2021
BRNO (Czech Republic) - a partnership with the City of Poznan since 1966.
The Festival of Polish Culture was held in Brno in April for the eleventh time. The festival events were organised by the Jiří Mahen Library and the Raczynski Library of Poznan, which has been cooperating for many years, as well as by the City of Brno and the Polish Institute in Prague. Representatives of the City of Poznan and the Raczynski Library took part in the artistic events. Festival participants were able to watch Polish performances and exhibitions and listen to books read in Polish.
Just as Brno celebrates Polish Days in the Czech Republic, the City of Poznan organises Czech Culture Days in Poznan, which in 2021 took place in October with the participation of Brno representatives. The programme included the reading of children's books, puppet theatre performances and meetings between librarians from the Raczynski Library and the Jiri Mahen Library.
In September, another edition of the Tour Salon Fair was held at the International Poznan Fairs. As every year, Poznań hosted representatives of the twin cities of Brno, Kharkiv and Kutaisi. Visitors could see an interesting offer, presented at a joint stand, encouraging them to visit these cities.
KHARKIV - partnership with the City of Poznań since 1998.
In August, a delegation of representatives of the City of Poznań visited Kharkiv. The Mayor of Poznan - Jacek Jaskowiak - at the invitation of the Chairman of the Kharkiv City Council, went on a visit to celebrate Kharkiv City Day and the 30th anniversary of Ukrainian independence. He participated in the celebrations and took part in the conference "Best practices in the implementation of large infrastructure projects in twin cities". Representatives of other invited cities Tbilisi (Georgia), Yerevan (Armenia), RishonLeZion (Israel) and Maribor (Slovenia), among others, also shared their experiences during the event.
The delegation from Kharkiv, together with delegations from Brno and Kutaisi, took part in the Tour Salon Fair where the Ukrainian delegation presented Kharkiv's assets and established contacts with tourist organisations.
GYŐR - partnership with the City of Poznań since 2008.
In 2021, the city of Győr celebrated its 750th anniversary. The city's citizens were already involved in events celebrating this important anniversary from the beginning of the year. The mayors of Győr's twin cities sent their congratulations and good wishes to the city's authorities and citizens on the occasion of the anniversary. The Mayor of the City of Poznań, Jacek Jaskowiak, conveyed his city's good wishes and expressed his hope for further fruitful cooperation.
The June celebrations were the highlight of the jubilee, also attended by representatives of Györ's partner cities, including the City of Poznań.
In November, the City of Poznan was represented at the Győr Book Fair. Visitors were able to see publications by Wydawnictwo Miejskie Posnania and Media Rodzina publishing house, as well as get promotional materials for the City of Poznań and the Poznań Heritage Centre. Poznan's stand was visited in large numbers by Győr residents, including the City Mayor, Dezsi Csaba Andres. After the fair, the books were handed over to the Polish minority local government which uses them in the local library. Poznań's stand also promoted St. Martin's croissant.
HANOVER - partnership with the City of Poznań since 1979.
The 'Stopped on the Move' project, carried out in March, was an example of developing cooperation between partner cities during the pandemic. This photographic project brought together young people
from the Władysław Zamoyski Primary School No. 90 in Poznań and young people from Hanover. During photo walks, the young people practised the art of photography under the guidance of Poznan and Hanoverian artists Moritz Frankenberg, Katarzyna Dec-Merkle and Maciej Krajewski (Łazęga Poznańska), setting the subject of their photos to each other and discussing the effects of their work during online meetings. The works could be seen in exhibitions at the project institutions: Freizeitheim Vahrenwald (StadtteilkulturHannover) and the Children's Art Centre in Poznan.
As part of the July Dialogue Days about the City Centre in Hannover, a presentation of good examples of the use of urban space from the partner cities, including Poznan, was organised. A Poznan-Hanoverian project for the creative use of empty spaces by the local community was presented, resulting in a communication machine built by the groups DOMIE from Poznan and the end boss Hannover.
Programmers, architects and artists, daily associated with PLATZPROJEKT in Hanoverover, installed a Cosmic fax - a machine for visual communication with the people of Hanover - at DOMIE on St. Martin Street. The project lasted three months, during which it was possible to send and receive questions, greetings, texts and images directly to and from the twin machine in Hannover. Prepared in cooperation with DOMIE, the project involved the creation of two twin machines which could, with the help of people, communicate with each other, creating a collective platform for exchange between the two cities: Poznan and Hanover.
Art was also an area of collaboration during Urban Art Week. In August, Hanover hosted the Poznan artist Bart Sucharski, who designed and created the STOP SMOG mural on the wall of the UJZ-Glocksee (headquarters of the Independent Youth Centre association).
In addition, in October, the Deputy Mayor of Hanover participated in the 5th City Development Forum in a debate on "Where does the strength of our cities come from?". The Forum was attended by Hanoverian artists, co-creators of the Poznan-Hanoverian communication machine project, which will enable the inhabitants of Hanover to connect with the inhabitants of Poznan.
In 2021, an online meeting was held with the Deutsch-Polnische Gesellschaft Hannover e.V. (German-Polish Society of Hannover e.V. ), founded in 1979 to develop ties between Poles and Germans, with a special focus on the partnership between the cities of Poznan and Hannover.
JYVÄSKYLÄ - partnership with the City of Poznan since 1979.
An online meeting was held in February, attended by the Polish Ambassador to Finland, Piotr Rychlik, the Mayor of Poznań, Jacek Jaskowiak, the Mayor of Jyväskylä, Timo Koivisto, and teams leading cooperation between the two cities. They discussed education, support for potential investors, public transport and snow in the city space. Visits were also planned once the pandemic had ceased.
The Mayor of Jyväskylä, Timo Koivisto, participated in a debate at the 5th City Development Forum in October. Good practices from the City of Jyväskylä on sustainable development and city planning were presented by a representative from the Business Development Department of the Jyväskylä City Hall.
KUTAISI - partnership with the City of Poznan since 2009.
Cooperation with the City of Kutaisi in 2021 took place primarily online.
In June, the City of Poznan participated in the Second International Economic Forum organised by Kutaisi, entitled 'Challenges for cities and the way forward'. The Forum brought together representatives of national ministries dealing with regional and local development issues, regional and local authorities of the Eastern Partnership countries and the European Union, as well as international partners, donor organisations, international financial institutions, business associations,
representatives of partner cities, and representatives of the media. The theme of the meeting was good practices of cities in the face of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In September, a delegation from the Georgian city of Kutaisi stayed in Poznań and - together with delegations from Brno and Kharkiv - took part in the Tour Salon trade fair. The main purpose of the visit was to present the city's assets and to establish contacts with tourist organisations.
RAANANA - partnership with the City of Poznań since 2010.
27 January 2021, the anniversary of the liberation of the former Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp, was celebrated as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Mayor of Poznan, Jacek Jaskowiak paid tribute in Poznań to people of Jewish origin murdered during World War II. Poznań and Raanana held a joint video conference. The meeting was attended by, among others, the Mayor of Poznan - Jacek Jaskowiak, the Mayor of Raanana - Chaim Broyde, the Chairman of the Poznan City Council - Grzegorz Ganowicz and a Holocaust witness - Pinchas Melchior.
In October, the Mayor of Raanana Chaim Broyde was a participant in a debate at the 5th edition of the City Development Forum. Raanana Municipality's IT director presented smart solutions in the city of Raanana.
Young people from Poznan and Raanana carried out the CookWithUs project, which involved Israeli youths cooking together with their peers from around the world. The young people shared traditional recipes, showcased their culture and sought to get to know each other better. The project was implemented by the StandWithUs organisation, with the participation of Tevel Raanana. The students from Poznan and Raanana baked together a honey cake, which is a traditional pastry prepared in Israel for 'Rosh Hashanah' - the Israeli New Year.
RENNES - partnership with the City of Poznan since 1998
Together with the City of Rennes, the City of Poznań participated in an online conference on cooperation between Polish and French local governments, organised by the Association of Polish Cities, the French Section of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (AFCCRE) and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France. During the meeting, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on local governments was discussed, issues related to sustainable development and the Eco-City competition organised by the French Embassy in Poland were discussed, the existing Polish-French cooperation was summarised and plans for the future were presented.
SHENZHEN- partnership with the City of Poznań since 1993.
On the occasion of the Chinese New Year, which fell on 12 February in 2021, Shenzhen's partner cities sent New Year wishes to the citizens of Shenzhen. The City of Poznań also joined in the wishes. The Mayor of the City of Poznań, Jacek Jaskowiak, prepared a speech with New Year wishes addressed to the authorities and residents of Shenzhen, which was communicated in the city's local media and social media.
In April, representatives of the City of Poznań took part in a conference entitled 'Dialogue in Shenzhen on International Cooperation for Innovation'. The main topic of the meeting was the establishment of the World Innovation Cities Cooperation Organisation (WICCO), to which the City of Poznań was invited to become a member.
