Krzysztof Czyżewski
Topics
Interlocutor biogram
Krzysztof Czyżewski was born on 6 July, 1958, in Warsaw, however, he spent his childhood in Śrem (Wielkopolska), and later in Poznań. His mother was a pharmacist and his father was an officer in the Polish Air Force. Despite considerable successes in football, at the end of his high-school years he became interested in theatre. He decided to abandon his career in sports and became a student at the Polish Faculty of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. In the course of his university studies, Krzysztof Czyżewski became linked to the underground theatre movement; he also issued underground publications related to culture. At the same time, he became involved with the "Gardzienice" group, in which he was active for six years, taking countless journeys during which he became acquainted with regional cultures and national minorities in Poland and Europe.
After graduating, Krzysztof Czyżewski worked as a university lecturer; together with his wife, Małgorzata, pursued cultural and theatrical activities (e.g. managed the “Arka” theatre, established the “Czas kultury” (Time of Culture) magazine and set up initiatives “Wioska spotkania” (The Meeting Village) and, for some time, also ran a business.
Since 1990, he has been connected to Sejny in which he established the “Pogranicze” (Borderland) foundation, and later, in cooperation with the local authorities, the Centre ”Pogranicze – sztuk, kultur, narodów” (Borderland of Arts, Cultures and Nations), where he remains a director.
He is a cultural manager, poet, essayist, translator, and editor of cultural magazines. He has been awarded many prestigious distinctions and awards, amongst others, by the Parisian “Kultura” magazine, the Gabor Bethlen’s Prize, the Medal of St. George, the Order of Gediminas, the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta and the Dan David Prize. Lecturer at the University of Warsaw, Vilnius University, University of Michigan, Boston University, Berkeley University, and Harvard University. Since 2015, he has been a visiting professor at Rutgers University and the University of Bologna.
Recording summary
- Description of the family and childhood in Śrem: parents’ employment, playing in an old pharmacy, contact with nature, walks taken with his parents, 00:38
- Visiting the grandparents in Chorzów: grandparents’ employment, the “Silesian” feel of the area, fear of a female neighbour speaking Silesian, closeness of contacts with “Grządzielka”, 04:10
- Moving to Poznań, mysterious locations visited when playing truant, meeting the participants of the Wielkopolska Uprising, the absence of the history of the local community from school education, a swimming pool in a Poznań synagogue, 08:20
- Decisions taken in relation to professional career: football career in a junior team of Lech Poznań, activity in a high school theatre group, participation in performances of underground theatres, decision to begin Polish studies at the university, 11:17
- Becoming acquainted with the underground movement during university years in Poznań, “Latający Uniwersytet” (Flying University), meetings with poets, interest in Miłosz, involvement in theatrical and declamatory movements, participation in nationwide declamatory and theatrical events, 17:00
- Involvement in the “Gardzienice” Theatrical Society, managing both studies and working in the theatre, meeting Gypsies, interest in the regional culture of the Lubelszczyzna region and other regions of Poland, foreign trips to study other cultures, intellectual inspirations, 20:17
- Graduation and leaving “Gardzienice” behind, return to Poznań and starting a family, 25:05
- Artistic activity pursued together with the wife, creation of the “Arka” theatre, the underground publication “Czas Kultury”, interest in multiculturalism and the traditions of the borderland regions, writing and translating texts relating to culture, amongst others, on Chasidic Jews, 25:36
- Working at the University of Fine Arts, running a business, friendship and cooperation with Bożena and Wojciech Szroeder, activity of the “Meeting Village” near Czarna Dąbrówka, 28:07
- Journey to the East and beginnings of the “Pogranicze” foundation, arrival at Sejny, first contact with the area around Sejny and first cultural activities, spectacles in the synagogue in Sejny, establishment of the ”Pogranicze – sztuk, kultur, narodów” centre, 32:33
- Life stories of the family members: communist beliefs of the grandfather, his parents’ acquaintance with Tadeusz Mazowiecki, education and career of the father, social promotion of the parents, humanistic views and education granted by the parents, 38:29
- First contacts with the Jewish culture, synagogue in Poznań, family stories about the “eastern” ancestry of the grandfather, 47:48
- First books on the Jewish culture, friendship with Ilana Abramowicz and interest in Jewish songs, Jewish threads in the theatrical activity pursued, multicultural events in the synagogue in Sejny, superficiality of the initial fascination with the Jewish culture in light of future experiences relating to Polish and Jewish relationships, 50:47
- Studying at a primary school in Poznań, the Paderewski high school and high school interests, lack of education on other cultures in school and interest in multiculturalism as a form of revolt against the system introduced by the Polish People’s Republic, 01:03:05
- Obtaining illegal publications during the time of the Polish People’s Republic, literary inspirations, anxiety felt when discussing Jewish topics when talking with residents of villages and smaller towns, Jewish inspirations in performances and lack of readiness to pursue the Polish and Jewish relations further, 01:09:28
- Community of individuals linked to the cultural activities conducted by Krzysztof Czyżewski during the time of the Polish People’s Republic, and the aspect of national minorities, Jerzy Ficowski and his work as an inspiration to breach the issue of the Holocaust, individuals and inspirations to pursue activities in the sphere of the Jewish culture, reasons for becoming interested in this matter, 01:12:25
- Sejny in the 1990s, the condition of the synagogue and the beginning of cultural activities in the building, exhibition of paintings by Jerzy Strzelecki on Jewish topics, the granting of some buildings belonging to the former Jewish community by the local authorities for the benefit of the “Pogranicze” foundation, a story on identifying the Centre's employees with Jews, the matter on national identity and the identity of the people from the Borderlands, multiculturalism, community and the historical past of Sejny, 01:21:47
- Jewish identity of Sejny, influence of history of a place on the subjects pursued by the “Pogranicze” foundation, Jewish friends of Krzysztof Czyżewski and their reflection on the identity of the place, activities of the centre in relation to Jewish history and culture, current cultural and artistic initiatives, etc., 01:37:05
- A visit of Maks Furmański, a Jewish survivor from Sejny, in the Synagogue, links of the Centre with the stories of the returning Jews, unveiling of a plaque at the Jewish cemetery in Sejny, promotion of “Sąsiedzi” by J.T. Gross and difficult moments in the operation of the centre, 01:46:22
