the wroclaw international november 2011

Issue 14 November 2011 Wrocław’s first English-language newspaper

ISSN 2082-730X

We discuss some of the controversial work that played during this year’s celebrated Dialog festival in Wrocław, and the American Film Festival comes to town P 9

Business

City News

Local stories taking place in Wrocław. Find out about the interesting book about Polish heritage written by Rita Cosby and her visit here.Pages 2 - 3

Theatre & Film

We find out about the international face of Song of the Goat Theatre and we meet Nobel Peace Prize candidate Jeff Halper Page 8

Food & Wine

A new juice bar, Beaujolais Nouveau and Lebanese food, some of the treats in store on Pages 16 & 17

Travel - 4

Fashion - Page 13

Events - Pages 18-19

Property - Pages 20-21

How to buy property, professional advice from Deloitte Page 5 An update on working at HP and 3m in Poland Page 6

Culture

Culture Polsh/English language and culture articles on Pages 11/12

The President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, visited Wrocław on 15 November to take part with Polish P r e s i d e n t , B r o n i s ł a w Komorowski, and the Federal President of Germany, Christian Wulff, in celebrating the 200th anniversary of the University of Wrocław.

The history of the University of Wrocław is a synthesis of the traditions of the Polish University in Lwów and the German University in Wrocław. After World War II, when Lwów became part of Ukraine and the area of Lower Silesia–with Wrocław as its capital–became a part of Polish territory, many academics from Ukraine, Poland and Germany concentrated their forces to support the growth of the University. All of these elements formed a unique centre

of study and scientific research esteemed in Poland. The University of Wrocław is proud of the impressive list of honorary doctorates and Nobel Prizes granted to its graduates and professors.

The University of Wrocław celebrated the 200th anniversary of its establishment with the participation of distinguished guests. Special events were held in historically important places such as the Monument to the Murdered Lwów Professors, Aula Leopoldina at the University of Wrocław, and in City Hall.

Presidents Komorowski and Christian Wulff started their visit by laying flowers at the Monument to the Murdered Lwów Professors. The tragic events of the murdered Polish professors occurred 70 years ago, on 4 July, 1941 in a place called Wzgórz Wuleckich. Approximately 25 Polish

a c a d e mi c s f r o m L w ó w University, along with their families, were shot by the Nazis.

U n f o r t u n a t e l y , V i k t o r Yanukovych did not attend the morning ceremony, due to the fog in Wrocław. After the morning event, the Presidents continued their official visit by attending the celebration ceremony of the 200th anniversary of founding the Univers i ty o f Wrocław. Following this, Bronisław Komorowski, Christian Wulff, and Viktor Yanukovych participated in tripartite talks.

While the Presidents were in Wrocław, they discussed relations between Ukraine, Poland and Germany, and obviously special emphasis was placed on the issue of the conclusion of the Ukraine - European Union Association Agreement at the end of the year. The main topic of the meeting was the continuing

i mp r i s o n me n t o f Y u l i a Tymoshenko. She is the former Prime Minister of Ukraine who was sentenced in October to seven years in prison for fraud after she was accused of exceeding her powers in office during a 2009 gas agreement with Russia.

Three Heads of State spent this day exchanging constructive proposals for improving relations between their countries and enjoying the hospitality of Wrocław.

Celebrating 200 Years: University of Wrocł

Lara Kalashnikova

Lille/French

Discover Wrocław’s links with Lille in France on Page 7 and follow the French odyssey of one of our writers as she learns French here on Page 10

Education What does it take to run a school, particularly when some of the children cannot speak the language Page 12

The Wrocław International November 2011

City News 2

This month our paper is a year old. We continue to learn, grow and mature. We have much to celebrate but still much more work to do. In our next issue, we will share with you pictures from our Birth-day Celebrations. For this month, thank you for continu-ing to read and support us.

The Christmas decorations are already up and soon the winter market will be lined around the Rynek. The temperature has gone down in Wrocław, snow will come, but the city seems more active than ever.

November is an important month for Poland, as the population celebrates its independence. These festivities are carried out in a positive and cheerful way by

the majority of the population. This year, we saw trouble be-tween far-right nationalists and anti-fascist demonstrators. Anti-European cries were heard. The changes and encroachment of Europe’s rules and regulations is not welcomed by all.

Warsaw had riots, mirroring the Occupy Wall Street protests. There is disquiet in the world but seemingly not so much in Wro-cław. Are we content with our lot, are things going so well or are we just not saying anything? We would like to hear from you, our readers, on things that affect you and maybe others in this city. Let us talk about the issues and share information together. We welcome your comments at:

[email protected]

With winter fast approaching, it is time to dust off those skis and get ready to make the most of the winter sports season. With this in mind maybe now is a good moment to get in some much needed practice before hitting the slopes. Well, the Sportmania foundation is offering free classes for adults and children to help get you ready for the ski season. The classes will be held on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays either at the Park Grabiszyńskim at ul.. Spišská, or at the SP gym at No. 47 on Januszowickiej street. They are open to all levels of ability from beginner upwards, so why not go along and give it a try? For more information visit the website.

www.miastowformie.pl and www.sportmania.wroclaw.pl.

On the 13th of October, The Wrocław International newspaper hosted meetings with Rita Cosby while she made a whistlestop tour of Poland. Ms Cosby is renowned in the US as a TV host and veteran correspondent.

Rita is the daughter of a Polish war hero. Only in recent years did her father reveal his haunting past, and through this Rita wrote a book about him and began a journey that would lead her back to Poland. In her book, Quiet Hero, she reveals how she uncovered an amazing personal story of heroism and courage, the untold secrets of a man she has known all her life.

Years after her mother’s tragic death, Rita finally nerved herself to sort through her mother’s stored belongings, never dreaming what a dramatic story was waiting for her. Opening a battered tan suitcase, she discovered it belonged to her father—the enigmatic man who had divorced her mother and left when Rita was still a teenager.

Rita knew little of her father’s past: just that he had left Poland after World War II, and that his many scars, visible and not, bore mute witness to some past tragedy. He had always refused to answer questions. Now, however, she held in her hand stark mementos from the youth of the man she knew only as Richard Cosby, proud American: a worn Polish Resistance armband; rusted tags bearing a prisoner number and the words Stalag IVB; and an identity card for an ex-POW bearing the name Ryszard Kossobudzki.

At the age of thirteen, barely even adolescent, her father had seen his hometown decimated by bombs. By the time he was fifteen, he was covertly distributing anti-Nazi propaganda a few blocks from the Warsaw Ghetto. Before the Warsaw Uprising, he lied about his age to join the Resistance and actively fight the enemy to the last bullet. After being nearly fatally wounded, he was taken into captivity and sent to a German POW camp near Dresden, finally escaping in a daring plan and ultimately rescued by American forces. All this before he had left his teens.

Through her book QUIET HERO, Rita Cosby is partnering with the USO on a massive, new campaign called Operation Enduring Care, which will help wounded warriors and their families. Book proceeds will go towards this $100 million initiative, as well as two museums in Poland, the Warsaw Rising Museum and The Museum of the History of Polish Jews, which is being built where the Warsaw Ghetto once stood.

The Wrocław International Meeting

A team of writers from our paper met with Rita Cosby the morning of Thursday, 13th of October at Idea Place, Plac Solny. During the meeting she shared experiences of her famed interviews and discussed her plans for the future. Rita also learned from us about Wrocław and was most enthusiastic to build links in this city.

Visit to Bente Kahan Foundation & Synagogue

Rita was then taken on whirlwind walking tour of part of the old town and stopped in to meet with Bente Kahan and her staff at the foundation. Bente showed her the restoration work that has taken place in the Synagogue and also part of the exhibition that is held at the Gallery upstairs.

Open Meeting at Impart Arts Centre

Wrocław locals came to Impart to hear Rita talk about her ‘homecoming’ experience in Poland, the perceptions of Polish-Americans of Poland today, the future here as she sees it and plans to return to Wrocław in the future. The meeting was attended by participants from Poland, and at least 15 other countries, all residents of Wrocław.

Wrocław City of Culture 2016 office and the British Council are organising a city game which is part of the Future City Jobs Project.

The City Game will be held on the 16th and 17th of December 2011 in Wroclaw NGO SupportCenter SECTOR 3 and will be conducted by a licensed master of the game the British Council. This will be the first such initiative in Wroclaw! Among the participants of the game, a Project Manager will be selected, who will present his/her results at the congress Future City Jobs in Prague in January 2012. More information about the project and the Future City Jobs on the game itself can be found on the Polish project fanpage:

www.facebook.com / FutureCityJobsPLand on www.wro2016.pl.


"A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing." Oscar Wilde

There is a ritual when the L.A Lakers NBA basketball team plays at home, whereby if they win the game and the opposing team scores less than 100 points, everyone in attendance receives a free Mexican taco. When there are only a few minutes still on the clock and the opposing team has yet to score 100 points, the fans chant in unison: "We want tacos! We want tacos!" The wealthiest and most famous people in Hollywood typically attend the games, often paying well over 1000zł for a seat. Even Jack Nicholson, who is seen at nearly every home game, chants for a free taco, which likely costs no more than 50 grosze to make.

Andy Warhol said, "No matter how much money you have, a Coke is a Coke." Likewise, no amount of wealth can buy a bet-ter taco. However, when one goes to a restaurant where a highly skilled chef prepares complicated one-of-a-kind dishes using only the freshest ingredients, and the customer is treated like royalty with atten-tive service and an ambiance designed for long stays of dining comfort, the price of the meal is naturally going to reflect this.

Regretfully, the head chef and owner of a cooking school in Kraków recently lamented about what I and others in the business have faced: many people are searching for the largest portions at the lowest price. Food is con-sumed more as a necessary bod-ily function akin to filling up a car's gas tank.

Attitudes toward eating are not only formed by economic reali-ties. Lunch breaks in Poland, if

they exist at all, are usually around 30 minutes; whereas in countries such as France or Spain, they last from two to three hours. Most of what works here is a reflection of the self-service cafeteria style "Milk Bars" which have survived the communist era. Fast, efficient and cheap. No need for highly skilled chefs and waiters, hence students or middle-aged women are the mainstay of the work-force. Waiting on tables is rarely taken seriously as a pro-fession.

Meanwhile, as Wrocław has boomed with new multinational businesses and hypermarkets, attempts that a number of for-eigners and outsiders to this city have made to create restaurants offering quality food, service and comforts have come and gone, mine included. One prob-lem experienced is some land-lords being greedy and demand-ing over-inflated rents or unreal-istic conditions. However, while this is a time of major growth (a new football stadium, newly revamped train station, ever-expanding air travel options,

tourism starting to boom, a cul-ture capital of Europe in the making), there is a peculiar re-gression, a nostalgic fashion for bars serving small menus of very cheap standard Polish food such as kielbasa, sledge and tartar, what I call "Polish Tapas." Per-haps this reflects a reactionary attitude against the encroach-ment of globalism. Once a Pol-ish owner of a Mexican restau-rant said to me that Polish stom-achs are different, that they can-not tolerate hot spices; yet I have met many Poles returning from abroad who could no longer live without them, and KFC will never stop offering spicy chicken.

It is not just about the heat. Here is what a Pole who had lived abroad posted on PolishFo-rums.com last year: "I go to Mexican, Indian, Thai, Chinese or anything but Polish restau-rants and the 'chiefs' obviously have NO idea what the dishes are supposed to be like. Usually it's some weird Polish interpreta-tion with cabbage and sauerkraut added. Polish food is better, but my mother-in-law often finds

major fault with the cooking skills in Polish restaurants."

The problem can be traced to a Wikipedia search of the word "gastronomy" in English, French and Polish. The English version speaks only in terms pertaining to the arts and sciences, the French explanation connects eating to the joy and art of liv-ing, whereas the Polish defini-tion is very brief, mainly refer-ring to the economics of mar-kets, distribution and catering. The quicker, cheaper and more expedient the product and ser-vice, the better.

Habits die hard, but I am a firm believer that tastes are universal, and it is only a question of fa-miliarity. Sushi is the perfect example. It is an expensive fashion which is constantly growing on the heels of booming foreign Asian investment. One might imagine that if there were a similar Mexican business in-fluence, even President Dut-kiewicz would be chanting at the new football stadium: "We want tacos!". As a result, almost no one knows what they are miss-ing out on.

Commentating on the results of the elections in Poland, the German press sees two win-ners and one loser. The win-ners, Donald Tusk and Janusz Palikot, and the loser, Jaro-sław Kaczyński.