WICCO - World Innovative Cities Cooperation Organisation is an international non-profit non-governmental organisation formed by cities and organisations committed to developing global cooperation in the field of innovation. The organisation aims to exchange experiences, support the development of cutting-edge projects ajoin scientific and technological development areas, learn from
other cities' successes and good practices ng forces for research work. Its members can familiarise themselves with cutting-edge areas of scientific and technological development, learn from the successes and good practices of other cities or establish contacts with recognised organisations. sc scientific and technological development areas, learn from other cities' successes and good practices ientific and technological development areas, learn from other cities' successes and good practices
In November, the Mayor of the City of Poznań - Jacek Jaskowiak, together with representatives of cities from all over the world, met at the World Forum for Innovative Cities organised by Shenzhen. The meeting aimed to create and strengthen an open and innovative platform for the exchange of ideas and to address current development challenges. Cities from all over the world actively joined, including authorities from Barcelona, Edinburgh, Vienna, Tsukuba, San Francisco, London, Brussels and Dubai, as well as foreign exchange and cooperation organisations. Ten cities from China also joined: Guangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing, Hefei, Changsha, Xi'an, Chengdu, Wuhan and Changchun.
BAMBERG
On the occasion of Europe Day, the City of Poznan received a special greeting from the City of Bamberg in the form of a video. The Mayor of Bamberg Andreas Starke wished the authorities and citizens of Poznań many more years of friendship and strengthening of mutual relations.
BERLIN
In 2021 the City of Poznan was invited by the National Library in Berlin to celebrate the bicentenary of the death of Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann - under the name ETAH2022 - which falls in the year 2022. On this occasion, the City of Poznan organised several events.
In March, Barak Kultury hosted a conversation with Dr Ewa Plominska-Krawiec, lecturer at the Institute of German Philology of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and author of the book 'E.T.A. Hoffmann in Poznań", which tells the story of the years 1800-1802 spent by the artist in Poznań. The dialogue was interwoven with musical excerpts from "The Nutcracker" performed by students of the Mieczysław Karłowicz Secondary Music School in Poznań.
In June, another online meeting was held under the title "E.T.A. Hoffmann - 200 years later'. The meeting was attended by the translator, Eliza Pieciul-Karmińska, and the illustrator, Aleksandra Kucharska-Cybuch, who worked, among others, on the classics of children's literature published by Media Rodzina publishing house, in 2013-2015: "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King", "The Mysterious Child" and "The Golden Pot and Other Stories".
In autumn, an opening of an exhibition of illustrations by Aleksandra Kucharska-Cybuch took place, attended by the artist herself and Eliza Pieciul-Karmińska, translator of Hoffmann's fairy tales - associate professor at the Faculty of Modern Languages and Literatures of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. The exhibition was co-organised by Media Rodzina publishing house. The exhibition in Barak Kultury was also available online with a guide, who was Prof. Beate Sommerfeld from the Institute of German Philology at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan.
Together with the Centre for Family Initiatives, the City of Poznań organised a radio play of ETA Hoffmann's The Mysterious Child in June as part of the 'I Read and I Feel' children's reading series.
In June 2021, the street library previously standing on Za Bramka Street - BiblioboXX - was handed over to another city as part of the German-Polish initiative Oder Partnerschaft. The Mayor of Poznan, Jacek Jaskowiak donated several books to BiblioboXX in Zgorzelec and recorded a video greeting. In Poznan, the Berlin phone box was located from January 2020. Many German- and foreign-language books and publications by foreign authors could be found there. The book booth popularised reading and easier access to books, providing a good example of the sharing economy.
BUDAPEST
In 2021, representatives from Poznań participated in initiatives implemented by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) such as the Exchange of Experiences of Visegrad Group Cities and the Budapest Forum. NDI is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in the world, based in Washington DC, which has been supporting democratic institutions and democratic practices for more than thirty years. Since its founding in 1983, NDI has worked in partnership, at the grassroots level, around the world to strengthen and protect democratic institutions, processes, norms and values and ensure a better quality of life for all. The Institute has worked in more than 156 countries and now has more than 50 offices working to strengthen and support democracy around the world.
Representatives from the City of Poznan attended the meeting, part of the NDI Central Europe Democracy Initiative (CEDI), funded by the National Endowment for Democracy.
The meeting took the form of a workshop on the exchange of experience in fostering cooperation with citizens and communication affecting urban development. The meeting, attended by more than 30 people, was led by Lex Paulson, a professor and expert - who has previously worked with metropolitan and national representation - on organisational transformation and innovation based on a combination of technology and humanities. The workshop discussed cities' experiences with local communication after COVID-19, and worked out the best methods to encourage inclusive governance and increase citizen engagement.
KYIV
In April, the Mayor of Poznan, Jacek Jaskowiak, and the Mayor of Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko, signed a Letter of Intent regarding the establishment of cooperation between Poznan and Kyiv, in which they expressed their will to initiate activities related to the establishment of formal partnership relations between Poznan and Kyiv. The letter includes a list of areas for future cooperation, such as city management, solving local transport problems, sustainable development, culture, heritage protection and revitalisation, tourism, promotion and development of the cities' tourism potential, support for the creative sector, strengthening the startup environment, developing a modern knowledge-based economy and Smart City issues. The signed letter is a continuation of the contact established in 2017 during MIPIM in Cannes by the Mayor, Jacek Jaskowiak and the Mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko.
On 28-30 May, Kyiv Days were held in Ukraine. Kyiv Day was first established in 1982 to celebrate the anniversary of the capital's founding. The celebrations became official in 1987. On the occasion of this event, the Mayor of the City of Poznań, Jacek Jaskowiak, sent special greetings to Kyivans in the form of a video.
LVIV
In October, the City of Poznań hosted a delegation from Lviv, who came to Poznań on the occasion of the XXIV Lviv and Days of Eastern Borderlands. The delegation consisted of Teresa Dutkiewicz, acting president of the Federation of Polish organisations in Ukraine, poet Stanisława Nowosad and Halina Makowska, custodian of Polish culture in Lviv. They were accompanied by representatives of the Society of Lovers of Lviv and South-Eastern Borderlands. The topic of the conversation was the assistance given to the inhabitants of the Eastern Borderlands, cooperation with Polish schools in Belarus and Ukraine, and the relationship between Poznań and Lviv.
Commission for Urban Development and Urban Policy of the Association of Polish Cities
In September, the City of Poznań organised a meeting of the Commission for Urban Development and Urban Policy of the Association of Polish Cities entitled "Do today's cities need Urban Labs?". The meeting was attended by members of the Commission, as well as representatives of Urban Labs from Gdynia, Rzeszów, Barcelona, Helsinki, Vienna, Kosice, Skåne and Antwerp. Practitioners from Poland and abroad shared their experience of how Urban Labs were set up and operated, and how they were financed, pointing out both key successes and difficulties.
International projects
Project "ON BOARD_Connecting Cities Through Education"
From 2019 the City of Poznań is participating in the project "ON BOARD_Connecting Cities Through Education", implemented under the EU URBACT III Programme, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund 2014-2020 - European Territorial Cooperation.
Participation in the programme, which runs from 2019 to 2021, is an opportunity to combine the international exchange of experiences and good practices with the implementation of proven and most innovative solutions on the local ground.
The leader of the programme, the city of Viladecans (Spain), in active cooperation with partners from Nantes (France), Halmstad (Sweden), Albergaria (Portugal), Tallinn (Estonia) and Poznan, has initiated activities resulting in the development of cooperation between local communities for the improvement of educational processes. The main aim of the project is to co-create the concept of a modern approach to teaching, including equipping students with the skills necessary to be active and engaged citizens, able to face the challenges of the 21st century.
A key objective of the project is to network local actors and institutions and involve them in pro-education activities. An important challenge is to equip children and young people with modern skills, encourage them to act independently and implement innovative educational tools - working methods as well as digital technologies and tools.
In Poznań, a pilot programme is being implemented in Jeżyce, in 3 primary schools: Gen. Józef Bem Primary School No. 23, Henryk Sucharski Primary School No. 36 and Janusz Kusociński Primary School No. 71.
Pupils, teachers, families, local activists, the Jeżyce District Council, local businesses, NGOs, people from the world of culture and sport, as well as the academic and scientific community, have been invited to participate in the Education Network of Jeżyce (SEJ), which is being set up there. A team from the Faculty of Management Engineering at the Poznań University of Technology is working on the implementation of the network, supported by the City of Poznań and representatives of the local Jeżyce community, including the PSNC Future Labs, operating as part of the Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Centre. The success of the project in Jeżyce will be the starting point for work on the creation of educational networks in other areas of Poznań.
Nantes
On 16, 18 and 28 February 2021, representatives of the City of Poznań took part in online meetings of the On Board International Network, organised by the City of Nantes. This was the sixth and penultimate series of meetings of the network, which aimed to create an Educational Innovation Network. The topics of the meetings were the involvement of all stakeholders in each project Partner city, solutions in the context of COVID-19 and the presentation of the Partners' achievements to date.
