Presentations at International Conferences     June 30, 2017

In Kraków, at the June 16-18 gathering of PIASA scholars at the Sixth World Congress for Polish Studies, I presented my research on Jerzy to a small group, sharing a panel with two others.

We took questions after, and people were amazed that Jerzy had been in the West at all –“How did he get a visa?” Afterwards, a woman offered that Jerzy had been close to several women in his parish and one may have helped him with English.  When she said the name “Hanna Grabinska,” I gasped. I had only just learned about Hanna from author/journalist Mary Craig in the UK.  ( Hanna had been Mary’s translator!) By the end of this conversation, the woman had phoned Hanna in Warsaw and opened another door for me. These little graces keep me going!

From a wonderful weekend of hospitality by Piotrek and Ania Rosciszewski in Pychowice, I moved into Kraków to stay with the Sisters of Nazareth (where I’d lived for four months in 2000).

I took an early Tuesday bus to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska to inquire about the poster my grandmother likely brought from Poland. I did get some information from a helpful English-speaking guide. Since I had walked most of the Jesus stations in years past, this time I walked the trail dedicated to Mary – long and rough, but beautiful.  Near Golgotha, I found a small private retreat space dedicated to St. Helen and the cross. Hope I can stay there someday.

On Wednesday, I took a train to Katowice for several fun days of relaxation with my Krzystofik cousins: Ola, the epitome of kindness, took me to a city park with an enormous rose garden, and to the new, beautiful Silesian regional museum, built on the site of a former coal mine. Jacek, her spouse, chimed in with ironic comments (that I can almost understand).  We tried to use Polish as much as possible. I heard an intriguing new family story about a new-to-me relative, Wiktor Krzystofik, murdered at the Katyn massacre. I looked for that name in a sobering online listing of thousands of names, but without success.

    

Berenika (Jacek and Ola’s daughter) and her spouse, Romek,  took us out into the Beskid Mountains south of Katowice for a long hike up to a fancy resort (Kocierz Hotel and Spa) and a great meal after in Kety.

The next day we also walked around four public ponds in Katowice where many families were enjoying picnics, barbecues, and water sports. I loved catching up with Berenika about everything.  (She and Romek may drive to Albania on their holiday, but they can’t do the Yugo tour with me).

A touching moment before I left:  Jacek asked me to help him identify the people and places in each of the family and farm photos I’d sent him over the years.  He carefully added names to each photo. In celebration, Ola and I sampled her homebrewed fruit liquors from choke berry, quince, and other healthy, anti-oxidant fruits. Na zdrowie!

Then I got myself to the “Poles in America” conference at Warka.  I took a bus to Krakow, then a train to Radom, and a commuter train on to Warka. The US group stayed at the Bialy Palac (White Palace), a renovated hotel on the site of a former manor house in Palczew.    

The 50^th anniversary conference of the Kazimierz Pulaski Museum in Warka opened on Tuesday, June 27, with speakers from the US, Canada, and Poland; I met several young and venerated Polish scholars, and learned about their passions. 

One young grad student spoke about her search for the grave of a very accomplished Polish hero, Marcin Rosienkiewicz, in an Ohio cemetery. On her third and final visit, something caught her eye and she dug out the hidden tombstone with her bare hands. (I love obsessed people, you know!)  Mary Beth Sowa gave an excellent presentation on an immigrant coal miner from Nanticoke, Anton Piotrowski, who wrote poems full of longing for Poland.  My presentation came at the very end of the schedule on Wednesday afternoon. Again, most Poles were amazed that Jerzy had traveled so much. My presentation images (in what I’ve dubbed a “powerless point”) again backed up my written text, this time translated simultaneously. 

We all got to see a short documentary about a Polish-born athlete, Stella Walsh, recalling her Olympic career as a Polish runner, and her tragic murder in Cleveland. Her autopsy revealed she may have been transgender.  Good for opening awareness of gender issues in Poland.

Early next morning I caught a ride with two of the presenters from the Kosciuszko Foundation (Teresa Wojcik from Villanova, and Mary Kay Pieski from Kent State) who were heading to Kraków . Great for me to hear of their adventures driving throughout Poland, and it made me even more eager to get the car issue resolved for the Yugoslav trip.  Looks like I’ll have to lease a car as rentals have so many border-crossing restrictions. I need to be able to set my own route.

Back in Kraków , the finals of the Under 21 soccer championship made hotel space scarce. Piotrek generously offered his guest space again. I enjoyed a great Saturday lunch reunion with my cousin Anna Krawiec-Mruk and her spouse Witek. I had never met their sweet children, Hanna and Karol. Ania and Witek had worked in Australia, and I had not seen them in years.  Afterwards, I reconnected with Bill Brand who I met twenty years ago, and who knows much about this country through his stellar translation work.  I loved hearing his take on all the changes in Kraków and Poland. 

I’m now in Lublin for three intense weeks of language study. Excellent and demanding program. For fun, I’m continuing my online practice with DuoLingo, a Pittsburgh start-up with a great, free program….please do check it out!