German journalists not only closely followed the Polish elec-tion campaign, but actually be-came part of it in the fallout over the "scandal" involving a quote relating to Angela Merkel from Jarosław Kaczyński’s book. The dispute continues today as to whether or not the author’s words were over-inflated, but there is no doubt that the Ger-man media were eager to make the most of the issue. It was with relief that the west side of

the Oder saw the primary victor in the elections to be Donald Tusk. The Frankfurter Allge-meine Zeitung refers to him in their post-election commentary as "The Optimist". This influen-tial German newspaper paints a very positive portrait of Tusk. It was he, Tusk, who fought the terrible Polish right wing, which according to the German paper, sees the world as a jungle full of "vipers". As FAZ writes, Tusk managed to win the confidence of the Polish electorate and be-come the first Prime Minister of the Republic to secure a second term. Donald Tusk was the "good" Pole, and Jarosław Kac-zyński, of course, the "bad". The Polish elections were pre-sented as a personal battle be-tween the two politicians. As favourably as PO and Tusk were shown in Frankfurter Allge-

meine Zeitung, so Kaczyński and his formation were at the other end of the spectrum. Ac-cording to the German newspa-per PiS is tethered to the church – read backward and clerical, and wanted – no surprise – to gain power in order to protect Poland against "imaginary" mor-tal enemies. It could not be left unsaid that to Kaczyński, por-trayed as Europe’s chief German-hater, Germans are the enemy, but not the only one. The Ger-man journalist presented an im-pressive list which naturally included liberals, homosexuals, Jews, etc. Of course, Kaczyński could not be allowed to get away with "Merkel". And so she ap-peared when it was reported that the right wing could not trust their allies, EU commissioners and the German Chancellor her-self. After something like this, it

comes as no surprise that the German reader was happy for Tusk to win the election rather than Kaczyński, who perhaps eats German children for break-fast…

Germany also noticed Janusz Palikot’s electoral victory. He was reported to be an eccentric millionaire known for his comi-cal appearances. This is how he was presented by the German journalist quoted above. Inter-estingly, it did not escape atten-tion that Palikot wrote his Mas-ters Dissertation on Immanuel Kant. This "political clown" – as he is referred to by FAZ – may bring significant change to the Polish left. The Germans believe Palikot to have won many votes through his "unrefined attacks on the conser-vative Catholic Church". As for

Palikot himself and his party, we read: "recognition of homosex-ual relationships, acceptance of artificial impregnation in-vitro and demands for a citizen-friendly state were more impor-tant in Palikot’s campaign than the fight to protect early retire-ment of pay for nurses. The results of Sunday’s elections show that a combination of en-tertainment with emancipatory rhetoric proved to be an effec-tive means of attracting young voters”. But the most accurate post-election diagnosis was pro-vided by "Die Welt", which wrote that the biggest loser is SLD. For the biggest surprise for national and overseas com-mentators was not Tusk’s vic-tory, but the comprehensive de-feat of the Social Democrats.

3 Comments

Too Expensive

Krzysztof Tokarz

Fredrick Abrams [email protected]

Berlin Breathes a Sigh of Relief

HELP! We have run out of clothes!!!!!!

emmaus… the association supporting people in crisis situation, mainly focusing on the homeless, the long-term unemployed and the

handicapped… will gladly and with gratitude collect your used clothes, shoes, furniture or any household or kitchen items. We can arrange

transportation or invite you to drop the donations at our office in the centre of Wrocław:

emmaus

Office: ul. J. Kaczmarskiego 7/9/1 (9am to 5pm every weekday)

Our charity shop: ul. J. Rubczaka 17/17A (9am to 5pm weekdays) (8am to 1pm Saturdays)

www.emmaus.org.pl [email protected] Tel.: +48 71 716 47 98 / +48 517 506 688


City News 4

Benefits from

Charitable Focus Kathryn Brooks-Getty

On October 10, 2011 BNY Mellon donated $20,000 (USD) to the John Paul II Long Term Care and Nursing Home for Children. BNY Mellon execu-tives Steve Farlese, Daniela Kelly and Nicholas Gialanella, from New York and Mary McIlhone from London trav-eled to Wrocław and joined local employees Martin Ring, Anna Kukiełka and Marta Bujnowska, to meet with the Sisters and children at the Home and present the check.

The John Paul II facility is lo-cated in Jaszkotle, a small, quiet village just outside of Wrocław, and is home to around 50 special needs children between the ages of birth to 18 years. The center provides permanent medical assistance and rehabilitative care for children with varying levels of disability and handicap. In addition to the Sisters of Mary the Immaculate in Wrocław, who are the children’s primary caretakers, there are many local specialists who provide care and treatment for the children, in-cluding doctors, nurses, thera-pists and teachers. In visiting the facilities one discovers bright and colorful bedrooms, play-rooms and rehabilitation areas as well as exterior grounds that are quite charming with numerous

trees and handicap accessible play areas. The center is cur-rently in the process of adding a new rehabilitation wing onto the facility. The home accepts chil-dren from all over Poland and many of the children are avail-able for adoption.

Marta, Anna and numerous other BNY Mellon employees have been involved with the center in Jaszkotle since 2008. At that time they were known as PNC GIS. Their charitable contribu-tions over the years have ranged from monetary contributions raised through company fund-raising events to the volunteer-ing of time at the center visiting and playing with the children to behind the scenes assistance such as helping with transporta-tion or delivering groceries. Shortly after BNY Mellon pur-chased PNC in 2010 the charita-ble focus at the Wrocław branch sharpened thanks to BNY Mel-lon’s Global Community Part-nership Program. The employ-ees began by formalizing a char-ity committee chaired by Marta and Anna as well as Kamila Swiderska and Paulina Serkies. Once the committee was created they were able to formally desig-nate the John Paul II Center as the charitable organization for Wrocław/Poland and then begin the application process for ob-taining company grant money for the Center. Their first appli-cation was both submitted and

accepted in 2011, with BNY Mellon awarding $20,000 of their yearly grant money to the John Paul II Center.

In addition to the grant money, BNY Mellon also provides every employee with two days each year to use to volunteer at local charities and they also have a matching program: the amount of hours an employee spends

volunteering is monetarily matched by the company and any amount raised at a branch fundraising event is similarly matched. Martin Ring noted that the BNY Mellon Community Partnership Program focuses on encouraging employees to get involved locally; and it is not just a monetary focus, but one that encourages employees to

develop a human connection with the community in which they live and work.

If you would like to find out more about the John Paul II Home, you can visit their web-site at www.zol-jaszkotle.pl (website is in Polish, German and English) or contact me at [email protected]

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TOP PHOTO: The Sisters and children accepting the check from the BNY Mellon employees. From left: Marta Bujnowska, Sister Halina Borowska, Sister Agnieszka Popielarczyk, Anna

BOTTOM LEFT PHOTO: Martin Ring, Steven Farlese and Nicholas Gialanella spend time with the children in the main playroom.

Every January the Interna-tional Friends of Wrocław choose a local charity to sup-port throughout the year. This year we chose Fundacja Tobi-aszki, a charitable foundation based in Karlowice district that helps underprivileged children. In fact a couple of our members already did vol-untary work for them, so it seemed an appropriate choice.

Every year it also becomes more and more difficult to come up

with new and different fundrais-ing activities and the first IFW board meeting of 2011 was no exception, until I revealed that I had been approached by Emer-son, the UK's top Michael Jack-son tribute act, who wondered if I could find him a gig in Poland where he could try out his new show prior to a summer season in Greece.

Now, the "Tribute Act" is a pe-culiarly British phenomenon and it took many weeks trying to sell the idea to nightclub venues in Wrocław. Eventually, Malgor-zata Hela Jaworska the manager muzyczny at Bezsennosc Insom-

nia Club (ul. Ruska 51) agreed to give it a go and learning that it was a charity event promised to deal with the publicity and to allow us to keep all money taken on the door. The show was ar-ranged for Wednesday, April 13th and another concert ar-ranged specifically for Children at Fundacja Tobiaszki's head-quarters on Thursday, April 14th.

Emerson flew into Wrocław on the morning of the Bezsennosc gig and was met at the airport and taken to lunch by IFW. There was not much time for sightseeing because of his busy

schedule but it was amazing to see the reaction of people as he walked through the city. Many thought that they were seeing a ghost, even though Emerson at this time was still in mufti. One group of youngsters was so amazed at what they saw, they promised to get parental permis-sion to go to the evening per-formance. Sure enough, they were there in the front row come showtime.

During his two 45 minute sets at Bezsennosc, the hits just kept on coming leaving no one disap-pointed. From the stunning Car-men Burana intro to the Thriller dance competition finale, his slickly produced and choreo-graphed show had everybody up on their feet dancing. In fact, even the bar staff stopped work and gazed on in awe as Emerson introduced the moonwalk as early as the first song.

Unlike a lot of tribute acts, Em-erson sounds, looks and dances like the real thing (with no surgi-cal enhancement), and since Jackson's untimely death in 2009, Emerson is probably the closest you will get to a true Michael Jackson experience. Perhaps the only thing lacking that night was a pet chimpanzee called Bubbles.

The next evening's performance at Fundacja Tobiaszki's head-quarters (al. Kasprowicza 26) was a whole different ball game. For the underprivileged children that the foundation support, this was probably their first experi-ence of a live concert. The Catholic Brothers went so far as to produce a guest list and hand stamp so as the boys and girls felt like they were attending a night club event, (albeit at 6 o'clock in the evening).

International Friends of Wroc aw Fundraising Activities

Richard Jeffery

Continued on page 18


Real estate has been always regarded as a good of particu-lar significance to the econ-omy. Therefore, real estate investments are subject to much stricter limitations than other kinds of business trans-actions. In particular, special conditions have to be fulfilled if the real estate located in Po-land is to be purchased by a foreigner.

In order to purchase real estate in Poland, a foreigner has to acquire a permit issued by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Ac-cording to the objective regula-tions, the foreigner is defined as a physical person who does not have Polish nationality, legal person (e.g. foundation, coop-erative, private or public limited company) and organizational unit with no legal personality (e.g. limited liability partner-ship) that has its seat in a foreign country, as well as such entity with a seat in Poland but con-trolled, directly or indirectly, by foreign citizens or companies. The purchase of real estate is defined as acquisition of prop-erty or right of perpetual usu-

fruct (the right similar to prop-erty but limited in time), not only under the sale agreement, but also as a result of other acts of law, like donation or inheri-tance. Objective limitation also applies to the acquisition of shares of a company which owns real estate in Poland if, as the result of such transaction, the company becomes controlled by a foreign citizen or company.

The above mentioned permit is granted following application by a foreigner. The minister is enti-tled to pass a permit only if, firstly, acquisition of real estate by the foreigner does not threaten the safety of the state and public order and secondly, if the foreigner proves his ties with the country of Poland. Such ties exist, for example, if the for-eigner conducts his business activity in Poland or has a Polish spouse or ancestors. The area of the real estate acquired for satis-fying living needs of a foreigner must not exceed 0.5 ha (5.000 sq.m.), whereas area of the real estate purchased for the needs of business activity must be pro-portional to the character and

scale of such activity. The min-ister may grant the permit if the Minister of National Defense or, in the case of agricultural prop-erties, the Minister of Agricul-tural and Rural Development, does not raise objections. In the event of ministerial refusal or objection, a foreigner may file a petition for judicial review. If the refusal or objection is up-held, a foreigner may file an appeal to the administrative court. The permit is valid for a period of two years from the date it had been passed - the foreigner has to acquire the real estate during this time, otherwise the purchase is null and void.

A foreigners is not always obliged to acquire a ministerial permit. The restrictions de-scribed above do not apply to closed-end investment funds. Furthermore, the permit is not needed in the event of purchas-ing separate living premises, except for the premises of the buildings located in the border zone. Foreigners that are citizens of or have a seat in Switzerland or in the European Economic Area countries (EEA), i.e. Euro-

pean Union plus Iceland, Liech-tenstein and Norway, are exempt from the above mentioned duty. This exemption, however, does not apply to foreigners purchas-ing agricultural and forest real properties, but only in the time of twelve years from the date when Poland became a member of EU. This means that from the 1st of May 2016, purchasing agricultural and forest real es-tates by EU citizens and compa-nies will be permit-free.

A foreigner who purchases real estate in Poland is obliged to pay tax on civil law transactions (with the exception of purchas-ing the land which is a part of agricultural holding). The rate of such tax is equal to 2 % of the market value of the real estate. Furthermore, according to Polish law, property or perpetual usu-fruct right of the real estate can be transferred to another person only under the contract drawn up by the notary. Notary fees de-pend on the value of real estate or the right of perpetual usufruct but cannot exceed the sum of PLN 10.000. Parties to the agreement may decide which one of them bears the costs of such fees, but most often they are borne by the purchaser.

Obviously foreigners face seri-ous restrictions when purchasing the real properties in Poland. However, it must be emphasized

that the vast number of interna-tional real estate investments in Poland involve companies and citizens of EEA countries, who are subject to nearly identical regulations as Polish entities.

Last but not least, transactions on real estate may involve in-come tax implications. Sale of immovable property purchased after 31.12.2008 is subject to 19% tax. The taxable base is determined as the difference between the sale price and the expenses incurred in the pur-chase. However, ownership ex-ceeding 5 years means that sale is free of tax. In the case of early sale, tax preference can be achieved by using the funds from the sale to purchase new real estate located anywhere in the European Union.

City News 5

Buying and Selling Real Estate in Poland

One of the most stressful things you can do in your life is move house. The pressure is really on when you add an international relocation into the mix. Whether you are moving to Wrocław from abroad or from another part of Poland, these tips still apply to you.