PiGo
On 14 March 2021, the project 'On Board_Connecting Cities through education' organised a celebration of the number Pi. The event was inspired by the good practice of one of the project's foreign partners, Albergaria-a-Velha, from Portugal. In Poznań, the organisers were Primary Schools No. 23, 36 and 71, belonging to the Jeżyce Educational Network, created during the exchange of good practices in the On Board project. The event was held in an online format, and its timing (14.03. 3:14 p.m.) and structure referred to the number Pi, which is approximately 3.14. During the meeting, 14 people connected to Jeżyce who were graduates of one of the three schools presented themselves. Each speaker talked for 3.14 minutes about their inspirations and aspirations, their achievements and difficulties, as well as their image-building and life goals. All speeches can be viewed at: https://pigo.eb.classroom.pionier.net.pl
Viladecans
The last international meeting of the On Board project took place online on 12 May, with the main organiser being the project leader, the city of Viladecans in Spain. The aim of the meeting was to present the results of the project. The meeting included a panel of vice mayors and a round table of people directly involved in the project. Presentations of the various initiatives that were developed during the project were also organised. In Poznań, members of the URBACT Local Group met on 17 May to summarise the activities carried out in Jeżyce as part of the Innovative Educational Network. A website presenting the experiences of all cities was presented, as well as a draft brochure on the initiatives carried out in Poznań as part of the project: PiGo, Moja Jeżycka Story and Legenda Jeżycka.
The project USE_IT! Unlocking Social and Economic Innovation Together
The City of Poznań has been a partner in the USE-IT project within the URBACT European programme network since March 2021. The project leader is Birmingham (UK), and in addition to Poznan, the network also includes Trapani (Italy) and Rotterdam (Netherlands). Inspired by the solutions applied in Birmingham, the partners are working on economic empowerment of local communities, employment, social economy in public procurement and community research.
In 2021, online international meetings were held in Birmingham, Trapani and Poznan, where the cities presented their activities to the other partners. The meetings included workshops and training, including the preparation of an investment plan. There were also 2 one-to-one workshops with the project leader and expert, during which participants identified anchor institutions and the neighbourhood to be covered by project activities.
In 2022 The City of Poznań will work with the district of Jeżyce for local development with the support of Birmingham and the project expert.
2020
Participation in the Regiontour tourism fair in Brno
The representatives of the City of Poznan attended the Regiontour tourism fair in Brno in January 2020. The Poznan delegation is invited to this event every year. Not only is it an opportunity to promote Poznan's tourist attractions among the residents of Brno and its surrounding area, but also among potential tourists from other parts of the Czech Republic and from other countries.
Visit of journalists from Brno
In February, the City of Poznanń hosted journalists from Brno. Their visit aimed to collect materials about our City, on the basis of which a publication for the Brno-based Metropolitan magazine was created. The said publication was released in early March. Once a month, the City of Brno releases a publication about one of its twin cities.
Participation of Brno, Kharkiv and Kutaisi in the Tour Salon Fair held in Poznan
In February, we invited delegations from twin cities, including Czech Brno, Ukrainian Kharkiv and Georgian Kutaisi, who took part in the Tour Salon Fair in Poznan. The primary purpose of their visit was to present the values of their cities and establish contacts with tourism organisations.
Czech Culture Days in Poznan
The Czech Culture Days were celebrated in Poznan back in October 2020. The main organisers were the Raczyński Library in Poznan and the Jiri Mahen Library in Brno. One of the event's element was the exhibition "The Year 1989 - The Velvet Revolution" and a lecture delivered from Brno by Dr Urszula Kowalska-Nadolna on the diversity of the Czech Republic, as well as the play entitled "War on the Third Floor" by Pavel Kohout, which was presented by the Asz Theater in the Tram Driver's House.
Visit of guests from Kharkiv
Representatives of the office organising running events in Kharkiv visited Poznan in February 2020. During the visit, a meeting was held with the Poznań Sports and Recreation Centre, which is experienced in organising marathons. In addition, guests from Kharkiv visited the area of the International Fair, the place where the finish line of the marathon run is situated every year, along with a zone for runners who have finished their run, as well as the Poznan Sports Expo accompanying the marathon - an event for running sports enthusiasts and all those who like spending time actively.
Preparations for the 750th anniversary of Győr
At the end of 2020, we congratulated the Hungarian twin city of Poznan - Győr - in a form of recording a message by the Mayor of Poznan, Jacek Jaśkowiak. Győr will be celebrating its 750th anniversary in 2021 and, on this occasion, the mayors of the twin cities have sent to Győr the texts of the speeches that will be used during the June 2021 celebrations.
Conference with Kutaisi
The representatives of the City of Poznan attended the July online conference organised by the twin city of Poznan - Kutaisi - entitled "COVID-19 - best practices of twin cities". Not only did this meeting aim to exchange experiences, but also to maintain and strengthen cooperation with twin cities. The speakers at the conference were the representatives of the partner cities of Kutaisi: Valka (Latvia), Kaunas (Lithuania), Ungheni (Moldova), Tartu (Estonia), Jassy (Romania), Dnieper, Sumy and Kharkiv (Ukraine) and the host city of Kutaisi. The City Development and Foreign Relations Department outlined the current pandemic situation in Poznań and talked about best practices in supporting residents during the pandemic.
Participation of Poznan youth along with the city of Raanana in an Israeli project
Students from Poznan schools took part in the Israeli project "The UpNext counter COVID-19 challenge 2020" for young people aged 15-17. The project aimed to develop digital solutions to one of the challenges related to COVID-19.
Face masks for the Poznan City Hall donated by the city of Shenzhen, as well as a COVID-19 conference
Within the framework of mutual support, the twin city of Shenzhen donated 20 thousand face masks to the Poznan City Hall in April. Such tangible aid was the result of talks between representatives of both cities. The interchange of knowledge and experience regarding the fight against coronavirus took place,
among others, during the March video-conference organised by the City Development and Foreign Relations Department with the support of the Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Centre, attended by representatives of the local government and doctors from Shenzhen, Mayor Jacek Jaśkowiak and medical staff of the Poznan Józef Struś Isolation Hospital.
Opening of the BiblioboXX "street library" at Za Bramką St. and related events
In January 2020, the "street library", the so-called BiblioboXX, was officially opened at Za Bramką St.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Poznan, Jacek Jaśkowiak, and Gerry Woop, Berlin State Secretary for Culture and Europe. This is the result of collaboration between Poznan and Berlin, pursued by the City Development and Foreign Relations Department, as a part of the "Odra Partnership" initiative. In the bookcase, one can find numerous German-language books, publications by German authors, books about Germany, as well as Polish literature. Inside the BiblioboXX it is also possible to listen to eight Polish and German texts, read, among others, by Stefan Möller and Dorota Danielewicz. When it comes to energy, there is a photovoltaic panel on the roof of the booth, which makes the booth self-sufficient. After Berlin, Szczecin, Łobez and Wrocław, the City of Poznan is the fifth stop of the bookcase. This bookcase was built in Berlin by students from technical high schools from Berlin, Wrocław and Szczecin during a series of workshops.
The consequence of the opening of the street library was the February-held meeting at Barak Kultury [culture barrack] entitled "Berlin in Poznan - poetry from the street library" organised by the City Development and Foreign Relations Department together with partners from Berlin. The star attraction was the work of Erich Kaestner - a German writer, satirist, theatre critic and author of books for children. Representatives of the City of Berlin and Berlin-based artists were special guests to the event. The meeting was also attended by teachers - representatives of the Poznan branch of the Polish Association of German Language Teachers, together with students who had won German recitation competitions. The literary feast's cherry on top was the donation of German-language books on music to the Mieczysław Karłowicz Poznan General Music School by the representatives of the City of Berlin.
In February, BibilioboXX also became a place of meeting with literature, the German language as well as cooperation between vocational schools from the City of Poznan and Berlin. At BiblioboX, the students from the Commerce Schools Complex recited Julian Tuwim's poem "Locomotive" and its German translation by James Krüss. What also happened in February was the first workshop for students of the Complex of Secondary Technical Schools of Communication Technology regarding photovoltaic panels, by which the bookcase is powered - thanks to this, it is possible to listen to German-Polish songs inside the booth and light up its interior.
In November, there was a meeting of representatives of the City Development and Foreign Relations Department, the initiators of the BibliboXX idea from Berlin, the Head Teacher of the Complex of Secondary Technical Schools of Communication Technology and representatives of the OSZ TIEM vocational school from Berlin. The conversation identified possible areas of cooperation between Poznan and Berlin vocational schools both during and after the pandemic, such as: joint construction of a new street library, virtual tours of vocational schools of both cities as well as virtual practical classes regarding photovoltaics and electricity.
Visit of the Brandenburg delegation
In August, the Poznan City Hall hosted a delegation from the Landtag of Brandenburg along with representatives of the Trebnitz Castle Association, Centre for Education and Meetings. The City of Poznan was represented by the Mayor Jacek Jaśkowiak. The visit began at the Bibliobox at Za Bramką St., where German guests donated German-language books to the Mayor of Poznan to place in the street library. The second part of the visit took place in the White Hall of the Poznan City Office and was combined with a concert given by students from the M. Karłowicz General Music School in Poznan. The four-year cooperation and tightening of relations with the state of Brandenburg were summed up. Participants discussed, among others, Polish-German activities regarding administration, culture, education, civil society, ecology, diversity and cooperation during the pandemic.
