Jan Karski bench in Warsaw
The official unveiling of the Jan Karski bench in Warsaw took place in front of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Such monuments to Karski can already be admired in other Polish cities (Łódź and Kielce), as well as in other cities in the US (NY and Washington DC) and Israel (Tel-Aviv).
Guests had an opportunity to listen to speeches by the president (mayor) of Warsaw Hanna Gronkiewicz Waltz and the director of Polish History Museum Robert Kostro honoring the legendary emissary of Polish Underground State. The ceremony was inaugurated with fragments of interviews with Jan Karski that were played to the audience.
The bench was created thanks to the efforts of Ewa Wierzynska. She is the Leader of the “Jan Karski. Unfinished Mission” program at the Polish History Museum that aims to familiarize the broader public with Jan Karski. The event attracted numerous guests, among others there were: journalist Maciej Wierzynski, representatives of the Righteous Among the Nations (among them Polish Ambassador Ryszard Schnepf’s mother, Alicja Schnepf, who is chairman of the Polish Society of Righteous), Adam Daniel Rotfeld (former Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs), Jacek Kozlowski (the Voivode of Warsaw), Krzysztof Kasprzyk (former Consul General of Poland in New York), Zvi Rav-Ner (Ambassador of Israel in Poland) and Robin Barnett (the Ambassador of Great Britain in Poland).
Younger admirers of Karski came out in droves – there was a strong representation of high school students who are involved in associations aiming to honor Jan Karski. The students from the three Karski Schools came all the way from Łódź, Kielce and Ruda Śląska.
Karski’s bench in Warsaw differs from other monuments as it provides the visitors with a chance to listen to Jan Karski himself. When you press the button you will hear a few selected fragments of the interview with him (in Polish only). We are convinced it will attract all kinds of audiences and will facilitate spreading the information on Jan Karski. The sister Foundations, the Jan Karski Educational Foundation (JKEF) and the Fundacja Edukacyjna Jana Karskiego (FEJK), are glad and proud that Warsaw finally has its own Karski bench, in the city where Karski did much of his work with the Polish Underground.
This article has more information and photos: http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/138292,Karski-bench-unveiled-in-Warsaw as well as this article (in Polish, so open in Google Chrome to translate):
http://dzieje.pl/aktualnosci/laweczka-jana-karskiego-przed-gmachem-muzeum-historii-zydow-polskich.
Photos below left to right, the official unveiling of the Jan Karski bench in Warsaw in front of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews; show the students and teachers from the Kielce, Poland high school named after Jan Karski; Maciej Wierzynski, FEJK Project Manager Maria Belka, FEJK Executive Director Wojchiech Bialozyt, Ewa Wierzynska, Foundation Board member Krzysztof Zakrzewski and Robert Kostro; an exhibit of information about Karski and his achievements was viewed by guests. (Photos courtesy of Maria Belka)