The Reconnaisance Mission

If at all possible, have a look around first. It is not advisable

to choose a place to live without knowing the environment. You can find a palace for the right price and later discover that you are totally isolated and lonely. Alternatively, you might find a good deal but the neighbourhood is undesirable and you are afraid to walk home at night. Do your homework and find out where to live and narrow your search to those particular areas. In Wro-cław, a lot of foreigners stick close to the Rynek and that proves very rewarding for social activities and meeting friends. Noise can be an issue and of course the prices are higher in the centre. However, a safe bet.

For families with children in international schools it has to be

Krzyki, Oporów and maybe Bie-lany or Ołtaszyn. Krzyki is south of the city and pretty safe with good connections, parks and shopping. Northwest for past splendour, greenery and space, Biskupin is beautiful. I can also personally recommend Zacisze (means seclusion) for space, beauty and easy access to public transport and major roads.

Up and Coming

If you want to invest in some-thing that has a future and you do not need to reap rewards for the next five to ten years, then Nadodrze might be for you. Nadodrze is an area north of the old town but still in the city that

has the highest density of pre-war buildings. Properly restored you can find gems. The city has great plans for this area to be-come a ‘left bank’ cultural cen-tre and it is certainly a place to watch during the coming years.

Estate Agents

It came as a shock to discover that in Poland, estate agents take up to 100% of a month’s rent as

commission from the landlord AND the tenant. Shop around and try to negotiate the best deal on commission that you can. Sometimes they will take 50%. You will even need to sign a form sometimes before an agent will show you a property to en-sure that you do not go behind their back to another agent who has the same property later. If you find a good agent, then you should not need to find another as they all work from the same database.

Property Websites

You can also use sites such as gratka.pl, domiporta.pl and gum-tree.pl. Gumtree is good for finding rooms in shared accom-modation. Gratka and Domi-porta seem to be the most com-prehensive sites. If you do not speak Polish, use Google trans-late to figure your way around the site.

This is just a brief introduction to a regular column I am going to write. Next issue, I will give examples of prices you can ex-pect to pay and how to negotiate a contract to rent a property.


6 Business

Earlier this year more than fifty thousand HP employees in nearly ninety countries joined together in a 12-week program to challenge, encour-age and support one another to focus on physical wellness. Working together towards the common goal they exercised more than forty five million minutes, that adds up to more than 86 years, and they walked more than eleven billion steps, which is equal to nearly 230 trips around the equator. With small changes in lifestyle a great impact on work-life bal-ance can be achieved. And within HP Wellness Program there’s a lot more to gain!

―The initiative was launched globally in order to maintain the right work-life balance within the organization and ultimately to create an enjoyable work en-vironment‖ says Maxime Jouan, Wrocław Business Center Man-aging Director. ―We launched the program at the beginning of this year in order to implement our vision of Wellness into HP. We started with the Wellness Opening Event in March. This was a very special treat for our

employees. We concentrated on physical wellness with a variety of special treatments and consul-tations for our participants. The event included fun things such as beauty salon treatments, re-laxing massages, professional skin tests, beauty and dietary consultations, as well as exciting sport and fitness lectures‖ says Izabella Gruba, who has been working in the Wrocław Well-ness team from the very begin-ning. The team comes up with ideas for new initiatives and organizes them from A to Z. ―It’s a great opportunity to meet

people from different business units within our company and to create amazing events‖ says Marta Jakubowicz, one of Wro-cław Wellness Team members, and admits that contribution to the project requires good time management skills, as team members are located in different offices and each of them needs to find the right balance between daily workload and Wellness initiative. ―Creating the project from scratch and cooperating closely together on the best pos-sible offerings for our colleagues is extremely satisfying. This also

lets us blow off steam, when we engage in an additional project that differs a lot from our daily duties‖ she adds. The range of events within the program is impressive – from sport activi-ties or dance classes to health and nutrition consultations.

During the summer months the Wellness program offered a va-riety of Wellness Sport Events. ―This started off with an exciting soccer tournament for our big-gest soccer fans. Throughout the summer we had physical wellness classes: yoga, self de-fense, Capoeiria and dance—conveniently held in HP offices three times a week‖ lists Marta and continues the count with adrenaline filled Go-Cart events, a rugged but scenic kayaking trip and a competitive but fun paintball event. Kasia Stanuch from Wrocław Wellness Team brings an exotic perspective to the project: ―Before the summer ended, we gave our HP col-leagues one last taste of summer with our Wellness Travel Event. Participants got to travel the world from the office by experi-encing things like cuisine from all around the world, tea brew-ing lessons, Ayurveda consulta-tions, henna tattoos, Sari work-shops, Japanese origami, and

calligraphy workshops‖.

―Wellness is without a doubt a unique initiative that fully con-tributes to wellbeing of our em-ployees‖ says Maxime Jouan. Moreover the program is in line with Environment, Health and Safety regulations and helps to foster awareness of the impor-tance of ergonomics and to mas-ter stress and enhance health, work and ultimately impact the quality of life. What more to come? Wellness Chill-Out Event, that will take place in winter, is going to be a sure-way to relax before holiday season and a well deserved chill-out session after all the hard work throughout the year. By taking advantage of HP program to improve overall health and well-being the participants are truly winning with Wellness.

The Polish branch of the American innovation giant, 3M, just celebrated its twentieth anniversary. Has the company primarily associated with the yellow Post It ® note helped to change the face of contemporary Poland?

While 3M’s products first appeared in Poland half a century ago, 1991 proved to be the real breakthrough year for activities of this American company in Poland. This was the

year that “3M Poland” was registered. 3M stands for M i n n e s o t a M i n i n g a n d Manufacturing and has 52 divisions worldwide.

“For over 20 years we have invested more than $350 million in Poland and we have familiarized and trained hundreds of thousands of Polish specialists with the latest technologies. Today we employ 1,600 employees and we have 9 plants. But we will not slow down the pace. Just this year we opened two new factories in Wrocław, Poland and invested another $83 million. Our ambition is for Poland to become a key market for 3M and cover 70% of products exported to countries in Central and Eastern Europe.” - Xavier Douellou, CEO 3M in Poland.

Research commissioned by the company indicates that after two decades of activity in the Polish market, the average consumer interacts with 3M products up to 17 times a day. Examples of these products are: at home - the popular Sco tch-Bri te ™ c l e a n e r s , S i r e n

sponges, Viscoplast, and the protective film on the screens of laptops, TVs and smartphones; in the office - self-adhesive Post-its ®, Scotch ® tape, the mini-projector MP 180, non-slip pads and tape; on the production line - 3M products provide full protection for the head including masks, ear muffs and safety glasses; on the street - reflective films on road signs and special vehicles (fire brigade, police), advertising films used for branding banks and drugstores, industrial tapes that bond the structural elements of office

buildings as well as buses and passenger trains. 3M also produces multiple products for the car, reflective tapes for clothing, and medical products and equipment. In total, there are over 10,000 products in the Polish market. Some of them are produced in factories in Wrocław, Skomielna Rabka and Janinowie. The Wrocław factory t h a t o p e n e d t h i s y e a r manufactures products for the aerospace industry, and will p r o d u c e t h e f i l m a n d thermosetting adhesives and protective films for such giants

as Airbus, Bell and Boeing.

“An example of the application of innovative technology in Poland might be the Municipal Information System in Warsaw and Łódz. The famous blue-red-white plaques, which perfectly enhance mobility in the metropolitan area of the capital, are made precisely from 3M reflective materials. MSI was Poland's first project to integrate visual information systems in the city.” - Xavier Douellou.


7 International Voices

International Voices is a platform for our readers, to express in their own language, views, opinions and share stories. If you would like to submit an article or a letter, please email [email protected]

Le 28 octobre 2011, Wrocław et Lille ont tissé des liens de coopération en signant un ac-cord de travail pour les années 2012-2013.

«Nous pourrons utiliser l’expé-rience de Lille dans le domaine de l’organisation de la manifes-tation Lille: Capitale Européen-ne de la Culture en 2004, et nous pourrons offrir notre expertise de l’organisation de l’Euro de foot de 2012» a déclaré le prési-dent de Wrocław Rafael Dutkie-wicz.

Pierre de Saintignon, maire-adjoint de Lille, a répondu que les deux villes, bien que distan-tes de 1000 kilomètres, avaient

beaucoup en commun: «Une université dynamique, un pôle de recherche scientifique, une envie de développement cultu-rel, nous poursuivons la même voie».

Le maire de Wrocław a poursui-vi en soulignant la réussite de Lille dans le domaine culturel et l’attrait touristique généré, et en espérant que ce partenariat se solderait par la signature d’un jumelage.

Ce partenariat est rendu possible par la ressemblance des deux villes et les liens forts qui les unissent, en particulier l’héritage de l’émigration polonaise dans la région Nord-Pas de Calais. Les deux villes ont un dynamis-me comparable, à l’échelle na-tionale, européenne et internatio-

nale, dans les domaines sociaux, économiques et culturels.

Le plan commun d’actions pour 2012-2013 portera sur:

1. L’activité culturelle des deux villes à l’échelle euro-péenne:

Euro 2012 (Wrocław) et Euro 2016 (Lille)–

Capitale européenne de la cultu-re: Lille 2004 et Wrocław 2016: Echange d’expérience dans l’or-ganisation d’une manifestation sportive ou culturelle d’envergu-re.

Venue d’artistes en résidence dans les deux villes avec organi-sation d’ateliers d’artistes, échanges d’artistes dans les do-maines des arts de la rue et de la production de fresques murales.

Echange d’expériences concer-nant la rénovation et revitalisa-tion de quartiers.

Publication, en français, du livre «Microcosmos. Portrait d’une ville d’Europe centrale» de Nor-man David et Roger Moorehou-se.

2. Le développement économi-que, la recherche et l’innova-tion technologique.

Projet d’échange d’expérience entre Euratechnologies-Lille et l’Institut Européen de Technolo-gie-Wrocław.

Coopération sous forme de cen-tre d’excellence dans le secteur de la santé.

3. Projet d’échanges scolaires, universitaires et citoyens.

Coopération entre l’Université Lille 3 et l’Université de Wroc-ław ainsi que le développement de projets de coopération entre les journalistes, les urbanistes et les architectes des deux villes.

Echanges scolaires.

Résidence internationale d’artis-tes dans le cadre de la poursuite du projet Solid’art conduit par de jeunes artistes de Lille et Wrocław en 2011.

4. Perspectives et développe-ment équilibrés des villes.

Echange d’expérience sur le thème de l’architecture et de l’espace bâti.

D’après le site de la ville de Wro-claw: http://www.wroclaw.pl/wroclaw_lille_dwa_bratanki,.dhtml

Wroc aw- Geneviève Meillan

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On 12th October, Falanster club welcomed Jeff Halper, Israel-based professor of cul-tural anthropology, who for his activities was nominated for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. During a lecture lasting almost two hours Halper pre-sented his audience the prob-lems faced by the Arab inhabi-tants of the West Bank of Jor-dan.

A scientist in the service of the oppressed

The Gaza Strip has been the stage for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for over sixty years. Since 1967, where the six day war ended with Israel taking over Palestinian territory, the occupied territories have been the scene of drama for the vic-

tims of international politics. Victims whose cries for help can be heard in the distance, muffled by the policies of the superpow-ers… The helplessness of the Palestinian inhabitants drove Halper to actively join in to help those affected.

Jeff Halper was born in 1946 in the United States. In his youth he was interested in political science. He reminisces that he was persuaded to take in interest in cultural anthropology by a Danish nurse, with whom he had fallen in love. After completion of his studies he carried out field studies, among others, in Turkey and Ethiopia. He continued his academic career, now as a lec-turer, at the universities in Haifa and Beersheba. Several years ago he gave up his academic career to dedicate himself fully to trying to resolve the conflict in the West Bank. He is co-founder of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.

Bulldozers versus people

During his meeting with the peo-ple of Wrocław, Halper pre-sented his audience a case study. He demonstrated the dramatic experiences of the Palestinian

people through the example of one Arab family. The family had worked for many years in Saudi Arabia, to return to their mother-land and build a house with the money they had saved. This Pal-estinian family thus became a cog in the bureaucratic machine. The area in which they had de-cided to settle, indeed had at one time belonged to Palestine, how-ever it was now under Israeli jurisdiction. The Jewish clerks, under orders from central gov-ernment, rarely grant planning permission for Arabs to build houses. Halper calls the journey through the bureaucracy a lot-tery, as to submit applications costs several thousand dollars, and fewer than ten percent of Arabs receive a positive re-sponse. So most Arab settlers decide to go with arbitrary con-struction. They want to live on land they consider to be their native home. Their properties

are then demolished by Israeli bulldozers. The family referred to in this lecture has lived through the demolition of their home three times. The reason? Obviously, no planning permis-sion.

The conflict is ongoing, al-though in the contested regions Israelis and Palestinians often co-exist in harmony. Reconcilia-tion is still a distant target at government level. And as Halper informs us, the demolition of thousands of Palestinian house-holds has been pencilled in for next year.

Anyone interested in the work of Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions can find m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a t www.icahd.org or by sending an e-mail to [email protected].

8 Culture

Situated in the centre of Wro-cław in the refectory of a 14th century monastery is the home of the renowned theatre group Pieśń Kozła (Song of the Goat). Founded in 1996 by Grzegorz Bral and Anna Zu-brzycki the theatre has gone on to claim worldwide atten-tion and recognition since its inception 15 years ago.

Pieśń Kozła is a continuation of a rich tradition of avant-garde ensemble theatre in Poland; other famous exponents of this form being the theatrical initia-tives of Jerzy Grotowski and Tadeusz Kantor as well as the Gardzienice theatre that both Grzegorz and Anna were part of for many years prior to starting Pieśń Kozła. Drawing its troupe from all over the world, the thea-tre is international in both its cast and repertoire as well as in the source of the musical inspi-rations, which range from Alba-nian or Siberian polyphonic songs over Korean shamanic music to the harmonious music composed by Jean Claude Aquaviva from the Corsican group ‘A Filetta’. The perform-ances themselves are painstak-ingly worked on over a period of several years, which includes a journey to often long forgotten parts of Europe where perform-ers study a small community’s traditional music, art and cul-

ture. This, along with Pieśń Kozła’s approach to the per-forming process that primarily focuses not on the actors memo-rizing the text of Macbeth, for example, but on the unique method of ‘co-ordination’ that the company has devised. The work is above all that of the en-semble in harmony where the actor is able to interconnect all their means of expression – sing-ing, text, rhythm, music and respond individually, emotion-ally within the framework of the play. It is through music as well as spontaneous improvisation by actors in rehearsals and long experimental stages that the ad-aptation of the play begins to take its form, creating a new dimension of how the play is understood and perceived. In some ways the result has a far closer association to a lamenta-tion, with its roots in music and emotions, than to the typical

idea of a textual and dialogue based play.

This unique approach to rehears-als and the theatre dynamic it-self, has resulted in an initiative by Pieśń Kozła, in conjunction with the Manchester Metropoli-tan University, to create a MA course in acting techniques run in English, with admittance once every two years. The course draws students from many dif-ferent nationalities and is essen-tially a nine month condensing of the creative process that Pieśń Kozła goes through, when re-searching for, rehearsing and performing a new production. This year the theatre starts work on a 5-year project based on King Lear, which will culminate in 2016 when Wrocław hope-fully becomes the European Capital of Culture.

Describing Pieśń Kozła’s activ-ity is not enough to have a holis-

tic picture of what it really aims to express and what it means to its actors and creators. With this in mind I urge anyone whose interest has been piqued by this article to go and see for them-selves what can only be defined as a truly unique theatrical ex-perience.

They are performing on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of December in the refectory at the monastery on Ulica Purkyniego. The first two performances are works in pro-gress, oratorios of the Songs of Lear, whereas on the 5th of De-cember you will be able to see the group perform their award-winning interpretation of Mac-beth, as seen at the Barbican in London as part of the RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company) Shakespeare Festival. For more information contact their press office via their website

www.teatrpiesnkozla.pl.

Pieśń Kozła’s artistic director Anna told me that to her, Pieśń Kozła theatre was a place where she was free to practice her art as she understood it. A place where she and the group of ac-tors could work on performances and projects, which they believe to be meaningful not just artisti-cally but within the community as well.

This sense of social responsibil-ity towards both the local and global community can be seen through the work the theatre does with its soup kitchen in Wrocław and also its role in creating the Brave Festival which is held every year, cele-brating and drawing awareness to the traditions and cultures of communities from all over the globe.

'MACBETH', G. Gawin

[email protected]


Between 15-20 November Wrocław will be hosting the second edition of the American Film Festival, a kaleidoscope of over seventy American pro-ductions will be showcased in the Helios cinema.

The festival is being organised by the New Horizons Associa-tion. Its chairman, Roman Gutek, gives three reasons for undertaking such an initiative: “Firstly, we want to present the diversity of American film. With the relatively small number of cinemas in Poland, the Polish audience receives only a fraction of American productions. Sec-ondly, the films presented by us are an attempt to discuss the myths surrounding America.

The third reason is the educa-tional function: the classics of American cinema certainly ful-fills this role”.

The festival is divided into sec-tions. The Retrospective cate-gory presents pictures by Ter-rence Mallick, Joe Swangberg, Todd Solondz and Billy Wilder, six times Oscar laureate, born in 1906 in Sucha Beskidzka.

The Highlights category in-cludes films from acclaimed directors, among others, Guus Van Sant and Kevin Smith. The American Doc section promises to be intriguing, with among others, Errol Morris‟ Tabloid, Jeff Malmberg‟s Marwencol and American Grindhouse about the history of exploitation film. The Spectrum section features pro-ductions from new artists, and

On the Edge – experimental works.

The festival will be accompa-nied by special events: All that Jazz (Cały ten jazz) mini review with films Kansas City, Bird and The Jazz Singer and a showing of a reconstructed version of Nicholas Ray‟s We Can‟t Go Home Again. A unique event promises to be Gotham In Pro-gress, during which European and Polish film distributors will be presented eleven independent American productions.

The official festival club is “Synergia” at pl. Solny 16. This is the venue for a Novika and Mr Lex concert on Saturday 19th November, 2100 hrs.

Last year, “all states of film”, according to the festival‟s slo-

gan, was visited by over twenty three thousand filmgoers. Time will tell whether there is any

truth to the rumours that Polish audiences have become weary of American productions?

Culture 9

The sixth edition of Wrocław’s Dialog International Theatre Festival proved a resounding success, largely due to its ex-cellent audience figures. The sold out shows illustrated just how passionate Wrocław is about theatre, and the high regard that cultural events hold in the city.

The Dialog is a biennial festival created by the Krystyna Meiss-ner, the Director of the „Teatr Współczesny’ (Wrocław’s Con-temporary Theatre). Meissner‟s affable character comes across very well, and a conversation in the office with her is much like meeting an old friend. When discussing the festival‟s central concept, Meissner promptly cited “the name itself” as „dialog‟ of course refers to con-versation. Adding further, Meissner explained “The people need to talk and get to know each other in order to create a mutual respect. The main object of theatre should be to lead peo-ple into a deeper meditation about life."

Nine countries represented the festival in sixteen different per-formances, demonstrating the worldwide reach of the festival. Actors and audiences came from afar and even though perform-ances were played twice, the demand was such that all the tickets were sold out. On top of this, many different venues in the city were proud hosts of Dia-log Festival events. This did not

only include classical theatres, but also a Television studio and an ex warehouse amongst others.

The most shocking and provoca-tive play at Dialog was most certainly Italian director Mr. Romeo Castellucci‟s „On the Concept of the Face. Regarding the son of God.‟ The play fol-lows a son who must take care of his elderly, ill father. In rather stomach wrenching and disturb-ing scenes, the boy‟s father defe-cates to a hugely repulsive ex-tent. If that were not enough, the revolting smell stenches the en-tire arena for several minutes. It was all too much for some at Dialog, who left the theatre promptly, whilst one poor indi-vidual even fainted.

Despite the moral outrage caused by the play, Meissner decided to focus on other ele-ments of Castellucci‟s contro-versial work:

"The main thing that interested me about Castellucci is the fact that he touched on a few taboo topics. First of all, showing the face of Jesus throughout the performance. The main question we must then ask ourselves is - why would God allow such things to happen if he really did exist? This is an especially pro-vocative question, especially in a strongly catholic country like Poland. The second point is the fact that the performance re-volves around the age and frailty of the main character, so the author is not solely focused on youth problems."

The „Russian‟ by Dutchman Ivo Van Hove, was especially hard

to understand for the non-Dutch speakers in the audience. Indeed, the five hours of exclusively Dutch dialog contain very little emotion throughout the play‟s scenes, adding to its complexity. In passing judgement on the „Russian‟, Meissner was more critical: “The actors were alone on the stage and when compared to the previews of this perform-ance, on this occasion it didn't really succeed."

Dialog audiences also had the chance to catch a Chilean play in the shape of „The Overcoat‟, a deeply immersing puppet per-formance. In a mere 50 minutes, the play takes you through a fabulous dream, whilst the highly professional performers do everything to completely conceal themselves for the entire show. The most touching thing was undoubtedly the realistic look and feel the puppets, which were created to move around exactly like a real human being.‟ The Overcoat‟ has also proved that an attention grabbing, deeply touching performance can be achieved with a sub 60 minutes duration.

After the conclusion of Dialog 2011, we asked Meissner about the next edition in 2013. Perhaps not surprisingly, she is keeping everything largely under wraps for now:

"The theme of the next festival has not yet been decided and I won't settle on anything immedi-ately. Travelling all around the world helps me decide which shows to bring to Poland, and what therefore the title of the

next festival could be. A great show is a show that you can find that is performed all over the world. In fact, normally the best theatre groups don't ask to take part at the Festival. Thus it is my job to find them and ask them to come here."

One simply can‟t look back on the success of Dialog without

giving special attention to Krystyna. Meissner‟s efforts. It is incredible to think that she travels to see performances from around the globe for two years before deciding what to bring to Dialog. It is this dedication and passion for theatre that will in-evitably make the next Dialog festival yet another resounding success.

Gianbruno Torrano

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Top photo: On the concept of the face. Regarding the son of God. Middle photo: The Overcoat. Bottom photo: The Russians.

American Film has Landed

Damsels in Distress, directed by Whit Stillman, is the clos-ing film for the ongoing American Film Festival in Wro-c aw. The film will be screened on November 20th at He-lios at 10:15am, 19:00pm and 21:45pm. The festival was opened with Dark Horse, directed by Todd Solondz on November 15th, 2011.

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Education 10

Renu Singh

Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.

Rita Mae Brown

When you embark on learning a foreign language, you start with a clean slate which helps to broaden your horizons. You don’t just learn the language; you learn about people and their out-look, places and their history, food, culture, traditions and be-yond that. So when I registered for a French course at Alliance Française (AF) in Wrocław, I knew I was signing up to dis-cover the world a bit more, while sitting in a classroom.

I had a brief encounter with this melodious language a few years ago in India at Alliance Fran-çaise of Chennai. I was blessed with a very good and interest-ing teacher and learned quite a bit from her. Unfortunately, due to my demanding job, my jour-ney to learn the French language

only lasted four months. Quel

dommage!

Always intrigued by this Ro-mance language and the ability to communicate in French with family and friends who speak French, learning French secured a spot on my wish list. Being surrounded by many Franco-phone friends in Wrocław, I de-cided to join the local AF last year to refresh my memory and to resume my French language learning journey.

I recently began my 2nd semes-ter at AF after a 3-month summer break. Upon return I was ex-cited as well as nervous. Excited to see the familiar faces of my classmates and teacher and nerv-ous to see the unfamiliar faces of the new classmates. Studying in an interactive setting with classmates from different educa-tional and professional back-grounds continuously enriches and enhances my knowledge of French and the learning experi-ence.

I have been once again blessed with a very enthusiastic and encouraging teacher, Miss

Grażyna Sojka. Always empha-sizing the importance of active speaking and thinking in French, Miss Sojka uses various materi-als (audio, video and interactive exercises) to strengthen our com-munication skills and grammati-cal foundation. The constant one-to-one and group interaction leaves no chance of sleeping or daydreaming during the class.

The most interesting opportunity, for me, was participation in vari-ous Francophone events organ-ized by AF. Programs like Journée de la Francophonie and European Day of Languages increase students’ understanding of French and Francophone cul-ture and civilization. Interest-ingly, I also got to attend a few wine tastings with French wine experts. It’s fun to strike up a light conversation in French over a glass of French wine. I will continue my French journey with you next month. Until then, au

revoir!

Renu Singh is a second semester student at Alliance Française in Wrocław. Through Bonjour! from a French class-room… she will share her learning ex-perience with us.

broaden your horizons - élargir

vos horizons

discover the world - découvrir

le monde

a brief encounter - une brève

rencontre

very good and interesting - très

bonne et intéressante

quel dommage - what a pity

refresh - rafraîchir

resume - résumer

upon return - à la rentrée

familiar faces - des visages fa-

miliers

unfamiliar faces - des visages

inconnus

very enthusiastic and encourag-ing - très enthousiaste et en-

courageant

miss - mademoiselle

wine tastings - dégustation de

vins

au revoir - bye

GLOSSARY

Time is of the moment

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This book by Colin Tyborczyk

contains an honest and open reflection of what is

current in the world today, such as the banking crisis,

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File Size: 868 KB

Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.

Language: English

Enjoy reading Time is of the moment on your Kindle!

or download the Kindle app for your pc

Chris Thornborrow

My first six months in Poland can be described thus: cold, cold, damn cold. Hot, damn hot, cold (shower).

It was -30 as I walked to work in Żielona Góra, a town in Po-land where I'd found work. My English clothes were quickly upgraded for Polish conditions. I didn't know eyes could freeze. Speaking no Polish, shopping was an experience. Each night I would browse the local super-market. I would skip the herring aisle - Poles can eat herring in very imaginative ways - and make for the fridge with semi-ready meals choosing between things I didn't recognise. The girls at check-out would smile nicely, in the way you would smile at a pet monkey when he put a banana in his ear. Simply put, not many English people worked in Żielona Góra at that time.

Each weekend I would take a train for 5.5 hours to Warsaw. Polish trains in those days were an adventure. Still this train was largely empty and so sleeping in an empty carriage was possible. Half way through the journey the train would split into two halves. I only found this out by sleeping in the wrong half once. Trains in Poland were not as bad as people said though. They were always on time or within a few minutes, nothing like Eng-lish trains whose arrival times are best described using a Gaus-sian distribution curve with a long tail. Nonetheless, you needed to be on your toes.

Soon though my days in Żielona Góra were over and I moved to Wrocław - a city in south west Poland. Wrocław is the biggest village on earth. It’s a safe, friendly city with all the interesting stuff within one mile of the city centre square or Ry-nek as they call them here.

The Rynek was a fine place to be as temperatures went from -30 to 30 plus almost over-night. Polish spring and Au-tumn are very short and winter switches to summer in a blink. 2003 was a year of extreme weather. In May by 8:45am, I was walking to work at 30 de-grees. I had more cold showers that year than a horny teenager. There was always something happening on the Rynek. From rock concerts to children's day from Communist celebration marches (fake) to the Nazi party handing me a go home for-eigner leaflet (real). It was the best summer of my life and

often I would sit a whole eve-ning outside at a cafeteria and watch the world go by in a very European style.

During those first five months, I had of course spent each week-end with Kasia. Since proposing in February of the first year (on top of the Palace of Culture in Warsaw), I had met all of Kasia’s relatives. If the first six months could be titled it would be "My Big Fat Polish Engage-ment". For an Englishman the extended Polish family can be overwhelming.

Let’s start with kissing men: hairy men with a little too much vodka giving you the triple kiss on each cheek and a warm hug. Maybe two. Seriously, I haven't hugged some ex-girlfriends that close. Hmmm maybe that ex-plains some things.

Ah yes, then there is the ritual of vodka. Easter morning was spent at the Gradowskis - a sweet older couple with joy in their eyes and warmth in their hearts. It was 10am on Easter Sunday when they poured my first vodka. It was 10:05 when they poured the second. I don't remember leaving.

I learnt to wear good socks and skate. Most people in Poland insist on you taking your shoes off when you visit. Good socks are in order. However, be aware that until today polished wood is the preferred floor covering. This turns each visit into an ice skating performance. On one occasion, after a slip in the bathroom, I ended up with my face inches from the toilet bowl and my left foot in the cat litter tray. My advice: buy those socks with rubber tread on the bottom.

Then there is Polish mafia. Pol-ish family mafia. Stefan is Kasia’s uncle and he’s a big, big man, with a deep voice. He invited us for dinner in a restau-rant one day, which was nice as we had little money in those days. Dinner was going pleas-antly until Kasia left for the toilet. A chance to get to know one another as men I thought as Stefan leaned in conspiratori-ally. In a deep voice he said: "If you hurt her, there will be no-where you can hide." I had a Hugh Grant moment and re-sponded "Right, yes, right, ab-solutely... more water?" He emphasised the point again, just in time for Kasia returning and the conversation went very civil again. It was a surreal moment. Stefan I should say now is really a bit of a teddy bear. Kasia tells me.


11 Education

Everyone learning Polish knows that numbers are one of the most annoying phenomenon in our–frankly speaking–very beautiful language. I think it is time to confront this problem because we have to use num-bers every day.

Numeral jeden (one) is relatively easy to use. We have three forms for three genders in the Nominative case, and we decline it like adjectives:

To jest jeden pies (masculine), jedna kawa (feminine), jedno piwo (neutral). (This is one dog, one coffee, one beer.)

Much more challenging are the numbers dwa, trzy, and cztery (two, three, four), because those numerals have special forms for masculine nouns. Normally for two people (osoby-persons, kobiety- women), animals or ob-jects of the same gender, we use the form dwa, for exam-ple: dwa psy idą (two dogs are going), dwa samochody stoją (two cars are standing), dwie kobiety idą (two wo-men are going), dwa piwa stoją (two beers are standing) using the verb in third person plural after the number “two”, but unfortunately, if we talk about two men we have two different forms from which to choose. We can say more officially dwaj profesorowie idą or more collo-quially dwóch/dwu profesorów idzie. The form “dwaj profesorowie” is followed by the plural verb “idą” in the third person (can be in the present, past or future tense), but if we decide to say “dwóch/dwu profesorów idzie”, this form demands a noun in the Genitive plural and a verb in singular according to the rule. Of course, we must also decline it through the other cases.

We have similar problems with the numbers trzy (three) and cztery (four). We have two options for masculine groups:

Nominative: “trzej profesorowie idą” or Genitive “trzech profesorów idzie”

Nominative: “czterej profesorowie idą” or Genitive “czterech profesorów idzie”

And the form trzy we use for everything else, like:

Nominative: trzy, cztery psy, samochody, kobiety, piwa stoją

If we understand this problem in the Nominative case, declination of those numerals is not that complicated in other cases.

Starting from the number pięć (five) we have a special form for masculine persons: pięciu “sześciu”, “siedmiu”, “ośmiu” “profesorów”, etc., and the normal number pięć for everything else. Most numbers from five onwards are declined like pięć below:

Here at the end, I would really like to have some good news for you, but I think for good news about Polish we must wait till next month! However, I have to tell you something else: this is not the end of our problems with numbers in Polish.

For a group of people of mixed gender (workers, partici-pants), groups of children and young animals, objects existing in Polish only in the plural form (door, scissors, violin) we have special collective numbers. Collective numbers require the Genitive form for nouns and the third person singular for verbs, like: dwoje pracowników idzie (two workers are going), troje dzieci czeka (three children are waiting), czworo zwierząt siedzi (four ani-mals are sitting), jest tutaj pięcioro drzwi (here there are five doors), jest sześcioro uczestników (there are six par-ticipants).

The collective numbers are declined like below:

N. To jest dwoje dzieci. G. Nie ma tutaj dwojga dzieci. D. Dziękuję dwojgu dzieciom. Acc. Mam dwoje dzieci. Ins. Idę z dwojgiem dzieci do szkoły. Loc. Mówię o dwojgu dzieciach.

Probably this grammar issue is not that complicated for Slavonic students, but for sure it will be complicated for students from the rest of the world because it is some-thing completely exotic for them. As usual, I suggest that you not give up and consistently use these forms. After some time, you will remove any mistakes from your us-age!

[email protected]

Grammar Secrets 7: Numbers in Polish Edyta Juszczyszyn

Genitive Nie ma…

(there are

not…)

dwóch/dwu trzech czterech

profesorów, psów,

samochodów,

kobiet, piw

Dative Dzięki…

(Thanks to…)

dwom/dwóm/dwu trzem czterem

profesorom, psom,

samochodom,

kobietom, piwom

Accusative Lubię… (I

like…)

=Genitive for

masculine persons

= Nominative for

the rest of the

world

Instrumental Opiekuję się…

(I am taking

care of…)

dwoma trzema czterema

profesorami, psami,

samochodami,

kobietami, piwami

Locative Myślę o… (I

am thinking

about…)

o dwóch/dwu o trzech o czterech

profesorach, psach,

samochodach,

kobietach, piwach

Nominative pięciu profesorów pięć psów,

samochodów, kobiet,

piw

Genitive pięciu profesorów pięciu psów,


piw

Dative pięciu profesorom pięciu psom,

samochodom,

kobietom, piwom

Accusative pięciu pro-

fesorów

pięć psów,


piw

Instrumental pięciu/

pięcioma

profesorami

pięciu/pięcioma psami,

samochodami,

kobietami, piwami

Locative o pięciu

profesorach

o pięciu psach,

samochodach,

kobietach, piwach

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Photography: Mav Hall

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In this installment, I will ex-plore attitudes Poles and Brits have on a tricky subject: Is the west really the best? And does the east really have the least?

All West, All East?

As an Englishman in Poland, you are likely to be met with interest and respect. “Wow, you're from London.” “Yes, I was born there and grew up in the east end and if you saw it, you might not be saying 'Wow'.” Unphased, I am told that it is

still London and an amazing place. Does that make me amaz-ing as well? Perhaps not, but certainly quite interesting be-cause I had the chance to be brought up in a richer country. I remember being asked countless times “Why did you come to live in Poland?' and “Don't you want to go back there – it's bet-ter, isn't it?”. After years of this, and only as an experiment, I decided to lie. As my Polish got better, I wanted to see if there was a different reaction if I claimed to hail from somewhere else. “Where are you from?” - asked another person, to which I

replied “The Ukraine”. The con-versation did not go any further. To my amazement, this was con-sidered undesirable and I actu-ally felt inferior. I had to do this many times before someone treated me as an equal.

I remember an old man explain-ing how he tried to escape dur-ing communism and had planned to go to England. He only made it to France, but was quite satisfied. I was surprised and after enquiring he told me ” Yes, England was the goal, but you know England, France, Ger-many, it's all the same really – all west! Maybe I just met the wrong people or perhaps there is a general impression that west-erners are better and therefore worth knowing, because come on, it's all west! What you don't

see at first glance is that there is a dark side to the west. One in which families fall apart, people live alone, high divorce, murder and teenage pregnancy rate, poor state education and a lack of interest in other people.

Strangely enough, our opinion in England was actually on a paral-lel. When I was first heading out to Poland in 1998, I was asked what I expected to find there. My ideas were vague; images of grey blocks of flats and queues outside poorly stocked shops flickered through my thoughts. I recall someone saying to me “Where was it you are going? - Poland, Romania, Hungary? - It doesn't matter really, it's all east, isn't it? - Back then, I of course agreed. What I found though was a country where families

stuck together, traditions and customs thrived and people were interested in others – things that are hard to find where I come from.

Nowadays, there is a focus on positive change. Freedom to work and travel, budget airlines and European funding have done a lot to bridge the east-west wealth gap. People are still inter-ested in where you come from, but less than before.

Terry Clark-Ward is the owner of Queen’s School of English. An experienced English teacher and published author.

Education 12

Understanding Chinese names is vital when it comes to busi-ness. You do not want to ad-dress someone wrongly without knowing the correct pronun-ciation, regardless of whether it is a forename or surname.

In Chinese, people write their surname before their forename.

A Chinese person usually has a

family name (xìng ) and a first

name (míngzi ). Thus Hu

Jin Tao is Mr. Hu, with the first name JinTao in much the same way James Mckenna is Mr. Mckenna.

The 2 most common Chinese names are:

a) A one-character family name with a two-character first name (more popular)

Hu Jin Tao

Here, Hu is the family name and Jintao is the first name

b) A one-character family name with a one-character given name (rare)

Zhang Ming

FAMILY NAME

Unlike western families, a huge number of unrelated Chinese families share the same family names. As a result, Chinese family names have lost their function of distinguishing specific families. Today, there are over 700 different Chinese family names. Some common Chinese family names are: Zhang, Liu, Yang, Zheng, Huang, Chen, Li and Wang.

Chinese people commonly address each other with their full name instead of solely their first

name. Family names are never used alone without any salutation. For instance, Hu Jintao, the President of the People's Republic of China - should be formally addressed as "Mr. Hu", not "Mr. Jintao ", and informally addressed as "Hu Jintao".

FIRST NAME

Chinese first names usually have one or two characters, and are written after the family name.

First names are resonant in qualities, which are perceived to be either masculine or feminine. Men are linked with strength and firmness, and women with beauty and flowers. Women sometimes have names which repeat a character, for example Xiuxiu or Lili. This is less common in men.

When generational names are used as part of a two-character given name, it is highly inappropriate and confusing to refer to someone by the first part of their forename only, which wi l l genera l ly be the i r generational name. Instead, the entire first name should be used. For example:

Wang YungMin Wang YungRui Wang YungXin Wang YungChing Yung is a generational name

Traditional naming schemes often followed a pattern of using generational names as part of a two-character given name. This is by no means the norm, however . An a l te rna tive tradition, stemming from a Han Dynasty law that forbade two-character forenames, is to have a single character forename. Some contemporary forenames do not follow either tradition, and may in some cases extend to three or more characters.

Some Chinese (especially in America) reverse the order and put the family name last in order to conform to English usage, e.g., Jintao Hu. This can cause confusion when the surname and given name are not distinctive enough to work out which is which. In this case, you should simply ask them.

In traditional times, and occasionally today, Chinese names were created to protect a child from harm. By giving a baby a name that was impressively unappealing, it was hoped to avoid being noticed by any supernatural forces that might seek to harm a more obviously attractive child. This was nearly always a temporary expedient and did not continue into adulthood.

Traditionally, Chinese women usually retain their maiden names as their family name, rather than adopting their husband's family name. Children usually inherit the father's family name.

A recent trend has swept through greater China to let fortune tellers change people's names years after they have been given. These fortune tellers claim that the name leads to a better future in the child according to principles such as Five Elements.

You might be asking why most the Chinese have English names especially when it comes to business? Well, firstly, it is not easy for other nationalities to pronounce Chinese names correctly. Secondly, Chinese has different tones (Mandarin has four tones and Cantonese has 9 tones) which are so different from western languages. Also, Chinese names are not easy to remember. However, most Chinese people in HongKong, Malaysia and Singapore have English names as their real name due to Western Influences.

Chinese Names A Teaching Vocation

Mr Hewa Thompson is the new Head of School at Wrocław Internat io nal School. He hails from New Zealand and originally moved here to teach, as Wrocław International School uses the New Zealand curriculum upon which to model itself.

Mr Thompson is a warm and charismatic character. He might be more office bound these days, as he no longer teaches since becoming Head, but one senses that is where his heart is, with the children, developing bright young minds.

He explained to me that despite not receiving a good start himself at school when he was a child, a teacher called Mary Kururangi somehow showed him the value of being a teacher and indeed she was his role model. He still talks of her fondly today.

Since taking the reins, Mr Thompson has implemented some new systems to enhance school life. One interesting development is an intranet that

teachers can update and add pictures, text and film to, and that parents can access whenever they like to check the progress of their child.

Each year, Mr Thompson deals with parents whose childen may speak little or no English. His tip for parents moving to a new country is to be patient and supportive. The first few weeks are always stressful for the child but given the right encouragement, they will soon pick up the language and adapt to their new environment.

The school is an International Baccalaureate school. Pupils are encouraged to research and create on their own. Guidelines a r e g i v e n b u t s o m e independence and initiative is also applauded.

Mr Thompson’s secret to being a good teacher is ‘trust’. He strives to instill trust in the pupils, teachers and parents. He believes this is the soundest foundation to build a fruitful relationship that will grow as the child develops.

Since moving from New Zealand to Poland, Mr Thompson misses the sea and hunting in which he partook. However, he cherishes the new life that he has found in Wrocław and is a big fan of getting out in the great outdoors outside of Wrocław whenever possible.

Email: [email protected];

www.wis.fem.org.pl

Hewa Thompson at his desk

School at Ojca Beyzyma

Darren Chong Grace Sexton

Things You Might Notice After a While... part 3

Terry Clark-Ward


Over the past fifteen years, concept stores, the sacred cows of consumer society, have spread throughout the Fashion world at an increasingly high speed. They have conquered shopaholics’ hearts, being on top of the modern retail pyra-mid as pioneers who mix de-sign and fashion.

What is a concept store?

Ten years ago concept stores were just multi-brand stores. They could be identified by their special mix of products and brands. The content included apparel, shoes, home accesso-ries, books/CDs, cosmetics, food and toys. In 2000 a group of Italian journalists, designers and store owners conducted a re-search project to identify the essence of the concept store. They discovered that the idea of the concept store was a modern shopping experience, where the design and manner of presenta-tion meant more than the prod-uct. The term “concept store” appeared in the late 90s when designers were trying to present the new idea of fast shopping. Why should people have to search for the things they need in different shops all over the city when they can make it eas-ier on themselves by going to a concept store and buying every-thing they need including cloth-ing, CDs, books, furniture and design items? While this theory was initially unpopular, the idea

of a concept store has endured.

Today there is a huge variety of these stores. They range from top-end, high-level stores such as Collette in Paris, Corso Como 10 in Milano and Dover Street Market in London, to the smaller places such as Graanmarkt in Antwerp and Andreas Murkudis in Berlin. Since the first store opened, they have transformed to the new generation of innova-tive concept stores where the stores change products regularly to address сustomers’ needs.

Wrocław Pearl

Lost in the urban jungles, the Fu-Ku Concept store represents a mix of photo studio and clothing shop. Surrounded by grey indus-trial walls, Fu-Ku embodies the idea of a concept store, selling not just designer clothing and accessories, but also a philoso-phy: “FuKuizm”.

“FuKuizm can help you analyze your everyday life. All you need to do is to take a look at your life through the prism of goods that surround you. After a careful look you will see how strong that influence is on your life. The point is not to just possess things, but to explore your per-sonality through these things. This magical collaboration can lead to the unrepeatable story of your personal evolution.”

Storeowners, Agnieszka and Linda, tell readers of TWI about their small business, “As you can see the surrounding of the store is a little bit unfriendly. The old mansion which looks

like an abandoned factory, with iron doors and bars on the win-dows, doesn’t look stylish. At first glance this unattractive place has nothing to do with design and fashion, but these brutal, grey walls are the best field to show the bright, colorful garments and to have photo ses-sions. That’s why we chose it. We opened this store in March, and at the beginning it was a simple photo studio. But our main goal was to create an un-usual place to implement our creative plans in different ways. We are tandem of the makeup artist and the photographer and we are sought to join our profes-sional interests in Fu-Ku. De-spite our location (it’s quite hard to find us) we already have regu-lar customers. Most of them come to have a personal photo

session here, and we, in turn, carry out their wishes.

Another aspect of the store is a fashion space where we present our men and women’s collec-tions. We pay great attention to accessories, most of them made by local designers, who try to make them as symbolic as possi-ble. We are specializing mostly in women's wear and recently we have complemented our col-lections with unisex garments and men's T-shirts.”

Fu-Ku maintains that it is a shop with a great range of vintage and designer clothes and accessories. You can find such brands as: Pakal Collective, Eva Tlalka, Katsu, Ola Topczewska Spunk Redesign and many others. In addition to their physical and virtual stores, they also go out

onto the street for photo shoots for their special project “Fu-Ku Lowi”, tracing the urban style of the city.

Combining a variety of different art forms, concept stores trans-form the shopping experience for its customers, offering unique goods and services. If you are becoming bored with limited product variety, and ac-cept art as a part of your every-day life, then the concept store might be for you.

Details:

Fu-Ku Concept store + photo studio ul.Sienkiewicza 8a,Wrocław www.fu-ku.pl [email protected] Monday-Friday: 12:00-19:00 Saturday: 11:00-15:00

13 Fashion

Magic Suitcase

Lara Kalashnikova [email protected]

Photo shoot at Fu- aw.

Ph

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Showing total professionalism, Emerson was never fazed as the youngsters started to encroach more and more onto the stage in their eagerness for photographs. In fact he started to play to their enthusiasm and his proposed 45 minute set extended to well over an hour.

Emerson had paid his own return air fare from the UK to Wrocław and asked no fee for his per-formances. A grand total of 1,120PLN was collected and presented to Fundacja Tobiaszki at their fun-day on May 28th. This tranche of money came not only from Emerson's gig at Bezsennosc in April but also from a music quiz held at the IFW clubhouse the previous evening. With another seven months of the year yet to run, it was thinking caps on for more fundraising ideas.

The next opportunity came quite unexpectedly at a coach trip out to Ador ia Vineyard a t Zachowice in June.

Saturday, June 11th came with glorious summer sunshine and a party of about 20 members waited outside Hotel Sofitel for our bus to arrive. Half an hour and a few frantic phone calls later, it was established that the bus we had hired had broken down before it had even left the garage. (There is never a dull moment on IFW trips.) We be-gan to envy the other members who had decided to make their own way to Zachowice by car, after all, the rest of us were los-ing valuable wine sampling time. Eventually a replacement bus arrived and we were on our way.

Much has been written about the vineyard in previous editions of this newspaper, so I'll not dwell on its history, but I would like to take this opportunity to once

again thank Mike Whitney the owner, for his kind hospitality and informative guided tour. During the visit, there was a chance to purchase bottles of the local wine to enjoy with our picnic and barbecue, and this gave us an idea to raise some more money for charity by hold-ing a good old fashioned British raffle. After the raffle Fundacja Tobiaszki fund was another 100PLN richer.

The next big fund raising activ-ity took place on Friday Septem-ber 2nd in the form of a charity golf tournament. The tourna-ment took place at the Gorko Golf & Country Club in Jedrze-jowice, a beautiful setting in the shade of Slęza mountain. As well as being a golf tournament, it was also advertised as another family picnic with a barbecue provided by the golf club itself. Although taking place at 16.00pm on a Friday evening in late summer it was well attended by golfers and families alike.

The golf competition itself was open to all, male & female, irre-spective of their ability and was "handicapped" in such a way that the maximum anybody could score on each hole was 8 strokes. This made for a tightly contested competition and for the record here is a list of the top ten with their country of origin and score:

1) Steve Kelly (USA) 42

2) Chris Howitt (England) 48

3) Bob Cranage (USA) 49

4) Richard Jeffery (England) 51

5) German Santana (Colombia) 51

6) Tim Gregory (USA) 56

7) Gareth Wrend (England) 56

8) Nikolai Harnesch (Germany) 57

9) Nancy Marcet (USA) 59

10) Steve Andrews (England) 63

A total of 520PLN was raised for charity at the golf tourna-ment and it was decided that a trophy will be purchased, which will be contested on an annual basis.

It has been a fun year thinking of

novel ways to raise money and with 2 months of the year to go, there is still time to come up with a couple more, after which the last tranche of money will be presented to Fundacja Tobiaszki in time to give those underprivi-leged children a Christmas to remember.

In January, the new board of directors will decide which local charity to support in 2012, and the task of dreaming up new fundraising activities will start afresh. You can find out more about Fundacja Tobiaszki by v i s i t i n g www.tobiaszki.w.interia.pl. You can find out more about the In-ternational Friends of Wrocław in the next edition of The Wro-cław International.

Contact:

International Friends of Wrocław [email protected]

www.ifw.org.pl

'New Year, New Start - Work-ing Together as a Community'

International Friends of

Continued from page 4


The typical sounding Polish town of Ząbkowice Śląsk can be found a mere 65km south of Wrocław. On the face of it, the place does not appear to be the most fascinating of locations for a day visit, even if you were on route to the Czech Republic. Look deeper into history however, and you may be surprised to find that Ząb-kowice Śląsk was formally known as Frankenstein town.

Unfortunately, we will never know if the present day Ząbko-wice Śląsk (Frankenstein until 1946) inspired Ms. Mary Shelley to write about the monstrous creation that is Frankenstein. Some people lay onto the rumors

that her inspiration came from her European travels, after hear-ing phantoms and reading fa-mous German horror stories next to a fireplace in Geneva. Others state her influence stemmed from the terrible 17th century plague that devastated Ząbko-wice Śląsk, killing a third of its population. Nobody has been able to prove either rumor, and as a result the truth is still shrouded in history to this day.

What we do know today how-ever, is that Frankenstein town did exist, and was founded in the 13th century. It was born in the middle of two cities whose names were Frankenberg and Löwenstein, hence the name Frankenstein. Located in a place where the ancient trade in the gold of the sea was passing by, Frankenstein shouldered the

vitally important Amber Road on its long journey from the Bal-tic to the Mediterranean.

Ząbkowice Śląsk is both a charming place as well as a town esteemed in history. In spite of the fires that have destroyed some of its oldest buildings (notably the fire of 1858), you can still admire a number of the town’s beautifully dazzling buildings today. Perhaps the best known is the Krzywa Wieża (the Leaning Tower). Having been displaced by up to 2.5 metres, geographical experts state the lean has been caused by tectonic movements in the earth’s crust.

The oldest building in town is also well worth a visit. The Pa-miątek Regionalnych dates back to 1504, and here you can find several ethnographical collec-

tions, local handcrafts, religious artefacts as well as 18th and 19th century furniture. You can further satisfy your curiosity by paying a visit to the Laboratory of Mr. Frankenstein himself!

Finally, no trip to this charming town would be complete without taking in the Castle ruins. De-spite the obvious signs of a vio-lent history including battles, fights and fires, many of the Castle’s foundations stand strong, like a scarred war vet-eran proudly battling on despite his age.

More information can be found here:

Izba Pamiątek Regionalnych

im. Józefa Glabiszewskiego

ul. Krzywa 1 57-200 Ząbkowice Śląskie e-mail: [email protected] tel. +48 74 815 20 43 www.krzywawieza.eu

Travel 14

Sonia Pacheco Moreno [email protected]

Lower Silesia is located in the south west corner of Poland. It is a region with rich and diverse culture due to its tur-bulent and tangled history. The region has belonged to a number of kingdoms and em-pires.

For three days we were travel-ling in Lower Silesia; peeling back layers of history; sampling probably Europe’s best and cheapest beer in the medieval market square; walking in the vast unspoilt forest; enjoying the spectacular views from the wild mountains and relaxing in the spa in one of the restored palace hotel.

We drove southwest from the capital of Lower Silesia, Wro-cław, for about one and a half hour and we arrived in Świd-nica. Thanks to the local tour-ism scheme 'City Walk', an au-

dio guide we rented from the local tourist information centre, some of the history and interest-ing folk stories of the town were unfolded while we were walking through the town.