Participation in the opening ceremony of the European Green Capital 2020
In January, the City Development and Foreign Relations Department represented the City of Poznan in the celebration events opening the year of Lisbon as the European Green Capital 2020. We were invited to this ceremony by the organisers of the competition and the Mayor of Lisbon,
because the City of Poznan had qualified for the first stage of the "European Green Capital 2022" competition. The stay in Lisbon made it possible to establish contacts with candidate cities and EGC capitals, and to learn about best practices in organising the EGC Year.
Exchange of best practices with foreign cities in the face of the fight against COVID-19
As part of international cooperation, the ongoing information exchange with foreign cities on best practices in the face of COVID-19 was in effect starting from the pandemic outbreak in Poland, i.e., March 2020. It was not only twin cities who shared their experience, but also foreign cities with non-twinship relations (e.g., Berlin, Tallinn). The areas covered by the exchange of knowledge revolved around the operations of educational institutions, cultural institutions as well as service and gastronomic points, restrictions and their mitigation as regards the use of public spaces and the obligation to wear masks, the operation of public transport and other forms of movement, as well as other effective actions of cities regarding the fight against COVID-19.
2019
Worldwide Italian Food Week with Bologna
The City of Poznan joined the celebration of the Worldwide Italian Food Week celebrated around the world in November. Together with the Italian Embassy in Poland and the twin city of Bologna, Poznan organised cultural and culinary events. During the 2-day workshops, delivered by Bologna chefs, chefs from Poznan restaurants, cooks as well as enthusiasts of Italian cuisine cooked together. At Barak Kultury, films of contemporary Italian cinematography were displayed: "The Last Prosecco of Count Ancilotto" by Antonio Padovani from 2017 and "Made in Italy" by Luciano Ligabue from 2018. The first screening was opened by the Italian Ambassador in Poland with a short speech.
Regiontour Fair in Brno
At the Regiontour tourism fair Poznan was represented by a representative of the TRAKT Cultural Tourism Centre. Not only was it an opportunity to promote Poznan's tourist attractions among the residents of Brno and its surrounding area, but also among visitors from the whole Czech Republic and from other countries. The event also provides an opportunity to renew or establish contacts with representatives of other Brno twin cities from France, Germany, Ukraine and Great Britain.
Tour Salon 2019 in Poznan attended by delegations from twin cities
At the invitation of the Mayor of Poznan, representatives of Brno, Kharkiv and Kutaisi took part in the Tour Salon Trade Fair of Regions and Tourist Products in Poznan. In addition to presenting the cities' tourist attractions, the visit to Poznan was also an opportunity to talk about action plans for 2019, concerning, among others, the celebration of the 10th anniversary of cooperation with Kutaisi.
Visit of delegation from Brno
On the occasion of Czech Culture Days, a delegation from the City of Brno came over to Poznan. The visitors attended the opening of the exhibition at the Raczyński Library on the 100th anniversary of Czech comic book and the library workshop of the A. Mickiewicz University.
Celebrations of the Days of the City of Kharkiv and the Independence Day of Ukraine
In 2019, representatives of the Poznan City Hall took part in the Days of the City of Kharkiv and the Independence Day of Ukraine held in Kharkiv. The representatives of Poznan attended the official celebrations of both events and met with the Kharkiv authorities.
The 20th PKO Poznan Marathon with the participation of guests from Kharkiv and Takasaki
At the invitation of the City of Poznan, runners from Kharkiv took part in the 20th edition of the Poznan Marathon. In addition, representatives of the Japanese City of Takasaki, with which Poznan has been cooperating intensively for several years, also appeared in the jubilee run.
Participation in the Győr Book Fair
In 2019, representatives of the City of Poznan, Posnania Municipal Publishing House and the TRAKT Centre for Cultural Tourism took part in the Book Fair and Exhibition in the twin city of Győr. The stand presented books donated free of charge by the Posnania Municipal Publishing House and the Media Rodzina Publishing House. The Poznan delegation also met with the representatives of the Polish minority in Győr.
40 years of twinship cooperation between Poznan and Hanover
A delegation from the City of Poznan attended the celebration of the 40th anniversary of twinship cooperation between Poznan and Hanover and the 40th anniversary of the Polish-German Association. The Mayor of the City of Poznan and the Lord Mayor of Hanover signed the "Memorandum of Continuing Good Relations". During the visit, there were, among others, meetings with the current and former authorities of the City of Hanover, a visit to the innovative co-working space of Innovation Community Havfen, a meeting at the University of Hanover, which runs curriculum for foreigners, and the opening of the exhibition "Expelled 1939" by Jacek Kubiak PhD from Poznan.
In 2019, a number of events were organised in Poznan as part of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of cooperation with the twin city of Hanover. During the 3-day stay in the capital of the Wielkopolska region, representatives of Hanover, including the Lord Mayor of Hanover and the former mayor, visited the city and the Poznan Gate, as well as took part in the opening of the exhibition "50 Traces of 50 Cities" in the hall of the Marshal's Office of Greater Poland.
The highlight of the visit to Poznan was the jubilee meeting, of which the agenda included, among others, speeches of the Mayor of the City of Poznan and the Lord Mayor of Hanover, the display of the film entitled "Memory of partnership", lecture by prof Jan Fazlagić "Cities for residents. Residents for the city. The role of cities in the 21st century", as well as a discussion on the past and future of Poznan and Hanover cooperation. During the meeting, a tripartite letter of intent between the City of Poznan, the Institute of Logistics and Warehousing and Volkswagen Poznan, concerning cooperation in the field of urban logistics, was signed. In addition, the Lord Mayor of Hanover signed the guest book of the City of Poznan.
10 year of cooperation between Poznan and Kutaisi
In 2019, a delegation from the twin city of Kutaisi visited Poznan. This year's 10th anniversary of twinship cooperation was an opportunity to pay a visit. The Mayor of the City of Kutaisi and the Deputy Mayor of the City of Poznan signed a letter on the continuation of cooperation between the City of Poznan and the City of Kutaisi. The agreement binding both cities covers a wide range of cooperation through, among others, science, culture, fairs, implementation of joint projects supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the EU, as well as the exploit of experience in obtaining aid funds. It is also planned to cooperate and exchange experiences regarding city management, including city funds and the operation of city infrastructure.
In 2019, representatives of the Poznan City Office represented the City at the Kutaisi City Festival which, this year, was of a special nature due to the 10th anniversary of signing a partnership agreement between Poznan and Kutaisi. The visit also aimed at attending the International Business Forum "In search for the golden fleece", held at the Akaki Tsereteli University in Kutaisi.
Interns from Georgia in Poznan
As part of the internship programme run for several years by the Self-Government of the Wielkopolska region entitled "Wielkopolska Akademia Samorządności" [Greater Poland Academy of Self-governance], which is addressed to officials of the administration of regions cooperating with Greater Poland, in 2019 the Poznan City Hall hosted 3 Georgian interns from the Imereti Region and the City of Kutaisi. The programme prepared for the Georgian guests included the exchange of experiences with regard to handling foreign investors, activities related to the revitalisation of urban areas, running a business and creating a city development strategy.
Study visit of representatives of Ra'anana in Poznan
In 2019, the director of the cultural centre from Ra'anana visited Poznan. The director participated as a speaker at the Days of Judaism in Poznan and in working meetings devoted to the school exchange planned in 2019.
Awarding the "Righteous Among the Nations" medals and meeting with representatives of the Israeli Embassy in Poland
In 2019, the representatives of the Israeli Embassy in Poland were awarded the "Righteous Among the Nations" medals at the Poznan City Hall. The ceremony was attended by the Mayor of the City of Poznan. The medals of the awarded five were collected by their families.
There was also a meeting of representatives of the Israeli Embassy in Poland (including the Director of the Vice-Ambassador Office, the Department for Education and the Righteous Among the Nations and the Public Diplomacy Attaché) with the Chairperson of the Poznan City Office and the Deputy Mayor of the City of Poznan. During the meeting, the youth exchange project for students from Poznan and Ra'anana schools was summed up.
Meeting with the delegation from Hamburg
In 2019, the City of Poznan hosted the delegation from Hamburg headed by the Minister for City Development and Housing. The study visit of the representatives of the city of Hamburg was carried out in cooperation with the Archaeological Museum in Poznan. During the event, the guests visited the Porta Posnania and the Archaeological Reserve Genius Loci. The visit aimed to get acquainted with the achievements of Poznan in the field of presenting relics of the City's distant past to wide audience.
Study visit to Helsinki
In 2019, a representative of the Poznan City Hall participated in a study visit to Helsinki, organised by the Ministry of Investment and Development. Delegates from various cities had the opportunity to hear about innovative solutions used in Helsinki in the field of social participation and sharing data about the city. This is yet another step in developing new, innovative ideas for the City of Poznan and inspiration to implement new ways of involving residents in the City's life and solving common social problems.
