On January 31, 2024, we held the second meeting of Krakow heritage NGO’s. This space for dialogue initiated and led by the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Krakow was named the Kraków Heritage Forum.. The meeting attended by representatives from nearly thirty civil organisations focused on the intangible heritage of Krakow.
During the meeting, participants were discussing what the intangible heritage of Kraków means to them and why its specific manifestations are important. Among the issues raised were how these aspects reflect the character of their city, contributing to the identity of Kraków’s communities, the role of the NGO’s in safeguarding, developing, and promoting of heritage, and whether there any areas that require special support or joint actions. The theme of the second Forum will be continued in the upcoming meeting scheduled for February 28, 2024.
The establishment of the Working Group for the Intangible Heritage of Kraków in December 2023 by the Mayor of Kraków sets the context for discussing Kraków’s intangible heritage. Created on the 20th anniversary of UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and during the 45th anniversary of the inscription of the centre of Kraków on the World Heritage List, the Group’s efforts aim not only to identify further expressions of intangible heritage for national and international recognition but, more importantly, to enhance their visibility and awareness in the public domain. However, the success of these endeavours will depend on effective strategies to integrate these elements into the broader cultural consciousness and foster a deeper appreciation for Kraków’s intangible heritage.
The head of the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub, Dr. Katarzyna Jagodzińska, who is also a member of the mentioned group, says, “As a non-governmental organisation dedicated to heritage, intending to connect various actors and animate discussions, we have created a space for conversation and invited representatives from Krakow’s civil organisations. Our daily activities aim to take actions — depending on the profile — in favour of animation, preservation, education, communication, documentation, management, etc., of Krakow’s heritage. Recognising our shared concern for the city’s heritage, we decided to discuss topics currently relevant to public debate and challenging for the non-governmental sector. The aim is to articulate a common voice, brainstorm solutions, but also simply to get to know each other. The intangible heritage was recently highlighted by the city authorities as a crucial element of the city’s policy, hence the proposal for the start of our discussions”.
The second meeting of the Krakoów Heritage Forum was attended by representatives of the following organisations:
Społeczny Komitet Odnowy Zabytków Krakowa, Polskie Towarzystwo Historyczne – Oddział w Krakowie, Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Bronowic, Federacja Polsko-Węgierska im. Bálinta Balassiego, FestivALT, Fundacja im. Zofii i Jana Włodków, Fundacja Muzeum HERstorii Sztuki, Polskie Towarzystwo Ludoznawcze – Oddział w Krakowie, Polskie Towarzystwo Ziemiańskie – Oddział Kraków, Stowarzyszenie Instytut Badań Organizacji Kultury, Stowarzyszenie Podgórze.pl, , JCC Krakow – Centrum Społeczności Żydowskiej w Krakowie, Fundacja Fort Kosocice, Imago Centrum Sztuki Ludowej, Stowarzyszenie Miłośników Tradycyjnego Rękodzieła Ludowego i Artystycznego LUD-Art, Stowarzyszenie Artystyczne “Porta Musicae”, Związek Ukraińców w Polsce – Kraków, Balet Dworski Cracovia Danza, Fundacja na Rzecz Rozpowszechniania i Promocji Tańców Historycznych i Kultury Dworskiej ARDENTE SOLE, Fundacja Pełna Życia – Fort Sztuki i Życia, Fundacja Galicia Jewish Heritage Institute, Fundacja Promocji Wyrobów Rzemieślniczych, Cech Rzemiosł Spożywczych, Towarzystwo Społeczno-Kulturalne Żydów w Polsce – Oddział w Krakowie, Stowarzyszenie Ochrony Sikornika.
The Krakow Municipality was represented by Krzysztof Żwirski from the Department of Culture and National Heritage and Mateusz Drożdż from the Department of Tourism.
We warmly invite all interested organisations working for the heritage of our city to join the Kraków Heritage Forum. If you wish to participate in the upcoming meeting, please send an e-mail to Forum’s coordinator, Dr. Joanna Dziadowiec-Greganić – joanna.dziadowiec@heritagehubkrakow.org.