The walk first started from the old market square, Świdnica has became a famous trade town since the medieval time and it was especially famous for its beer brewing. Within the col-ourful old town we admired a mixture of architectural styles buildings: Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque style. We walked through the narrow avenues and cobblestone streets and then stopped at one of the biggest gothic church in Lower Silesia, Świdnica Cathedral, with a strik-ing interior.

The walking tour ended at the UNESCO world heritage site 'Church of Peace'. It has re-tained its original form since it was built in the middle of 17th century. It is a basilica created on a plan of a Greek cross, a beam and post structure and built with only wood, sand, clay and straw (due to the restriction of the building material was allowed at the time it was built). It was truly an architectural gem with a historical significance. We adventured further and found ourselves at the 'Old Mer-chant Trade Museum'. There was an incredibly impressive array of exhibits related to the history of merchant trade: scales, bank notes, mechanical calcula-tors and reconstruction of an old colonial shops, pharmacies, etc. What an awesome find!

Lower Silesia is a good place to hire a car and go on a road trip. Small town such as Bardo, Klodzko and Świdnica are within easy reach. There are spectacular views through the hills, surrounded by beautiful unspoilt countryside which is great for long walks. We bid a fond farewell to Świdnica before we continued on our road trip to our next destination Jelenia Góra.

Driving through the valley around Jelenia Góra and we find a crumbling castle every few miles. In the 19th century, Lower Silesia was a prized piece of the German empire. And lots of Prussian nobleman built their summer palaces in the region.

We decided to stay the night in one of the restored palace hotels. At the end of a winding drive-way through the valley we ar-rived at Paulium Palace. The Palace was built in the 19th cen-tury and beautifully restored in 2005 with renaissance details and embellishments without being fussy. This cozy charm-ing hotel lies on the top of a hill, surrounded by forests. After the epic day in Świdnica, we felt asleep deeply to the sound of the wind in the forest. The next day was Sunday, we enjoyed sump-tuous breakfast in the breakfast room with beautiful view of the natural surroundings of forests and hills and a stint in the spa. We were a world away from real world.

The temptation is to stay put and laze around but as Jelenia Góra is a short drive instead we went

to visit another Palace, Wojanow Palace. Wojanow is a Neo-Gothic style palace completed with a English style parkland, artificial ruins and romantic tem-ples. This centuries-old palace blends harmoniously with pic-turesque county landscape, spec-tacular mountains and beauti-fully restored pre-war edifices.

A day of endless sky and more hills and country roads that brought us back to Wrocław, the capital of Lower Silesia.

Three Gems of Lower Silesia Kimmi Lee

Świdnica Cathedral

The Church of Peace, one of the UNESCO world heritage sites, was built in the middle of 17th century.

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Frankenstein is Near Town

The picturesque Jelenia Góra is also called the "Pearl of Giant Mountains". The name of this beautiful and striking city means "deer mountain" in Polish, Czech and German.

Jelenia Góra


15 Active Life


Food & Wine 16

Spicy Delight: Traditional Lebanese Dips Renu Singh [email protected]

Hummus bi Tahini (Chickpeas-Tahini Dip) Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Servings: 4

Baba Ghanoush (Roasted Eggplant and Tahini Dip) Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 30 to 45 minutes Servings: 2 to 4 as part of a mezze

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 can of chickpeas (aka hummus or garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed* (approx. drained net weight 240 grams)

ground cumin to taste

salt to taste

juice of 1 lemon or to taste, freshly squeezed

2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)

2 to 3 tablespoons water

GARNISH:

2 tablespoons olive oil

a few cooked, whole chickpeas

a few springs of parsley, chopped

some paprika or cayenne pepper

METHOD:

1. Prick the eggplant with a fork on all sides. This allows the steam to escape, preventing the eggplant from exploding. Roast the eggplant directly over a flame for 10 to 15 minutes or until it is fully cooked, soft and charred on all sides; this creates an intense smoky flavour. Alter-natively, bake it in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for

20 to 25 minutes or until it turns brown and entirely soft; this produces a slightly mild flavour. Remove and set aside to cool.

2. Drain any juices and cut into halves lengthwise. Scoop out all the pulp, using a spoon and dis-card the peel. In a mixing bowl, mash the pulp with a fork; this preserves the texture of egg-plant. [Avoid using a food proc-essor as it turns the pulp into a

smooth paste, unless you prefer a puréed consistency.] Add gar-lic, tahini, lemon juice and salt to taste and mix well. Check seasoning and adjust, if required.

3. To serve, transfer to a plate or a bowl and spread well. Drizzle grenadine and olive oil evenly. Garnish with paprika, parsley and pomegranate arils. Serve with pita bread, crackers or vegetables.

METHOD:

1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté garlic until light brown. Add chickpeas and season with ground cumin, salt and lemon juice to taste and heat for a few minutes until warmed through. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Reserve a few whole chick-peas for garnishing. Add tahini and water to the rest of the

chickpeas and blend the mixture using a hand blender or a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add a few tablespoons of water, if needed. Check sea-soning and adjust, if required.

3. Pour the dip into a deep bowl or a platter and spread well. Create a shallow well in the mid-dle and drizzle olive oil over it. Garnish with whole chickpeas, chopped parsley and paprika. Serve with pita bread.

Lebanese people love food, and they know how to treat their guests right by making tons and tons of lip-smacking dishes!

In Lebanon, just like other Mediterranean and Middle East-ern countries, drinks are rarely served without food or mezze (appetisers) - a selection of small dishes which include hummus (chickpeas and tahini dip), baba ghanoush (roasted eggplant and tahini dip), tabouleh (bulgur wheat salad), raw or pickled

veggies, kebabs and/or pita bread.

Hummus and baba ghanoush, alongside tabouleh, create the mandatory mezze trio. These quick and easy to make creamy dips are extremely versatile and packed with the goodness of chickpeas and eggplant, fla-

voured with tahini (sesame seed paste) and the nice tangy kick of lemon and topped with a gener-ous drizzle of olive oil to keep the dips moist. They are tradi-tionally served with pita bread or pita chips and can be used as a dip, side dish, or appetiser, as well as a main course.

We are grateful to Nisrine Assi, a Lebanese ex-pat living in Wro-cław, for sharing her hummus and baba ghanoush recipes with our readers. If you are madly in love with chickpeas and egg-plant, then you must try these two recipes.

- Catering for any event of any size - A brand new concept in eating-out in Wrocław! Enjoy great food and great company at one of our Dinner Club events - Learn to cook Polish and Indian cuisine

Enjoy Christmas with traditional Polish food…

we are now taking orders for traditional Polish Christmas food like home baked pâté, dumplings, barszcz,

kutia or makiełki (dessert with poppy seeds), mushroom soup, Christmas carp and much more

Contact:

Hummus bi Tahini

Baba Ghanoush

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INGREDIENTS:

1 large eggplant, about 500 grams

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)

juice of 1/2 lemon or to taste, freshly squeezed

salt to taste

GARNISH:

1 tablespoon grenadine (pomegranate syrup) (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

some paprika/cayenne pepper

some parsley, chopped

a few pomegranate arils (optional)

Catering

Dinner Club

Cooking Classes

For us, it is all about food!

Paulina Michalska / +48-519-119-295

www.notojemy.pl / [email protected]

TIPS: *To kick it up a notch, you may prepare chickpeas from scratch. Soak 120 grams of dried chickpeas in water overnight. Rinse chickpeas well and place in a deep pot. Fill with enough water to cover the chickpeas and then double the water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours or until the chickpeas are very soft. Once boiled, rinse them under water. Proceed with step 1.

To make tahini at home, toast 1 cup of sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat or in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for four to five minutes; do not let them brown. Place seeds in a blender, add 1.5 tablespoons of vegetable oil and blend to a smooth paste. Transfer to a plastic container and store in the refrigerator.

Canned chickpeas and tahini are avail-able at Kuchnie Świata, Smaki Świata, EPI and Alma in Wrocław.


17 Food & Wine

Alice Renard [email protected]

Each year the third Thursday of November is labelled „Beaujolais Nouveau Time‟, a slogan that can be easily remembered all over the planet. This year‟s event will be on 17 November 2011, in accordance with the third T h u r s d a y t r a d i t i o n . Beaujolais nouveau is a young wine from the last harvest, known as “vin nouveau” or “vin de primeur” in France.

Le Beaujolais is a famous French wine AOC area (Appelation d‟origine controlée) north of Lyon. The area covers a stretch along the right side of the river Saône, 55km long down to Mâcon among the slopes of the small hills lining the river. This historic vineyard dates back to the 1st century. Beaujolais and Beaujolais-village wines are often sold as „Nouveau‟ but they can also be made in a traditional way. Beaujolais is also famous for the 10 classified „Crus‟ – which can be as tender as Chiroubles,

Fleurie, Saint-Amour, or as robust as Brouilly, Côte-de-Brouilly, Chénas, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent or Régnié.

The type of vine is “Gamay noir à jus blanc”, bringing a white juice with black Gamay.

How is Beaujolais nouveau made?

The grapes must be picked by hand to keep them intact. Then a process called „carbonic maceration‟ occurs. This is a whole berry fermentation in a carbonic gas atmosphere, done without extracting bitter tannins from the grape skins.

Wine made this way is fresh, fruity and very aromatic. This process is very quick - in a mere 2 months the wine can be bought on supermarket shelves across the globe. In the majority of cases, these types of wines are not meant to be kept very long and should be consumed within 6 months.

A great success story

Back in the 17th century, Beaujolais wines travelled by boat to Lyon, where their arrival was an occasion of great festivity. Allegedly in the second part of the 20th century, some wine growers had a great need for cash flow, as they began to organize heavily marketed festivals. In the 70s the event was national, in the 80s it spread to Europe (especially Germany) and the USA, before reaching Asia in the 90s (especially Japan and South Korea). Nowadays 110 countries are involved and one third of all Beaujolais wine production is sold as Beaujolais nouveau. Many places in the world will be ready to serve it on time and huge cargo-planes will fly it out from Lyon airport.

Let the party begin

Nobody is allowed to open a bottle before the third Thursday. That is why the first to begin the wine-fest will be Japan, Poland and France respectively, and then finally the USA. One of the greatest Beaujolais events will take place in Beaujeu, the historical capital city of Beaujolais itself. In this small town, 20,000 people will gather in “Les Sarmentelles” to take part in the degustation, a popular cultural festival which lasts until the end of the weekend. In many places, people will gather to drink the new wine together.

A contagious success

The success is so big that now numerous areas make “wine nouveau”. Firstly in France: Gaillac, Anjou, Touraine, Languedoc, Côtes du Rhône and so on…, even in Bordeaux or Burgundy. In Italy: “vino novello”, in Spain “vino nuevo” and even the Czech Republic.

How should I drink Beaujolais nouveau?

This wine must be kept a bit cool 12°-13°C (55°F). Its

aromas are always fruity and fresh. French people call that “bonbon anglais”. Aroma can be raspberry, banana, wooden strawberry, red or blackcurrant, even fig, pear or exotic fruit. We will enjoy it with cooked pork meats and gratin potatoes. Generally it will pair perfectly with simple food and dishes. The final ingredient is people – the more people around the table, the more fun you are sure to have.

To conclude, Beaujolais Nouveau Time is an opportunity to have great fun in a friendly atmosphere. Not to mention it being part of French culture!

Juice Nation: Funky and Healthy Shannon Soesbe [email protected]

Walking towards the Rynek a few short weeks ago, my friends and I happily noted a simple sign in the storefront of Wita Stwosza 57: "Juice Na-tion—Opening Soon!" As I was in the middle of doing a juice fast at that moment, my curiosity was certainly aroused. Even more than cu-riosity, though, there was a feeling of excitement at the prospect of the kind of trendy spot that one would certainly expect to find in upscale areas of the US or UK, but not so much in Poland. A juice bar of our very own, how chic!

This excitement is exactly what owners Martin and Nicholas Hofman Laursen were hoping to inspire when they left Copenha-gen in order to start their new business in Wrocław. The two brothers were familiar with the city as it was the home of their Polish mother for 16 years. Martin, a former corporate advi-sor at one of the biggest banks in Scandinavia, was 20 years old when he visited Wrocław for the first time. After five or six visits to the city, and some research on potential business opportunities, he was ready to make an invest-

ment here: "I see a lot of poten-tial in this city, and for Poland, in general. I wanted to introduce something different, that's what kept us going. It was worth the risk."

In a hip and modern interior, decorated with tongue-in-cheek slogans such as "Better Get Juiced to Us", Juice Nation of-fers a range of juice blends, from vibrantly flavored vegetable concoctions to fun and healthy fruit mixes (11.90zł to 14.90zł). The Straw & Berry, a mix of peach, strawberry, and apple, is delicately sweet and even ele-

gant. The Pump Me Up is an energetic blend, with the flavor of lemon balanced quite well against the clear and simple taste of cucumber. Do not be afraid of the green juices here; they are both refreshing and revitalizing. Anything with ginger is an in-stant pick-me-up, particularly the Wake Up Call, with apple, ginger and carrot.