Visit of delegation from Kiev
In 2019, a delegation from the city of Kiev visited Poznan. The guests were interested in Poznan experiences related to the conservation of monuments, especially wooden ones. The visit agenda included, among others, meeting with the Municipal Conservator of Monuments, as well as visits to the Archaeological Reserve Genius Loci, the Archaeological Museum in Poznan and Biskupin.
Visit of guests from Laatzen
In 2019, representatives of the Christian Association of Seniors from Laatzen near Hanover were hosted in the Poznan City Hall. During their visit, the guests met with employees of the Poznan City Hall and the Centre for Senior Initiatives. The Poznan senior policy as well as a wide offer addressed to seniors in Poznan were presented.
Meeting with youth from Minsk
In 2019, Polish youth from Minsk visited the Poznan City Hall. The arrival of the 50-person group was organised by the Polish Diaspora Centre in Minsk, with the support of the Poznan City Hall (organisation of stay by the High School No. 11). Young people were interested in Poznan's cultural, recreational and academic offer. The two-day stay included visiting the most important tourist attractions of Poznan, a visit to the City Hall and the Poznan A. Mickiewicz University.
Visit to Takasaki
In 2019, employees of the Poznan City Hall participated in a delegation to Takasaki in Japan. The visit included a meeting with the Mayor of Takasaki, meetings at the Polish Institute in Tokyo and with representatives of local enterprises. During the talks, issues of, for instance, ecology were raised.
2018
Brno and Poznań - the year 2018 full of meetings and events
In 2018 the delegation of Poznań attended the tourist fair Regiontour in Brno (January, 18-21). Then, the representatives of Brno presented the tourist attractions of the capital of Moravia at the Tour Salon Fair 2018 in Poznań (February, 9-11).
Brno was also one of the exhibitors at the Poznań Book Fair (March, 23-25).
Spring in Brno traditionnally passed under the sign of the "Days of the Polish Culture in Brno". The "Days of Czech Culture in Poznań" on 13-21 October 2018.
20th anniversary of cooperation between Rennes and Poznań
On April 20, 2018 the main celebrations of the 20th anniversary of sister cities cooperation with Rennes were held in Poznań. At the same time, the House of Brittany (Dom Bretanii) in Poznań, an "ambassador" of relations between Poznań and Rennes and the Wielkopolska and the Brittany Region, celebrated its 25th anniversary of creation.
The Ambassador of France, Mr Pierre Lévy and numerous delegations from Rennes and Brittany took part in the celebrations. The leaders of the delegation of Rennes were the Deputy Mayor Mrs Jocelyne Bougeard and the Municipal and Metropolitan Councillor Mrs Anabel Marie. The celebrations were also attended by the delegations of the Ille-et-Vilaine Department and of the Regional Council of Brittany, as well as by the members of the Brittany-Poland Association, including mayors and other representatives of breton cities and communes twinned with municipalities in the Wielkopolska Region.
The guests attended the street-naming ceremony in honour of Ferdinand Foch. Marshal Foch was a great friend of Poles, who contributed to rebirth of Poland after the Ist World War.
Then the French and Polish delegations took part in an international debate on the possibilites and tools of cooperation between cities and regions and involvement of citizens in the strategic planning of the developpment of cities and regions.
The delegation of Rennes also visited the Centre for Family Initiatives to exchange experiences about the pro-family policies, including the services for large families.
2017
The Metropolitan City of Bologna (Italy) is the new sister city of Poznań
On December, 5, 2017 Poznań and the Metropolitan City of Bologna officially became sister cities.
2016
Music festival in Rennes
On 4-6 March 2016 Przodki, a traditional music ensemble from Poznań took part in the Sevenadur festival in Rennes. The musicians from Poznań gave several concerts for the residents of Rennes and suburbs. They also conducted the Polish dances workshops.
The organizers were the City of Rennes, the Cercle Celtique de Rennes and the Brittany-Poland association.
The project was co-financed with the "small grant" of the City Development Department of the City of Poznań.
The 50th anniversary of twinning between Brno and Poznań
in
2015
Young hip hop dancers triumphed in Rennes
On 22-25 October 2015 representatives of the Ewa Johansen "Talent" Foundation from Poznań participated in a Polish-French-Czech-German exchange and integration of young hip hop groups. Poznań was represented by two talented dancers Piotr Szwarc and Jakub Kamiński and a coordinator from the foundation, Mrs. Justyna Piskorska.
The exchange was organized because the City of Rennes had invited delegations from its twin cities, Poznań, Brno (Czech Republic) and Erlangen (Germany) to attend, together with their new colleagues from Rennes, the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of twinning between Rennes and Brno. One of the main events was the international hip hop "battle".
The two dancers from Poznań gave top level performances winning the admiration of the audience - the youth from Rennes, Brno, Erlangen, representatives of the authorities of Rennes, local associations and committies for foreign relations and residents of Rennes. Piotr Szwarc, together with a colleague from Rennes, became the winner of the contest. Jakub Kamiński, with a representative of Brno, was second.
The participation of dancers from Poznań was an excellent promotion of the city and of the twinning between Rennes and Poznań. Another important aspect of the visit was the integration of the youth from European countries.
The Organizers were the town twinning committies for the cooperation of Rennes with Poznań, Brno and Erlangen and the International House of Rennes (Maison Internationale de Rennes).
The visit in Rennes had been made possible owing to a small grant awarded by the Poznań City Hall.
Quality of life of the elderly and youth unemployment, exchange of experiences between Nottinghamshire and Poznań
13-16 February 2015, John Clarke (Nottinghamshire County Councillor, Gedling Borough Council Leader, member of the Police Authority), Michael Payne (Deputy Leader of Gedling Borough Council) and Malcolm Matthews (retired coordinator of international cooperation) came on a study visit to Poznań.
The aim was the exchange of good practices on issues like care for the elderly and youth unemployment. These topics were discussed at meetings with the Deputy Mayor, Jakub Jędrzejewski, the Director of Health and Social Issues Department, Maria Remiezowicz and the Director of the Centre for Senior Citizens Initiatives, Wojciech Bauer.
The guests from Nottinghamshire visited the Centre of Continuing and Practical Education.
New scholarships of Shenzhen for Poznań
The City of Shenzhen has offered new scholarships which will allow 2 representatives of Poznań, students or graduates, to study for one year in Shenzhen. An open contest was launched on 23 January 2015. The two laureates will be known until April 2015.
2014
Silver Seals of the City of Poznań for mayors of sister cities
On June 29, 2014, the Mayor of Poznań awarded Silver Seals of the City of Poznań to mayors of Brno and Győr in recognition of their merits for cooperation with Poznań.
Mr Roman Onderka was first elected mayor of Brno in 2006. Currently he serves also as member of the Government Council for Sustainable Development and takes part in work and activities of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. Thanks to Mr Mayor's support partnership between Brno and Poznań develops dynamically, especially in the fields of education and culture. Since 2011 the capital of the Moravian Region organizes and hosts the Days of Polish Culture, initiated as part of the 45th anniversary of partnership. Local organizations of Poznań and Brno cooperate actively, namely: the Masaryk University with the Adam Mickiewicz University, the Jiri Mahen Library with Raczyńskich Library, one of the schools of Brno with the School "Łejery". The association "Polonus" represents Polish citizens living in Brno. Relations between Brno and Poznań are supported by the Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Poznań.
Mr Zsolt Borkai had been elected mayor of Győr also in 2006. He was member of the Hungarian parliament in 2010-2014. Mr Borkai is the Chairman of the Hungarian Olympic Committee. He won gold medals in gymnastics at the World Championship's and Olympic Games. Owing to good cooperation with Győr, Poznań had the privilege to organize the Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day in 2011. For several years youth representing Poznań has been participating in the international Kids' Olympics in Győr. On a regular basis Poznań is invited to take part in the Book Fair in Győr. One of the main partners of Poznań is also the Self-Government of the Polish Minority in Győr, voluntary organization promoting actively Polish culture and traditions and Poznań itself.
Shenzhen Universiade International Scholarships awarded
On April 9th, 2014, two laureates from Poznań were awarded scholarships of the City of Shenzhen, at the end of the 3rd stage of an open contest. 11 people applied to receive Shenzhen Universiade International Scholarship, four best candidates qualified for the last stage.
Scholarships were awarded to:
- student of Sinology (first year of studies of secong degree) at Adam Mickiewicz University, her project is to study in Shenzhen business Chinese, because she intends to create Polish-Chinese Trade Dictionary;
- PhD student in Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology of Adam Mickiewicz University. Thanks to scholarship in Shenzhen she wishes to carry out research about migration from Western countries to China.
Two grants of Shenzhen Universiade International Scholarship Foundation had been offered for representatives of Poznan on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of cooperation between Shenzhen and Poznań.
