The Swedish Bulletin - Archives: H.E. Mr Marek Prawda, Poland’s Ambassador to Sweden

A look back to the future: H.E. Mr Marek Prawda, Poland’s Ambassador to Sweden

There are several ways in which Polish-Swedish relations could be presented. Whether the focus is on medieval or modern times, it is always possible to find conflicting elements and tendencies. Alongside extremely intensive trade contacts and bonds between the royal families, it is easy to discern different interests, rivalries and wars. The struggle for the Swedish succession in 1617 even saw a bill passed by the Parliament in Örebro, which severely penalised maintaining contacts with Poland.

The Swedes had obviously forgotten their legislation when they decided to launch the Polen i focus programme in 1999. Contrary to the Örebro deputies, the Prime Minister recommended the Swedish regions to enter into close relations with their Polish counterparts, so that both countries could make use of their geographical proximity in the context of enlarging European Union. Representation of Swedish cities and regions in Poland turned out to be such an original and successful form of promotion that the Poles decided to reciprocate and announced 2003 as the Swedish Year in Polish Foreign Politics – Polen.nu

It is my impression that both the Swedes and the Poles have little knowledge and understanding of the close traditional links that have existed between our nations for centuries. The creation of state marriages brought our dynasties together and many historians consider the marriage between the King of Swedes Erik Segersäll (10/11th century) and Sigrida, the daughter of the first Polish King Mieszko I to have initiated this.

At the same time political conflicts increased migration tendencies, especially from Sweden to Poland. This has left a lasting mark on our social and cultural life. Not many people in Poland realise that the author of the first Polish Dictionary, Samuel Bogumil Linde, was a descendant of a Swedish immigrant. A hero of the 1939 war against the Nazis, General Franciszek Kleeberg and director of the National Museum in Warsaw and great contributor to the Polish culture, professor Stanislaw Lorentz, both had Swedish roots. It seems worthwhile for Poles to notice this aspect of the presence of Sweden in Poland, when talking about history, instead of concentrating on the 17th century looting wars.

The Swedes on their part are quite attached to their vision of Poland as a stronghold of Catholicism which, particularly in 16th century, became a lethal threat to Lutheran Sweden. This point of view obscured the picture of Poland for centuries. The Poles would be perhaps less surprised, if the image were not to relate to the 16th century - a time of outstandingly harmonious coexistence of many ethnic and religious groups which included access to highest state positions for those of a different belief. This was an unthinkable situation for most of the countries of that time, and definitely for Sweden.

This part of the Polish history gained prominence in the context of the debate on Poland’s accession to the European Union. Seeking a new place in the international community, we attempt to define and justify our European identity and the vision and tradition of Jagiellonian Poland - open, multilingual, multicultural, and tolerant - is particularly useful. We place it in opposition to the tradition of an ideologically and nationally homogenous state and it is an amusing misunderstanding that it has such a bad opinion in Sweden.

The 1562 marriage between Johan III, the son of Gustav I Vasa and Catharine Jagiellon, the daughter of the Polish King Sigismund the Old, was of the greatest importance for the historic ties between Poland and Sweden. Their son, Sigismund, who was born in the Castle of Gripsholm, where his parents were imprisoned, became the king of Poland, which initiated an intense and stormy period in our relations. It has been well presented this year in an exhibition entitled Three Crowns and the Polish Eagle at the Kalmar Castle.

It is worth mentioning that King Sigismund III, transferred his capital from Krakow to Warsaw in 1596. Krakow - a city of traditions and one of the oldest European universities of 1364, is still grieving this fact, while Warsaw celebrates King Sigismund, whose tall column stands in front of the Royal Castle and is the most frequently photographed monument as well as intrinsic element of the city’s skyline. A somewhat exaggerated adoration of King Sigismund in Warsaw is certainly prompted by a possibility to get on the nerves of people of Krakow.

Poles have also been visible in Sweden. Among the refugees who escaped Russian repressions after one of the uprisings against the Tsarist occupiers was Henryk Bukowski. He came to Stockholm in 1864, became a colourful figure in Stockholm and later established a well-known auction house. Adam Heymowski, who died in 1995, was an outstanding expert in heraldry, personal librarian of King Karl XVI Gustav, as well as director of Bernadotte Library. And most Swedish postal stamps have been designed by a Pole - Czeslaw Slania. The presence of many Poles in numerous circles and professions is a result of a wave of mass migration from communist Poland - for political and economic reasons - which reached Sweden as well. After 1945 Sweden accepted a large number of Polish prisoners of Nazi concentration camps, and assisted our war-ridden country. In the times of war, it was the courage of the Swedes, which helped a report on holocaust sent by the Polish resistance, to reach Polish government in exile in London.

Poles remember well how the Swedish society mobilised to assist their country in the beginning of the 1980’s. Many Swedish politicians, journalists, academics and labour movement activists entered into close relations with the Polish democratic opposition and helped Solidarity movement, especially in the most difficult period of Martial Law. Such activity could result in imprisonment and some, like journalist Göran Jacobsson, had the misfortune to experience that. The editors of a magazine devoted to Polish affairs - Hotel Örnsköld, which was then being published (translator Anders Bodegård, writer Agneta Pleijel, Slavicist Lars Kleberg and others) contributed to a large extent to the successful “translation” of the Polish experience into the Swedish context and managed to stimulate interest within various influential circles. An exhibition illustrating the scale of Swedish support and documenting it was recently opened in Warsaw, thanks to the efforts of Maria Borowska, the initiator of most of the activities which took place in Stockholm in that period.

The inauguration of the exhibition entitled Polish Cause is Our Cause, which took place on 26 May 2003 in the headquarters of the biggest Polish daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, was an important event and an occasion to reflect on the Swedish contribution to the success of the Polish reforms of 1989. Our invitation to participate in the opening was accepted by many of those who had played an important role in winning the support for Poland within the elites and the Swedish society - the aforementioned, as well as professor Sten Johansson of the Stockholm University, former editor of Aftonbladet Gunnar Fredriksson, former editor of Dagens Nyheter Arne Ruth, Ingrid Thörnqvist from the SVT, and others - most notably journalist, Mika Larsson.

The events of the Polish Year in Sweden will facilitate a discussion on the future of our relations. We wish to introduce new elements into our contacts and await impulses which will allow us to make better use of economic and tourist exchange. The Polen.nu programme was initiated by the Warsaw Gala in Stockholm City Hall, in the presence of over 1000 guests, arriving from many regions of Sweden, and by the Polish-Swedish Forum in Riksdag, in which over 300 representatives of the political, economic and cultural circles of our countries met.

The first half of the year saw numerous events - concerts, exhibitions, and economic presentations organised on a central as well as regional level. It is our intention for this regional aspect to become one of the main characteristics of bilateral cooperation, which should facilitate the creation of professional links and the network of contacts between people. This, together with realisation of our common interests and undertaking of common tasks, is our greatest chance to overcome the hindrances caused by lack of knowledge and the perception of distance.