A Toast to Poland!!!
There is a party breaking out on the streets of Poland in celebration for the 90 years of its independence. A very just celebration, once the country has faced a history of survival in the midst of adversity.
Geographically, Poland stands between two very different worlds, both in terms of culture, and ethnicity and religions: the Germanic and Slavic worlds. Being one of the largest countries in Europe, it is bordered by the Baltic sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave to north; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; and Germany to the west.
Throughout its history, its vast prairies have been used as battlefield for bloody wars. It’s said that when Poland’s neighbors were at peace among themselves, they tended to shares its territory with each other; and when they were at war, they’d do it over polish ground.”
However, during all this time, the Polish people kept alive the hope of reaching their national freedom, which came true after World War I (1914-18).
On November 11th, 1918, they received their autonomy, but at same time, the country was devastated by the war and there were few resources to restructure the independent national-state they had dreamed of.
In the years following the independence, two great movements arose, putting at risk the safety of Poland: the Nazism of Hitler and the Stalinism from USSR (both with expansionist ambitions).
During the second World War (1939-45), totally taken by the third Reich, Poland was the place chosen by the murderous policy of the Nazi occupational forces to install their concentration camps (Auschwitz, Birkenau, Treblinka, Sobibor, etc) against the Jewish, the Gipsy and other minorities. It’s estimated the in Poland alone, 300 Jewish communities disappeared.
Even being the nation that lost the most civilians during World War II, it has registered the bravest group manifestation of resistance, known as the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (1944).
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising:
- It was a uprising from the Jews who had taken refugee in the Warsaw Ghetto, against the Nazis, trying to free the city and the resto f the country, using armed forces. The insurrection started in August 1st, 1944, with a disproportional urban combat which lasted 63 days. Practically the whole town was destroyed and 200 thousand deads were found, thus characterizing it as the most terrible civilian slaughter in World War II.
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Picture painted by Stanisław Wyspiański,
1905, National Museum
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However, Poland is not only about wars and conflict. Great names from the arts, music, literature and science have had Polish cradle:
- Nicolás Copérnico, in astronomy;
- Maria Skalodowska-Curie, the only person with 2 Nobel prizes, in Physics and Chemistry;
- Stanislaw Wyspianski, in art;
- Roman Polanski, in cinema;
- Tadeusz Kantor, in theatre;
- Fryderyk Chopin, in music;
Apart from many Nobel prizes in literature.
On november 10-11th, the polish comunity in São Paulo, Brazil celebrated the Independence Day of Poland
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Poland is live culture, with folklore and arts through the streets, in its exuberant architecture and in the street presentations of its artists.
For being such a welcoming people, Poland has not only enriched its culture, due to the influences of several other peoples who passed by, but also shared their own with the foreigners.
The winds of freedom are celebrated by the Polish, not only on this special day in which the 90 years of freedom are remembered, but everyday. On the contrary of other people who celebrate with champagne, or the Brazilians who celebrate with the famous caipirinha, the Polish toast with the traditional zubrówka.
AMISRAEL was present at this toast, invited by the Ambassador Jacek Junoska Kisielewski and his wife, in a reception at the Polish Embassy in Brasília, Brazil.
CHEERS!!!
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