With the fall of communism Polish culture and society began a process of profound transformation, marked by the return of democracy and redevelopment of civil society. After 1989, the heavy government controls ended, and radical economic changes were introduced. The influx of new aesthetic and social ideas was accompanied by the Western market forces. However, unlike any other temporal marker in the development of Polish culture from the past, the year 1989 did not introduce any specific literary events or artistic manifestations. For a generation of accomplished writers the objectives and their moral quests remained the same as in the preceding period. The first decade of freedom brought mainly state reforms in the financing of cultural institutions and patronage; forcing self-sustainability in an often uncharted territory. Literature, film, visual arts, theater and mass media remained focused on their active participation in public life.[1][2][3]
The events that shaped Polish culture at the onset of the post-communist period began in 1976. The suppressed demonstrations of 1976 gave rise to underground publishing on an unprecedented scale. It was the true beginning of a new literary knowledge in Poland.[1] Between 1976 and 1989, the so-called Drugi obieg (the Second circulation, term commonly applied to Poland's illegal press during the military Coup d'état), published the staggering 5,000 regular newsletters and full-size periodicals including some 7,000 books.[4]
The 1978 papal election of Pope John Paul II has had an equally profound impact on the society. Two years later, the blacklisted Czesław Miłosz was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature,[5] and the Solidarity movement was born following a wave of mass strikes against totalitarianism, poverty, and austerity measures. Almost every Polish artist and writer took part in the movement, and – in one form or another – suffered the consequences of the military crackdown of December 1981.[1][6] After that – as in the films of Krzysztof Kieślowski (No End, 1985; Dekalog, 1989) – the merely physical existence was no longer bearable.[7] Meanwhile, the underground press flourished, supported financially through generous donations from the West,[4] and the inquiries into the nature of law and morality continued. Russia did not intervene in the matter, when their former satellite state was legally dissolved in 1990.[8]
The period 1976–89 provided the necessary intellectual and aesthetic base on which the Polish postmodernism was founded in the arts and literature,[9] partly inspired by the widely popular works of Witkacy, Witold Gombrowicz and Karol Irzykowski.[10] The transitions which began in the 1990s continued throughout the early 21st century.[1]
The Polish avant-garde theatre is world-famous, with Jerzy Grotowski as its most innovative and creative representative. One of the most original twentieth-century theatre personalities was Tadeusz Kantor, painter, theoretician of drama, stage designer, and playwright, his ideas finding their culmination in the theatre of death and his most recognised production being "Umarła klasa" (Dead Class).
Poland has always been a very open country to new music genres and even before the fall of the communism, music styles like rock, metal, jazz, electronic, polka and new wave were well-known. Since 1989, the Polish scene has exploded with new talents and a more diverse style. Contrary to most European countries, pop music is not dominant in Poland.
Every year, a huge gathering of young Poles meet to celebrate the rock and alternative music in Jarocin or Żary. These events often attract more than 250,000 people and are comparable to the gatherings in Woodstock and Roskilde. Two contemporary big Polish music festivals are Opole Festival and Sopot Festival. Poland has a very active underground extreme metal music scene. Some of the bands that have heralded and helped the cause are Vader, Behemoth, Decapitated, Graveland, and Dissenter. This has paved ground for a large underground movement. One of the biggest record labels of death metal in Poland is Empire Records.
Poland offers a wide spectrum of cultural experience. Those interested in high culture will enjoy the renowned music festivals like Wratislavia Cantans and the Warsaw Autumn. Polish museums exhibit remarkable art collections - masterpieces including Leonardo da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine at the Czartoryski Museum in Kraków; the Veit Stoss High Altar in St. Mary's Basilica, Kraków; and the Last Judgement by Hans Memling (The National Museum in Gdańsk). Ethnographic museums and open-air sightseeing museums also hold attractive collections. The panorama of Polish culture is completed by a medley of local festivals
Many sports are popular in Poland. Football (soccer) is the country's most popular sport, with a rich history of international competition. Track & field, basketball, boxing, fencing, handball, ice hockey, swimming, volleyball, and weightlifting are other popular sports. The first Polish Formula One driver, Robert Kubica, has brought awareness of Formula One Racing to Poland. Poland has made a distinctive mark in motorcycle speedway racing thanks to Tomasz Gollob, a highly successful Polish rider. The Polish mountains are an ideal venue for hiking, skiing and mountain biking and attract millions of tourists every year from all over the world. Baltic beaches and resorts are popular locations for fishing, canoeing, kayaking and a broad-range of other water-themed sports.
↑ Prof. Justyna Beinek. "Post-Communist Polish Culture (1989-Present)"(PDF). Topics in Polish Literature and Culture (Slav-P365/565). Indiana University. Archived from the original(PDF file, direct download 66 KB) on September 24, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
↑ Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2008–2011). "Visual Arts". Experience Poland» Culture» Visual Arts (in Polish). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. Archived from the original on May 16, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
1 2 Alicja Wancerz-Gluza (July 26, 2005). "Wolność w podziemiu". Solidarność. Ośrodek KARTA, Warsaw. Archived from the original(DOC direct download) on August 7, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
↑ J.A.A. Purves (May 22, 2012). "The Decalogue by Krzysztof Kieślowski (1989) - film review". Redemptio Sehnsucht. Retrieved March 18, 2013. There is a ... deeper meaning to be found in our human lives... Attempting to place that meaning where it cannot be found will only lead to utter despair. This is why Kieślowski's The Decalogue is so special.
↑ Eugeniusz Górski (Feb 13, 2009). "From 'Socialist' to Postmodern Pluralism in Poland". Civil Society, Pluralism, and Universalism. Archived from the original on April 13, 2011. Retrieved March 18, 2013– via The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy (RVP).