Official visit to Poznań of Mr. XU Qin, Mayor of Shenzhen
On March 20-21, 2014 the Mayor of Shenzhen, Mr. XU Qin paid an official visit to Poznań, accompanied by representatives of administration, Shenzhen University, businessmen and media. On this occasion, four agreements were officially concluded, namely:
- Agreement on friendly exchange and cooperation between the cities: Shenzhen (People's Republic of China) and Poznań (Republic of Poland) for years 2014-2017;
- Memorandum on friendly exchange and cooperation in cultural and creative industry between Shenzhen and Poznań;
- Agreement for student exchange between Shenzhen University and Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań;
- Agreement between Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) in Shenzhen and medical centre Neomedica in Poznań.
Possibilites of cooperation were also discussed during meetings with authorities of the Adam Mickiewicz University, University of Arts and the Poznań International Fair.
In Poznań City Hall a young talent from Shenzhen, Ms. Zhang Zuo, performed a mini piano recital.
Brno and Győr participated in the book fair in Poznań
From February 28 to March 2nd guests from twin cities Brno and Győr took part in the Poznań Trade Fair Meetings - Books for Children and Young People.
The fairs were attended by representatives of the Jiri Mahen Library from Brno and of the Municipal Museum of Győr.
On February 28th First Lady of the Republic of Poland Mrs. Anna Komorowska visited the stands of Brno and Győr.
Call for support for Ukraine
In reaction to dramatic events in Ukraine, on February 21st the Mayor of Poznań called for support for Ukraine:
Similarly as most Poznań resident, I am following the events in Ukraine and the crisis in which our Eastern Neighbour is immersing into, with great worry. In view of the facts that are reaching us, we can see what magnitude of problems Ukrainians are struggling with to strive for respect for their elementary liberties.
I observed the path of Ukraine to democratic Europe with great satisfaction, both in the global and local scale cooperating with the partner Kharkov. I expected our Ukrainian neighbours to shortly join the members of the European Union and along with us, in the European Union, develop their own future.
Messages which we receive, not only media, are not encouraging. The conflict is gaining a more and more dramatic character, people are dying.
No mandate gives the authorities the right to shoot at their own citizens, who are expressing their opposition to their moves. If history is to teach us something, then just this, that you cannot enforce your own will to anyone by using violence, not nowadays.
That is why I appeal for dialog to replace violence, for resuming talks and for both parties to the conflict to find a peaceful solution.
I believe that the future of Ukraine shall be developed by it's own residents by way of democratic and peaceful procedures. I believe that nobody else will have to pay the highest price for the values which are obvious to everyone.
Today, Ukrainians need every gesture of support from us, a signal that Poles are with them and that they are supporting their fight for democracy and freedom of choosing their own future.
Ryszard Grobelny
The Mayor of Poznań
http://www.poznan.pl/mim/wiadmag/news/apel-prezydenta-poznania-o-wsparcie-dla-ukrainy,68123.html
Call for scholarships' candidates
On February 21st the Faculty of Modern Languages and Literatures of Adam Mickiewicz University announced call for candidates to two scholarships granted to Poznań by the City of Shenzhen on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of twin cities' cooperation.
More information: http://wn.amu.edu.pl/strona-glowna/content-wneo-glowny/oferta-stypendiow-miasta-shenzhen-chiny
The Mayor of Poznań concerned about the situation in Ukraine
In a letter to Mr. Gennadiy Kernes the Mayor of Kharkiv, dated January 23, 2014, the Mayor of Poznań Mr. Ryszard Grobelny expressed his concern about deterioration of the situation in Ukraine.
2013
NEW MAYOR OF KUTAISI
Mr. Dimitri Kopaliani has been elected the new Mayor of the City of Kutaisi (Georgia). Mr. Kopaliani who will replace Mr. Besik Bregadze, graduated from University of Michigan and has a PhD in Management Information Technology, Lawrence Tech. University, Southfield MI, USA. He was born in Kutaisi, is 43 years old, of which he spent 20 years abroad, he has three children, his wife is American.
(06.2013)
TEAM FROM GEORGIA INCLUDING STUDENTS FROM KUTAISI PARTICIPATED IN EUROASMUS AND FRIENDS CUP 2013.
On June 6th at the stadium Przywodny Rataje Complex, os. Piastowskie 106A, the second edition of international student football tournament EUROASMUS AND FRIENDS CUP 2013 tOOK place.
One pitch, students from all over the world, unforgettable emotions!
10 national teams with at least 6 players played: Switzerland (Winner of the Games), Georgia, Germany, Jamaica, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, DS (Dormitory) No.1 from Poznań and DS (Dormitory) "Jowita" from Poznań.
Team from Georgia played in group with: Poland, Spain, Turkey and DS 1.
United we play, united we support, united we enjoy!
27th May - June 1st 2013: EXPERTS IN THE FIELD OF DISABLED PEOPLE FROM POZNAŃ VISITED KUTAISI.
In the frames of Polsih Aid - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2013 project "Partners Against Exclusion. Exchange of Experience Between Poznań and Kutaisi in the Field of Support for Disabled Persons" six specialists from Poznań met their counterparts and partners from ngo's in the City of Kutaisi. The re-visit is planned for September 2013.
POZNAŃ SUPPORTS STUDENTS FROM PARTNER CITIES.
Mr. Ioseb Otskheli (Kutaisi, Georgia) has graduated from the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. Mr. Otskheli spent his last two years in Poznań studying Information Technologies. He has been awarded scholarship from the cities of Poznań and Kutaisi.
We wish Mr. Otskheli success in his professional and private life!
(05.2013)
POZNAŃ HOSTED IN THE END OF APRIL TWO DELEGATIONS FROM THE CAPITAL OF GEORGIA - TBILISI.
We had a possibility to exchange our experience in the field of municipal transportation and organization of Days of Entrepreneurship.
Delegations consisted of the Vice Mayor Mrs. Sevdia Ugrekhelidze and representatives of departments of the City Hall. They had occassion to meet their couterparts from the Poznań City Hall, visit MPK (Municipal Transportation Company), MTP (Poznań International Fair) as well as learn about local biggest investors and projects.
Tbilisi, a fast growing capital draws foreign investments and develops its capacity of organization of big events, also for own citizens.
THE OFFICIAL CELEBRATION OF THE POLISH - HUNGARIAN FRIENDSHIP DAY WILL BE HELD ON THE 23RD MARCH IN TARNÓW.
This is a good occasion to meet friends of Poznań-Győr cooperation.
Main celebrations of the Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day will be accompanied by a number of side events. The Hungarian and Polish Presidents, representatives of governments from both countries, NGOs, academic institutions and associations of Polish minority take part in the ceremony.
(From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
"The notion of Polish-Hungarian friendship must be preserved by future generations, Hungarian President Janos Ader said in Tarnow in Southern Poland on Saturday.
Ader said at an event celebrating the day of Polish-Hungarian friendship that General Bem, who was born in Tarnow in 1794, is today considered a national hero in both Hungary and Poland because he fought for the freedom of both countries.
Poland and Hungary need not fight for freedom anymore because they are both equal members in an important alliance, Ader said. However, it is a joint responsibility of people in both countries to preserve the thousand-year old friendship that exists between Poland and Hungary, he added.
March 23 was declared the day of Polish-Hungarian friendship by the parliaments of both countries in 2007 and they take turns in celebrating the event each year.
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski said next year's celebrations will be held in the Hungarian city of Eger.
Earlier in the day, the presidents laid wreaths at the Bem Mausoleum of Tarnow.
Ader met students at the Jagiellonian University of Kraków on Saturday morning.
In a speech, he said young people should travel abroad to see the world and even work abroad for some time, but they should never forget about their country of birth."
XII POZNAŃ FAIR MEETINGS: BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Poznań Trade Fair Meetings Books for Children and Young People is the most important event in Poland which hosts the youngest literature lovers and the authors of books for children and young people. This year's edition took place from 15th to 17th March 2013.
Children and youth as well as their parents are the target audience. Poznań Trade Fair Meetings attract also great interest of professionals - writers, illustrators, editors, translators, book-sellers, librarians, teachers and scientific circles. They take place along with the biggest in Poland Education Fair.
During Poznań Trade Fair Meetings books and reading books are promoted in various ways. The exhibition is accompanied by a variety of additional events.
They include conferences, discussion panels, meetings with authors, workshops for children, shows and competitions. The amazing impact of books can be best seen during activities for children organized at the fair: at exhibition stands, within workshop space arranged in a special way and at the stage.
In 2013 special guests were representatives of partner cities: Brno (Czech Republic) and Győr (Hungary). Jiri Mahen Library in Brno is a partner of Raczynski Library in Poznan. Years of common projects let us speak of employees and readers as real friends.
Győr was represented traditionally not only by Municipal Museum, but also by a representative of Polish Minority, that strongly supports Poznań-Győr partnership. Art workshops and exhibition of illustrations for children was prepared by a young artist Ms. Zsuzska Farkas.
2012
EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF ROAD MAINTENANCE - DELEGATION FROM KHARKIV IN POZNAŃ
Between February, 13-15 Poznań hosted official representatives of the Kharkiv City Council who are responsible for the road maintenance, investments and work of municipal entities.
