Jan Karski Bench Unveiled in Kraków's Kazimierz
During the unveiling ceremony, Kraków Mayor, Jacek Majchrowski said, "The Jan Karski bench is a monument to the ideas of democracy, multiculturalism, showing that we can be open to others, that we can be a someone not engrossed in ourself, And this place is symbolical. It is a place which links Jews and Christians.".
Others to take part in the unveiling included Walter Braunohler, USA Consul general in Kraków, Tadeusz Jakubowicz, Chairman of the Jewish Community Council and Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka, President of the Jan Karski Education Foundation.
The work of that of sculptor Karol Badyna of the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts, who is the creator of all the Jan Karski benches. Apart from Kraków, other benches can be found in Kielce, Łódż and Warsaw, as well as in Washington, New York and Tel Aviv. Each one has a different form.
"The palms are sculpted specifically. Those who know Karski's story will know why the palms are important", the artist told reporters, "This history i linked to the Małopolskie Province and the imprisonment of Karski during his first mission as a courier. Afraid that he may betray his colleagues, he attempted suicide by slashing his wrists. For the rest of his life, he these sort of stigmata which the Gestapo would use to identify him."
The unveiling of this bench was once again met with protests from Jan Karski's family, whi are opposed to remembering his deeds through the erection of monuments:
"It is painful. Once again, another 'Jan Karski bench' emerges from the same foundry. Again, I have to say, stop harming his memory with these casts! During his life, he was categorically opposed to 'monumentalising' remembrance. Firstly, he was an immensely modest man and moderate in his attitudes. Secondly, he felt a spiritual connection to the people whom he tried to save during World War II, carrying out his missions to best of his strength and abilities. Those people do not have a tradition of erecting monuments in human form. There are no such Israeli creations of David Ben Gurion, Golda Meir or Itzchak Rabin. Jan Karski would consider honoring someone in this way as a blasphemy", Dr Wiesława Kozielewska, Karski's niece and goddaughter, told a "Gazeta Wyborcza" journalist.
Participants in last Tuesday's event responded to the family accusations.
"It is my opinion that Jan Karski, whom I had the honour of knowing personally, is still not known widely enough. It is our duty to remember heroes such as him and to disseminate his memory", said former Prime Minister Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz. "Karski should be present in every respected place”, stressed Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka, President of the Jan Karski Education Foundation.
The bench was erected at the initiative of Chris Humnicki and the Krakow Rotary Club. It was made financially possible by the Kraków City Council, the Kraków Association in Israel, Rotary Clubs in Germany and Sweden, Kraków businessmen and private individuals.