The history of cinema in Poland is almost as long as the history of cinematography, and it has universally recognized achievements, even though Polish films tend to be less commercially available than films from several other European nations.
In common with other European countries, the most frequent and most popular form of theatre in Poland is dramatic theatre, based on the existence of stable artistic companies. It is above all a theatre of directors, who decide on the form of its productions and the appearance of individual scenes. There is no strict division in Poland between theatre and film directors and actors, therefore many stage artists are known to theatre goers from films of Andrzej Wajda, for example: Wojciech Pszoniak, Daniel Olbrychski, Krystyna Janda, Jerzy Radziwiłowicz, and from films of Krzysztof Kieślowski, actors such as Jerzy Stuhr, Janusz Gajos and others.
The Music of Poland covers diverse aspects of music and musical traditions which have originated, and are practiced in Poland. Artists from Poland include world-famous classical composers like Frédéric Chopin, Karol Szymanowski, Witold Lutosławski, Henryk Górecki and Krzysztof Penderecki; renowned pianists like Karl Tausig, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Arthur Rubinstein and Krystian Zimerman; as well as popular music artists, and traditional, regionalised folk music ensembles that create a rich and lively music scene at the grassroots level. The musicians of Poland, over the course of history, have developed and popularized a variety of music genres and folk dances such as mazurka, polonaise, krakowiak, kujawiak, polska partner dance, oberek; as well as the sung poetry genre and others. Mazurek (Mazur), Krakowiak, Kujawiak, Oberek and Polonaise (Polonez) are registered as Polish National Dances, originating in early Middle Ages. The oldest of them is Polonaise that comes from the Medieval pageant dances and it was originally called "chodzony", a "walking dance".
Powązki Cemetery, also known as Stare Powązki, is a historic necropolis located in Wola district, in the western part of Warsaw, Poland. It is the most famous cemetery in the city and one of the oldest, having been established in 1790. It is the burial place of many illustrious individuals from Polish history. Some are interred along the "Avenue of the Distinguished" – Aleja Zasłużonych, created in 1925. It is estimated that over one million people are buried at Powązki.
The culture of Poland is the product of its geography and distinct historical evolution, which is closely connected to an intricate thousand-year history. Poland has a Roman Catholic majority, and religion plays an important role in the lives of many Polish people. The unique character of Polish culture developed as a result of its geography at the confluence of various European regions.
Warsaw Autumn is the largest international Polish festival of contemporary music. For many years, it was the only festival of its type in Central and Eastern Europe. It was established in 1956 by two composers, Tadeusz Baird and Kazimierz Serocki, and officially established by the Head Board of the Polish Composers' Union. It is an annual event, normally taking place in the second half of September and lasts for 8 days.
The Silesian String Quartet is a string quartet founded in 1978 by the graduates of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland. Its current members are:
The Warsaw Philharmonic, as it is formally known in English, or Orkiestra Filharmonii Narodowej w Warszawie, as it is legally set up, is a Polish orchestra founded in 1901, one of the nation's oldest musical institutions. Its home is the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall.
The Krzysztof PendereckiAcademy of Music in Kraków is a conservatory located in central Kraków, Poland. It is the alma mater of the renowned Polish contemporary composer Krzysztof Penderecki, who was also its rector for 15 years. The academy is the only one in Poland to have two winners of the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw as well as a few further prize-winners among its alumni.
Camera Buff is a 1979 Polish comedy-drama film written and directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski and starring Jerzy Stuhr. The film is about a humble factory worker whose newfound hobby, amateur film, becomes an obsession, and transforms his modest and formerly contented life. Camera Buff won the Polish Film Festival Golden Lion Award and the FIPRESCI Prize and Golden Prize at the 11th Moscow International Film Festival, and the Berlin International Film Festival Otto Dibelius Film Award in 1980.
The Chopin University of Music is a musical conservatorium and academy located in central Warsaw, Poland. It is the oldest and largest music school in Poland, and one of the largest in Europe.
Bill Johnston is a prolific Polish language literary translator and professor of comparative literature at Indiana University. His work has helped to expose English-speaking readers to classic and contemporary Polish poetry and fiction. In 2008 he received the Found in Translation Award for his translation of new poems by Tadeusz Różewicz; this book was also a finalist for the National Books Critics Circle Poetry Award.
Polish postmodernism refers to the cultural, artistic and philosophical development within the Polish society coinciding with the downfall of communism and the democratic transitions leading to Poland's 2004 accession into the European Union.
Art in Poland refers to all forms of visual art in or associated with Poland.
The Polish School is the music of several post-1945 Polish composers who share generational and stylistic similarities. Representatives include Tadeusz Baird, Henryk Górecki, Wojciech Kilar, Witold Lutosławski, Krzysztof Penderecki, Grażyna Bacewicz, and Kazimierz Serocki. According to Polish music scholar Adrian Thomas, Zygmunt Mycielski used the term at the Łagów conference in 1949, and it was later used at the 1956 Warsaw Autumn festival. Their common purpose was in part retrospective, reacting to socialist realism, and in part speculative. Sound mass and sonorism influenced these post-war composers.
The Ignacy Jan Paderewski Pomeranian Philharmonic has been at its present site in Bydgoszcz, Poland, since 16 November 1953. It bears the name of Polish pianist and composer Ignacy Jan Paderewski. The Pomeranian Philharmonic is the musical center of Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship and also features an outdoor art gallery. It is registered on the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Heritage List.
Christophe Jezewski, in Polish Krzysztof Andrzej Jeżewski is a poet, musicologist, essayist and translator of Polish descent who has been living in France since 1970.
Wojciech Karpiński was a Polish writer, historian of ideas and literary critic.
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