Together with their Polish counterparts they
-visited emergent repair works on municipal utilities networks
-technical equipping of services engaged in emergent repair works - system of monitoring emergency situations
-maintenance of street network and roads in autumn/winter period
-observed work of traffic system
-discussed standard and financial indicators of municipal budgets as for the improvement of territories and roads
BOOK FAIR AND EXHIBITION IN GYOR
From 8 to 12 November 2012, at the invitation of the Győr authorities, the delegation representing Poznań during the 12th Book Fair and Exhibition stayed in this Hungarian Partner City of Poznań.
The fair was attended by representatives of the Poznań City Hall and Olcha Wierzbowska-Sikorska, Vice-President of the Polish Association of Book Publishers, and Jan Stryjski, Deputy Director of the "Posnania" Municipal Publishing House.
Representatives of Poznań had a meeting with the city authorities and guests from 7 other Partner Cities of Győr who participated in the fair - Erfurt (Germany), Ingolstadt (Germany), Sindelfingen (Germany), Brasov (Roumania), Kuopio (Finland), Colmar (France) i Wuhan (China). Books for the exhibition were provided by the Zysk & S-ka Publishing House, the "Posnania" Municipal Publishing House and the Media Rodzina Publishing House. In addition, the tourist attractions of Poznań were presented. This year's fair, organised in the National Theatre, was attended by many visitors.
Within the exhibition "Illustration Salon", the Museum in Győr showed the most interesting pieces by young Polish illustrators, which in March this year were presented during the Poznań Trade Fair Meetings - Books for Children and Young People. During the vernissage in the Museum there was the premiere presentation of the book of legends adapted by Olcha Wierzbowska-Sikorska and illustrated by a Hungarian artist. The volume, published by the Polish Minority Self-Government in Győr, with the support of the Provincial Local Government of Győr, features the legend of the Poznań Town Hall goats and of the iron rooster in Győr. The event attracted the interest of the local media.
Meetings with the Polish community in Győr constituted an important part of the visit. On 11 November representatives of Poznań and the Polish Minority Self-Government in Győr laid flowers before the Polish-Hungarian Friendship Monument. The delegation from the City of Poznań also attended a Polish music concert organised within the 6th Festival of Polish Music in Győr.
A SEMINAR IN BRITTANY SUMMARISING TWO DECADES OF COOPERATION BETWEEN LOCAL-GOVERNMENT ENTITIES
11-15 July 2012 - The Deputy Mayor of Poznań, Dariusz Jaworski, and the President of the Education Committee of Poznań City Council, Jan Chudobiecki, have participated in a seminar summarising the cooperation between Wielkopolska and Brittany, established during martial law in Poland.
It is worth recalling that from 1981 to 1994 trucks were sent from Brittany to Poland with gifts offered by Bretons, touched by the call for help for the Polish people published in the Ouest-France daily. 1993 saw Brittany House being set up in Poznań, and in 1998 Poznań and Rennes signed a memorandum of cooperation. Since 2005, Wielkopolska and Brittany have been bound by a partnership agreement.
During the seminar in Rennes and St Brice-en-Cogles, discussion was held on achievements, experience gained, mutual expectations and new methods of cooperation. Among the issues discussed were the involvement of young people in cooperation between the cities and communes, the practical arrangements for the cooperation, and the formation of a European identity.
The representatives of the City of Poznań, the Wielkopolska Centre for Local-Government Education and Studies, of Brittany House, and a group of Local-Government leaders from 12 communes of Wielkopolska, and from the Ukrainian region Vinnytsia and the German city Erlangen, had a meeting, among others, with the regional and city authorities and the members of the diplomatic corps. They attended a ceremony presenting Mrs Gracie Léon and Mr Jean Meinnel, distinguished in cooperation between Brittany and Wielkopolska, with Orders of Merit of the Republic of Poland. On 14 July in Rennes, they had an opportunity to watch the parade within the celebrations of the French National Day from the VIP stand. A French-Polish Mass concluding an all-day fest organised in Retiers was an important element in the visit.
The meetings were organised by the Brittany-Poland Association in Rennes, in cooperation with Rennes City, the Brittany Region, the Poznań-Rennes Cooperation Committee, and communes of Brittany.
The next meeting, with the purpose of seeking new directions and boosting cooperation between Poland and Brittany, is planned in Poznań and in communes of Wielkopolska in 2013.
INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING COMPETITION OF TWIN CITIES IN BRNO
On May 19-20, 2012 an International Swimming Competition of Twin Cities, "Majove Brno" for athletes born between 1999/2000 took place in Brno. Poznań was represented by young swimmers from Warta Poznań sports club. Their opponents came to Brno from eight countries for example from Russia, France, Hungary and Germany. The races were held in a 50-meter Olympic pool, used for regular trainings by swimmers of the Kometa Club - host and main organizer of the event. Another important aspect of the visit of Poznan's representatives in Brno was the integration with young people from other European cities.
JOHN AMOS COMENIUS PROJECT
On April 4, 2012, a final meeting of the project "Brama języków otwarta" (Gate to languages opened) took place in Brno. This polish-czech project implemented by the Raczyńskich Library in Poznań and the Jiri Mahen in Brno was aimed to introduce John Amos Comenius - educator, Protestant philosopher and reformer - to the younger generation, to motivate language learners and to search for common European roots and values. In the framework of the "Days of Polish Culture in Brno" the Raczyńskich Library presented an exhibition, "Teacher of Nations", and the LeŻak students drama group from Leszno performed in the play "Visual World in Images by Comenius".
"BRNO IN COMICS" IN POZNAŃ
"Brno in Comics" - short stories about places in Brno and surroundings were exhibited as part of the IIIrd International Comics Culture Festival, in April 2012.
PROMOTION OF POZNAŃ AT THE INTERNATIONAL TOURISM TRADE FAIR IN BRNO
One of the biggest tourism trade fairs in Central Europe - GO/REGIONTOUR - took place from 12 to 15 January 2012 in Brno.
The GO section of the fair was devoted to foreign destinations and REGIONTOUR promoted regional tourism in Czech Republic (especially in Moravia) and Slovakia. Together with other 10 twin cities of Brno, Poznań presented its tourist offer, as guest of the Municipality, at the REGIONTOUR trade fair.
According to a preliminary report published by the Organizer the GO/REGIONTOUR fair, with 10,400 square meters of exhibition surface, was visited by nearly 30,000 people. Foreign visitors came from 12 countries, most of all from Slovakia, Germany, Poland and Croatia.
391 journalists were accredited in the Press Center, including 23 representatives of hungarian, austrian, russian and slovakian media.
The Fair was officially opened - on 12 January 2012 - by the Mayor of Brno Roman Onderka, who then visited the partner cities' stand. In several quizzes prepared by the Brno City Strategy Office visitors were responding to various questions on Brno and its twin cities.
2011
"CULTURAL ACTIVITY IN SCHOOL EDUCATION - EXPERIENCES OF POLAND AND HUNGARY" Poznań & Gyor Comenius Regio project 2009-2011
- the presentation of the local and regional solutions, the exchange of the experiences and the good practices between authorities and educational institutions in the field of cultural education at schools and strengthening and development of the bilateral cooperation between the partner towns.
As a consequence of the studio visits and the exchange of the experiences, the partners drew up a guide of the cultural education best practices, which was promoted and presented at the international conference in Győr and which will be distributed among the educational institutions in both regions.
Establishment of the cultural relations between the educational institutions will create a potential for the cultural cooperation between the regions and will strengthen
the Polish-Hungarian intercultural dialogue.
These activities may result in the improvement of the educational offer at schools due to the cultural lessons for students and may indicate different ways of involving students in organizing cultural activities.
In the future the partners would like to extend the cooperation and make use of the relations established during this project to organize the series of the cultural events referring to the Polish-Hungarian cultural heritage, in which a leading part will be played by students.
2010
PROMOTION OF THE CITY OF POZNAŃ IN NATO HEADQUARTER IN BRUSSELS- National Day celebrations
On the 10th of November 2010 in the NATO HQ in Brussels took place the celebrations
of the Polish National Day. It is the tradition of the Permanent Delegation
of the Republic of Poland to NATO each year to present particular Polish city and region. This year's celebrations were dedicated to the promotion of the city of Poznań, the 31st Air Base in Poznań-Krzesiny, as well as the Land Forces Training Centre. During the meeting that gathered around 400 guests, the city of Poznań had the opportunity to promote itself and present regional cuisine represented inter alia by St. Martin's croissant. The celebrations were attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps, the International Sekretariat,
the International Military as well as eurodeputees, Polish journalists accredited to the Polish Representation in Brussels and the local media. The artistic part of the celebration was led by an orchestra form the city of Geetbets.
