On Saturday, 22 June 2024, Undersecretary of State at the Polish MFA Henryka Mościcka-Dendys launched the Polish Institute’s anniversary celebrations. That day, the Am Gestade square in front of the Polish Institute saw a variety of cultural events, such as classical music concerts, public reading of a theatre play written on the occasion of the jubilee, as well as dance and cooking workshops. Deputy Minister Mościcka-Dendys highlighted the fact that, since the inception of the Polish Institute, the geopolitical situation in Europe has significantly changed and that Polish-Austrian relations have gained a new dimension, especially after Poland joined the EU. However, the Institute’s mission remained intact and is to strengthen cultural exchange between Poland and Austria, as well as to better understand each other through cultural and public diplomacy.

As part of political consultations at the Austrian MFA, Undersecretary of State Mościcka-Dendys met with Head of Section IV – Consular Affairs Georg Stillfried and Head of Section V – International Cultural Policy Christoph Thun-Hohenstein. The discussed topics included bilateral matters, migration policy, cooperation within the EU, as well as promotion and cultural diplomacy.

The Vienna visit’s programme included a meeting with Director of the Mauthausen Memorial’s Federal Office Barbara Glück, during which the officials discussed a plan to expand the Memorial site into the territory of the Gusen subcamp and Poland’s role in the process (Beteiligungsprocess). Deputy Minister Mościcka-Dendys also spoke with Director of the Institute for Human Sciences Misha Glenny about such topics as implementation of joint projects, especially with respect to the countries covered by the EU enlargement agenda.  

***

The Polish Institute in Vienna was opened on 5 June 1974 but its history dates back to the late 1950s. The establishment of both the Institute and the Austrian Culture Forum in Warsaw was a major step towards promoting cultural exchange and mutual understanding.