They also offer coffee drinks (7.50zł to 11.90zł) and fruit shakes (11.90zł to 14.90zł), which are a mix of fruit and low-fat yogurt. The Sweet Kiss, with strawberry and banana, was not

exactly as sweet as its name would lead one to believe; how-ever, once I got used to the tart-ness of the yogurt, I did find it very refreshing. If you prefer something on the sweeter side, I would suggest sticking with the excellent juice drinks.

All of the produce for Juice Na-tion is sourced locally whenever possible. The brothers consid-ered having an all-organic menu, but it proved to be too difficult to find consistent supplies; in the future, they hope it will be an option. The health aspect is a primary concern for the pair, especially Martin, who just com-pleted an Iron Man competition two months ago.

Sandwiches are also offered in take-away wrapping, although you are welcome to eat them right there. The Club, featuring chicken with pesto sauce, toma-toes and avocado, is hearty, served on brown bread and pressed in panini style. The Tuna Mix has a delicate flavor that is enhanced by the vibrant green pesto, although it is a bit messy to eat with the crunchy bread. Portions are quite gener-ous for the price (13.90zł).

If you are looking for a happen-ing spot to chill out with an ultra-fresh juice and your laptop, this is it. The funky music selec-tions, hip vibe and friendly at-mosphere are definitely a wel-come addition to the Wrocław scene.

Details:

Juice Nation ul. Wita Stwosza 57 Monday-Friday: 7:00-22:00 Saturday: 9:00-22:00 Sunday: 9:00-21:00 Free WiFi

Nicholas (front) and Martin (back) of Juice Nation

The Straw & Berry juice

The Tuna Mix

The lighter Cru Beaujolais pairs well with poultry and the heavier Cru pairs better with red meats and hearty dishes like stews.

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A place where freelance workers can meet and work. It contains 21 places prepared especially for people who do not want to work at home or cannot afford to rent an expensive office.

The management is deeply engaged in promoting the coworking idea. Every third Monday of the month they organise free workshops/training to help freelancers build and expand their businesses. These

actions are fully supported by Starbucks serving free coffee for all participants. The first edition of Wroclaw‟s coworking days was very successful. They ran sessions regarding business development, negotiations and successful presentations.

It is worth mentioning that they work under the patronage o f M a y o r o f Wrocław and Wrocław Agglomeration Development

Agency. Idea Place has full technical infrastructure, wi-fi, scanner, fax, printers and a professional reception service.

Idea Place offers their clients a meeting room for 6 people (equipped with TV, telephone and projector) as well as a training room for 20 people, a perfect solution for training sessions and conferences. It is also possible to use the registration service at their

prestigious Plac Solny or use their special offer of a „Virtual Office‟, where they will deal with your correspondence.

The whole concept of co-working is absolutely great. Everyone likes to combine p l e a s u r e w i t h work. Idea Place is a meeting point, where people can exchange their experiences, share problems and work more efficiently than at home. We

really hope that Wrocław will follow this idea as it is a city of creative people.

C o n t a c t : E w a R o g o ż , Managing Director, Idea Place, pl. Solny 15 Tel. +48 71 340 92 00 www.ideaplace.pl

This photgraphic exhibition is r u n n i n g u n t i l t h e 3 r d o f November at the Photo Center Domek Romañski”, Gallery D o l n o ś l ą s k i e .

It is an annual photo exhibition of the Association of Polish Art Photographers, Lower Silesia. The main theme of the exhibition this year is “Fiction – Reality -

M a n i p u l a t i o n ” .

Curator of the exhibition Andrzej D u d e k - D ü r e r e x p l a i n e d : “In this exposition we were trying to draw the attention to the photo as the environment which can transform reality using digital technologies only. Our main task was answering the question: ‘Is it possible to blur the boundaries between photography, virtual reality and computer-created image?’ In this exhibition authors combine digital technology with the conventional process. The r e s u l t i n g i m a g e s a n d installations are describing the relationships between the object a nd subjec t in ab so lu te l y d i f f e r e n t f o r m s . “

These unique artworks capture reality in different dimensions. For both professional photographers and dilettantes this exhibition may become the unforgettable journey to the world of modern art photography where the hosts will be talented Polish photographers. More than 70s works of art are introduced by the authors, such

as: Jan Bortkiewicz, Jacek Braun, Czesław Chwiszczuk, Zdzisław Dados, Sławoj Dubiel, Andrzej Dudek-Dürer, Alek Figura, Barbara Górniak, Zenon Harasym, Roman Hlawacz, Zdzisław Holuka, Daria Ilow, Piotr Komorowski, Krzysztof Kowalski, Krzysztof Kuczyński, Adam Lesisz, Marek Liksztet,

Ewa Martyniszyn, Piotr Nowak, Wacław Ropiecki, Andrzej Rutyna, Krzysztof Saj, Dorota Sitnik, Małgorzata Skoczylas, Maciej Stawiński, Jerzy Wiklendt, Iwona Wojtycza, Waldemar Zieliński. The exhibition is from Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm.

Ticket prices range from 1-2zł. The venue is:

Galeria Ośrodka Kultury i Sztuki we Wrocławiu pl. bpa Nankiera 8, 50-140 Wrocław telefon / fax 71 344 78 40, e-mail: [email protected]


19 Events

November & December 2011 - Programme November & December 2011 - Programme November 18, Fri 18:00 new Danish films show November 19, Sat 19:00 Mirosław Czyżykiewicz - jubilee concert November 20, Sun 16:00 new Danish films show November 25, Fri 20:00 Killing Time - performance November 26, Sat 20:00 Killing Time - performance November 27, Sun 18.00 From Piaf to Garou - recital by Michał Bajor November 29, Tues 9.30 and 12.00 Peter Pan and the Pirates - performance for children November 30, Thu 9.30 and 12.00 Peter Pan and the Pirates - performance for children November 30, Thu 18.00 Faces of Taiwan - opening of photo exhibition November 30, 19.00 Jarek Smietana, Wojtek Karolak Band & Bill Neal - concert December 1, Thu 19:00 Maria Meyer - recital December 2, Fri 19:00, Marek Dyjak & Piotr Machalica - concert December 4, Sun 18:00 Elledanse - dance performances from Slovakia December 5, Mon 19:00 My Brilliant Divorce - performance in English December 5, Mon 20:00 Jazz jam session December 6, Tues 20.00 My Brilliant Divorce - performance in Polish December 7, Wed 19:00 Piotr Wojtasik Quartet - concert December 8, Thu 19:00 Tomasz Krajewski - recital December 9, Fri 19:00 Magdalena Zuk - performance December 11, Sun 16:00 Golden Duck - performance for children December 13, Tues 20:00 Blues jam session December 15, Thu 9.30 and 12.00 Peter Pan and the Pirates - performance for children December 15, Thu 19:00 Leningrad - musical performance December 16, Fri 9.30 and 12.00 Peter Pan and the Pirates - performance for children December 16, Fri 19:00 Leningrad - musical performance

Impart Art Centre ul. Mazowiecka 17

50-

www.impart.art.pl

box office: +48 71 341 94 32

My Brilliant Divorce - 5th December 2011 - 19:00

Performed by Christina Podleska (the famous Ola - in the cult film BEAR).

Directed by Jerzy Gruza

This is a hilarious and touching one-woman show about a middle-

aged woman who is abandoned by her husband and daughter.

Impart Arts Centre has, for one night only, arranged for the

performance to be in English

[email protected] reservations and Internet sales: www.eventim.pl and www.biletin.pl

The ticket includes participation in the

show and dinner in the cafeteria at the autograph Impart Art Center. Combined tickets are only available at the box office at Impart )

Turner and the elements

15th october - 8th January

For the first time in Poland, the National Museum in Krakow presents an exhibition of works by William Turner, greatest of the English Romantic painters and precursor of Impressionism and Symbolism, an artist who, in his landscapes of water and clouds, came close to abstract painting.

Compiled by the Bucerius Kunst Forum in Hamburg, the exhibition consists of eighty-paintings of the elements, earth, air, fire and water. The works come from the Tate Gallery and several other UK and US collections. www.turner.muzeum.krakow.pl

tel:%2B48%2071%20341%2094%2032


Property 20

DUPLEX APARTMENT

The duplex apartment is located on the second and third floor of the building established in 2008 in the most prestigious district of Wroclaw – Krzyki, Łubinowa Street. Total area of the apartment is 90.90 sq. m. This apartment is characterized by a very high standard.

The property comprises of: SECOND FLOOR: Open plan lounge/dining room with a large fitted kitchen with a integrated hob, oven and hood; bedroom; family bathroom with bath; balcony and anteroom.

THIRD FLOOR: Bedroom, family bathroom with bath and office.

The rooms are well proportioned and the interior is finished in a contemporary style with many classic design features.

The estate is fenced. There is a playground and greenery nearby the building.

RE/MAX Concept is the exclusive agent for sale! Price: 610.000,00PLN.

PROPERTIES FOR SALE!!! To view below two properties, please call Alina Kopystecka on +48 601 664 052.

SEMI-DETACHED HOUSE

The new semi-detached house, 158 sq. m., is situated in the district - Pracze Odrzańskie, Piekarska Street. Ground surface is 77.0 sq. m. The décor is modern and stylish and will appeal to professionals and families alike. Around the area are recreation, stadium and ring road of Wroclaw.

The property comprises of: GROUND FLOOR: Open plan lounge room with a large fitted kitchen with a integrated hob, oven and hood. The windows overlook the garden. Additional space has a toilet, dressing room, garage and utility room.

FIRST FLOOR: Open spaces that creates a bedroom with bath and fireplace lounge. From the bed-room is the entrance to the cabinet and wardrobe.

RE/MAX Concept is the exclusive agent for sale! Price: 999.000,00PLN.

FOR THESE & MORE PROPERTIES, CALL +48 506 150 925 OR EMAIL [email protected]

LOCATION: Nadodrze area

DETAILS: Beautifully refurbished 3-room apartment on 3rd floor of a period building in the up and com-ing Nadodrze area of Wroclaw. Only 20 minutes walk to the city centre and on very convenient tram line. The apartment is perfectly finished and all you need is your suitcase. RENT: 2900 PLN plus bills

Total area: 71 sq m

Modern kitchen equipped with dish-

washer, induction cooker, oven, large

fridge and bar.

Bedrooms with large dressing, bed-

sofa, flat tv, radio & Internet.

LOCATION: Szewska

DETAILS: Newly refurbished apartment in the heart of Wrocław.

A stone’s throw from the Rynek.

This second floor apartment comprises of 1 bedroom, living room, hall, kitchen, bed-room and bathroom.

Easily accessible, with great connectivity to the city’s important locations.

Total area 45 sq m.

RENT: 2000 PLN plus 350 PLN for bills


Property 21

LOCATION: Krzyki area

DETAILS: Romantic duplex in one of the greenest areas of Wrocław - Krzyki Borek.

Very cozy 50 sq m apartment on 2 floors, available immediately.

First floor: Kitchen, living room and balcony.

Second floor: Large bedroom with balcony and a romantic bathroom.

Height of the 2-floor attic is 3.6 metres.

Apartment is fully furnished.

There is also a garage and storage belonging to the apartment located in the ground floor.

RENT: 2200 PLN plus electricity bill 1 month deposit required

LOCATION: Czackiego in Zacisze

DETAILS: The newly furbished detached house comprises of 7 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and 2 kitchens arranged on three floors with a large south facing se-cluded garden with decked area. The property is fully equipped with modern appliances. A selection of double bedrooms (18 to 22 sq m) are available for rent. Available from October.

RENT: Double bedroom from 1000 PLN plus bills

FOR SALE

LOCATION: Smolec area (5 kilometres from Wro-cław border)

DETAILS: A 168 sq m cozy house with a beautiful garden in a quiet area.

Ground floor: Kitchen + living room + dining room + toilet + technical room

First floor: 3 bedrooms + bathroom.

All furnished and ready to move in, built in 2005.

FOR ALL THESE & MORE PROPERTIES, CALL +48 506 150 925 OR EMAIL [email protected]

OFFICE SPACE FOR SHARING

LOCATION: Rynek

DETAILS: Office space to share on 1st floor with excellent view of the Wrocław market square. Immediate availability of bureau tables. Possibility to use meeting room, independent toilet, cleaning service, community. Administration and consumption (water, gas and electricity) costs all included.

RENT: 1 table 750 PLN per month. 2 tables 1100 PLN per month. 3 tables 1400 PLN per month. PC, telephone and Internet due to negotiation.

LOCATION: Karwiany (south part of Wrocław)

DETAILS: The property is 25 minutes from the city centre. Total living area is 177 sq m and includes 5 bedrooms, kitchen with separate dining space, living room and 2 full bathrooms.

There is also 180 sq m of garden, 2 parking spaces (1 in garage and 1 uncovered). Available from mid October.

RENT: 4500 PLN plus utility bills

When you are moving to a new country, trying to deal with the minefield of redtape

that it involves, it is important to have helpful, friendly and knowledgeable people on

your team. At Move to Wrocław we have years of experience of moving people around

the world and have all the connections you need in Wrocław to make your first step a

great experience.

the wroclaw international november 2011

Documents

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murdered polish professors

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