INTERNATIONAL BOOK EXHIBITION IN GYOR
Győr - Hungarian partner city of Poznań organizes every Autumn International Book Exhibition. In the Xth edition (5-7. November 2010) representatives of Poznań were:
- Mrs. Olcha Sikorska, vicepresident of Polish Association of Book Publishers,
- Mrs. Elżbieta Krygowska - Butlewska, illustrator, owner of the Mila Publishing House,
- Mr. Jan Stryjski, deputy head of Municipal Publishing House of Poznań.
Apart from the stand our representatives prepared workshops for children and exhibition of illustrations. Author - Mrs. Elżbieta Krygowska - Butlewska regularly illustrates books and exhibits her works. She inherited talend after her father, who specializes in stained glass. Her drawings, paintings and illustrations were shown in Poland, USA, Turkey, former Yugoslavia, Canada. She has won numerous awards and diplomas of recognition.
The exhibition, taking place in the Hall of the Esterházy Palace (Gyor City Art Museum), will be opened by December 5th. It is most willingly visited by kindergartens and young illustrators.
EUROPE ON BOARD! MEETING IN THE CITY HALL
Between October 26th and November 1st the Dąbrówka High School & Gymnasium hosted guests of the Comenius project "Europe on board!". Among them there were students and teachers from Spain (IES José de Churriguera), Italy (Liceo Classico Statale Antonio Gramsci) and Germany (Ratsgymnasium Rheda-Wiedenbrück). On Friday, October 29th they met Deputy Mayor Mr. Jerzy Stępień in the City Hall and could hear about the system of administration in our City.
TWIN CITIES' STANDS DURING TOUR SALON 2010 TRADE FAIR
As every year also in 2010 the City of Poznan invited its twin cities to show their touristic potential during yearly Tour Salon - Trade Fair of Regions and Tourist Products. This year between October 20th and 23rd we hosted:
- Brno (Czech Republic) - stand prepared in the frames of Czech Tourism,
- Kharkov (Ukraine) and
- Kutaisi (Georgia).
The stands have been visited not only by professionals and public, but also by special guests: First Deputy Mayor of Poznan, Wiceconsul of the General Russian Consulate in Poznan, Secretary of teh City of Poznan, Chief of Protocol of the Ukrainian Honorary Consulate and Director of Poznan Local Tourist Organization.
Apart from the fair our guests have visited castle in Kórnik and palace in Rogalin, saw the new Poznań ity Stadium and took part in a cultural programme (II European Meeting of Jazz Traditionalists).
As a rule representatives of Poznań are also invited to partner cities' tourism fairs, conferences and study visits for tour operators.
IMPROVED ADMINISTRATION. COOPERATION OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES WITH NGOS. EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCE BETWEEN POZNAN AND KUTAISI
The project aims at enhancing the activities of local government in Kutaisi (Georgia), primarily in local government cooperation with NGOs, and the exchange of experiences between Poznan and Kutaisi.
In September and October 2010, six trainees from Kutaisi have the two-month internship in Poznan. They are the representatives of the City Hall in Kutaisi and the Local Democracy Agency in Kutaisi. Trainees will be trained in the creation and management of projects and cooperation with NGOs.
The project has received funding of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Polish Foreign Assistance. Project partner on the Polish side is the Foundation Partners for Local Government.
This is the second edition of internships for Georgians in Poznan. Last year, the first group of officials from the Kutaisi, the partner city of Poznan, they gained experience in the City Hall improving service quality.
Kutaisi is second the largest city of Georgia, the administrative center of the province of Imereti, and also an important center for science, culture and industry.
4TH EUROPEAN COOPERATION FORUM POZNAŃ - HANNOVER - RENNES
16-18 SEPTEMBER 2010
From September 16 to 18 Poznań hosted the European Cooperation Forum Poznań- Hannover - Rennes. This year's edition for the fourth time has created a platform to debate, with the twin cities of Poznań, on the issues of urban space development.
The first meeting of the Forum was organized in Poznań, in 2007, on June 25 and 26, at the initiative of the President of Poznań. The main objective of the meeting was to discuss the role of cities in the policy of the united Europe. The meeting was held under the patronage
of Hans-Gert Pöttering, the President of the European Parliament.
After discussion and allocutions by the representatives of many institutions, the Forum concluded with the signing of the common Declaration on the municipal governments' role
in the European integration process.
The second meeting took place on 20-22 November 2008 in Rennes and was dedicated to the cultural politics of European cities. The participants from Rennes, Poznań and Hannover were invited not only to debate but also to present the cultural offer of their cities.
Another meeting was held in Hannover on 25-26 November 2009. The theme of that conference was the role of universities in the life of the city. Poznań was represented by the Deputy Mayor and delegates from three largest universities. This meeting provided
an excellent opportunity to showcase international relations of the universities
and to present the mode of knowledge transfer to the economy.
The 4th edition of the forum dealed with the issue of the role of sports in the life of the city.
Among different aspects of citizens' physical activity the participants underlined the importance of the integration dimension of sport and its value for the municipal policies against social exclusion.
The representatives of Rennes and Hannover took part in a seminar organized by the Municipality of Poznań, visited the Municipal Stadium and the EURO 2012 accomodation and training Centre in Opalenica.
The Forum in Poznań was attended by:
Bernd Strauch - Deputy Mayor of Hannover,
Christian Schaefer - Director of Sports Centres and Pools Department, City of Hannover,
Lillian Ropert - Coordinator of the Eastern Sector of Rennes Agglomeration, Sports Department, City of Rennes.
The City of Poznań was represented by the Deputy Mayor, Mr. Sławomir Hinc.
MUSIC WORKSHOPS FOR STUDENTS FROM GEORGIA, SEPTEMBER 18-26, 2010
Poznań is one of music centres renown in Europe: there are music schools of all levels of education, music associations, we host international competitions.
An international phenomenon is number of remarkable violinmaking workshops, boys' choirs and the Museum of Music Instruments.
Along with this fact the city has prepared a music workshop for the representatives of the City of Kutaisi (Georgia) - three students of music schools with a teacher.
The workshop planned between September 18th and 26th includes classes at the Mieczysław Karłowicz Music High School, visits: in the F. Nowowiejski Musical Salon; museums, libraries, violin making workshop, Fara church (meeting with the organist) etc.
On the photo: Giorgi Sajaia from Kutaisi playing piano in the F.Nowowiejski Musical Salon.
STUDENTS OF POLISH SUNDAY SCHOOL IN CHERNIVTSI MEET DEPUTY MAYOR AND VISIT THE WHITE HALL
On Wednesday, September 8th a group of students from Charnivtsi/ Ukraine together with their colleagues from the 65th grammar school in Poznań met the first Deputy Mayor Mr. Tomasz Kayser and visited the Poznań City Hall.
After an introduction to the history and present of Poznań by Mr. Kayser - students presented songs in Ukrainian, Polish, German and Romanian. As Mrs. Łucja Uszakowa, their teacher of Polish explained, this part of Ukraine is known for multiculturalism, therefore many cultures and languages mix and childer are taught tolleration from their earliest years.
Children have been invited to our city by the Lvov Lovers' Association.
INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL TOURNMENT IN KHARKIV, 17-21 of AUGUST
Group of young football players from Poznań got IVth place in the International Football Tournment of Partner Cities. 16-year-old boys represented Centre for Sport Education for Young People in XXXI High School.
Apart from Poznań represented were teams: Nizhnyy Novgorod, "Olimpik" Donyetsk, "Arsenal" Kharkiv, "UFK" Kharkiv, Byelgorod, "Metallist" Kharkiv and "Zimbru" Kishynev.
FESTIVAL MAGIC OF BAROQUE IN GYŐR, 13 - 16 AUGUST 2010
Every year in August Gyor becomes the scene for most colorful baroque events: concerts, sport games, markets etc. City dwellers wander in costumes, kids play ancient games. All visitors become eyewitnesses to the fairy tale baroque wedding ceremony in which a real engaged couple vows everlasting faithfulness to each other.
This year the gift from Poznań became concert in the park on Rado Island (Gyor) by a group of four young artists from the Mieczysław Karłowicz Music High School in Poznań. "Jeune Quartett" played baroque music in this romantic atmosphere. Then delegation from Poznan, led by councillor Mr. Jan Chudobiecki had also occasion to visit the city and take part in other celebrations.
SUMMER ART SERVICE 2010, 25-31 JULY
Fifteen students and three art teachers from partner cities: Brno, Kharkov and Jyvaskyla participated in the "Summer Art Service".
"Summer Art Service" is a workshop run by artists specialising in visual arts. It takes place in a Cytadela park, where children paint, draw and create spatial objects using various and often unconventional materials such as scrap metal, industrial waste, etc.
"Summer Art Service" is an initiative dating back to 2000. It is a yearly event for young and little artists from Poznań and abroad, organised between July and August by the Children's Art Centre.
In 2010 apart from the workshops in the park children participate in:
-workshops run in "KontenerART" (mobile independent cultural center),
-art Classes at the National Art Museum "Forgers of art pieces",
-educational programme in the New ZOO Garden, where they'll arrive by Park Railway Maltanka,
-city tour with a guide,
-trip to museum - studio of Arkady Fiedler in Puszczykowo.