Dear Members and Friends,
I am extremely happy to present to you the new issue of our annual magazine, Good News, covering our activities for the 2023-2024 season.
In this edition, you will also find articles that commemorate many significant anniversaries. As I look back, I realize I was present for each one of them.
Let me start with the somber 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. I was just a little girl when the war started in 1939, yet I remember the uprising vividly, as I was in Warsaw at that time. The sirens warning us of the bombings, the shootings, and the sound of falling buildings are still so clear in my memory. The childhood I knew was over, and my family and I faced uncertainty every day – hunger, darkness, fear, deportations, death, and despair. Many of my family members perished. My mother, two of my brothers, and I survived. I feel blessed and privileged to have been able to carry on after such a traumatic war experience.
The year 2024 also marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the 25th anniversary of Poland joining this prestigious organization.
It was a monumental accomplishment for Poland to be part of NATO. I think its goals were best summed up by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954: “We do not keep security establishments merely to defend property or territory or rights abroad or at sea. We keep the security forces to defend
a way of life.”
It is very reassuring that Poland is now protected, and that for the last 20 years (another anniversary), it has also been part of the European Union. It was also 35 years ago that, after communism fell in Poland, there were free and democratic elections in 1989. I invite you to read articles on these anniversaries and reminisce about the progress that has been made in the world.
I am in awe of how much the world has changed in my lifetime. I am so proud that Poland is
a democratic and economically stable country, with its many beautiful landscapes, historical cities, and rich culture. I encourage you to read all the articles, including those about our activities and the ones by talented students who were awarded the Institute’s scholarship.
My gratitude and appreciation go to Beata Paszyc, Executive Director and Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland, for her unwavering loyalty, professionalism, enthusiasm, and creativity over the last 25 years. Many thanks to our team—Agnieszka and Alexandra—for their contributions and dedication in promoting the Institute and carrying on its legacy.
Thank you for your ongoing participation and support of the Institute. Thank you for being our members and friends, and for sharing the love for Poland and her heritage, tradition, and beauty.
With warmest regards,
Blanka Rosenstiel, Founder and President
Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland
