During their study visit to the International Cultural Centre, representatives of the Main Committee of the Hessian State Parliament and the director of the Deutsches Polen-Institut discussed their experiences in promoting Polish-German dialogue and joint projects. They also learnt about our institution’s current activities and attended a lecture by Professor Jacek Purchla, which had been specially prepared for them.
The Deutsches Polen-Institut focuses on the history, politics, culture and society of Poland, as well as Polish-German relations. The organisation fosters relations with Poland through its programmes, which are mainly carried out in Germany – it conducts applied research, offers educational programmes for schools and universities and organises political forums, publishing projects and public events. The Institute also possesses extensive library collections on Polish-German relations, contemporary Poland and Polish history, as well as literature in the original and in translation.
During their visit to Poland, the group also due to meet with the editorial team of “Tygodnik Powszechny”, visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and travel to Warsaw.
Joint efforts in support of Villa Decius
The visit by the delegation from Hesse State Parliament and the Deutsches Polen-Institut was a special occasion for our institution. Together with the Deutsches Polen-Institut, the ICC was involved years ago in efforts to renovate Villa Decius and establish it as a meeting place for researchers from various European countries. As Prof. Jacek Purchla* wrote in an article on the founding of Villa Decius, on 29 May 1991, the day after the ceremonial inauguration of the International Cultural Centre at Wawel, Karl Dedecius, founder and long-standing director of the Deutsches Polen-Institut in Darmstadt, presented, on behalf of the German delegation, the idea of creating a ‘forum for humanists’ in Kraków and thus restoring the Renaissance villa in Wola Justowska from its ruins:
– It was no coincidence that the establishment of the International Cultural Centre in Kraków in May 1991 coincided with the idea of creating a meeting place at Villa Decius for intellectuals from various European countries. Both initiatives stemmed not only from the new political reality and the atmosphere of 1989 and 1990, but also from the same conviction regarding the need and necessity for ongoing dialogue between people of different languages and cultures. In this dialogue, the issue of Polish-German reconciliation played a particular role – adds Prof. Purchla in his text.
The ICC’s long-standing collaboration with the Deutsches Polen-Institut and Karl Dedecius
In the years that followed, the International Cultural Centre collaborated with the Deutsches Polen-Institut on numerous occasions, including through other initiatives. Karl Dedecius took part, amongst other things, in the famous 1993 conference at the International Cultural Centre entitled “Nations and Stereotypes”. Representatives of various nations (Belarusians, Czechs, French, Lithuanians, Germans, Poles, Russians, Slovaks, Swedes and Hungarians) took part, having been invited to discuss their stereotypical perceptions of one another. Alongside the director of the Deutsches Polen-Institut, the event was also attended by Czesław Miłosz and Tomas Venclova.
Our institution has also hosted several ceremonies for the Karl Dedecius Prize. One of these was accompanied by an exhibition showcasing the winners and the prize’s namesake; the award is presented by the Robert Bosch Foundation to Polish translators of German-language literature and German translators of Polish literature (20 May – 3 June 2013). We organised the exhibition in collaboration with the Deutsches Polen-Institut in Darmstadt. The director of that organisation, Karl Dedecius, supported reconciliation between Poles and Germans for many years and promoted Polish literature in Germany and around the world. He rendered great service, particularly to Kraków and the promotion of its culture abroad. He personally prepared and published the monographic volumes of the “Biblioteka Polska” series devoted to: Kornel Filipowicz, Stanisław Lem, Czesław Miłosz, Sławomir Mrożek, Jan Józef Szczepański and Wisława Szymborska. The ICC also collaborated with Professor Dieter Bingen, the next director of the Deutsches Polen-Institut, who visited our institution on numerous occasions.
In 2005, Wisława Szymborska and Karl Dedecius met at the International Cultural Centre (MCK).
We hope that this rich history of joint efforts to foster Polish-German relations will continue in the future, and that we will have many more opportunities to collaborate and welcome representatives of the Deutsches Polen-Institut, as well as members of the Hessian Parliament, to the MCK. Prof. Peter Oliver Loew, continuing the mission of his predecessor, also values and promotes Polish culture in Germany and around the world.
“Villa Decius. A Brief History of its Revival”, ICC Yearbook No. 34/2025, Kraków 2026, pp. 26–35.
