity.
You can read more about the future that is beginning to take shape for Central Europe and the factors shaping it today in the latest, anniversary 60. issue of “Herito”. We hope you enjoy reading it!