Invitations from The American Institute of Polish Culture. Gala celebrating "100 years of Poland regaining its independence".

You are cordially invited
to celebrate with us

100 years of Poland regaining its independence!

Polish people all over the World are commemorating this very significant milestone in Poland’s 1000 years long history.
We are delighted to honor those who fought for Poland’s freedom,
as well as recognize the centuries long Polish-American Friendship.
Guests invited to our celebration include
Governor Rick Scott, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Bill Nelson,
members of the U.S. Congress, Mayors, business leaders and scholars.

This prestigious gala will consist of an elegant dinner, wine and speeches, and
 will be held at the Hungarian Club of Miami
on Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 6:00 pm.

Black Tie or Cocktail Attire

We do hope you will join us to celebrate this grand occasion.
Respectfully, Lady Blanka Rosenstiel, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland
Founder and President of The American Institute of Polish Culture and The Chopin Foundation of the United States,
Beata Paszyc Executive Director of The American Institute of Polish Culture
Jadwiga Gewert Executive Director of the Chopin Foundation of the United States
Grzegorz Okoń President of the Polish American Club of Miami
With cooperation of
George dePozsgay Honorary Consul of Hungary and Hungarian Club of Miami

Tickets for the gala can be purchased for $100 a person at the link below.

http://www.ampolinstitute.org/index2.html

Hungarian Club of Miami
2230 NW 14th Street
Miami, FL 33125

Contact:
www.ampolinstitute.org
The American Institute of Polish Culture
Miami, FL
Tel: 305.864.2349
Email: info@ampolinstitute.org

*****

Our Veterans Day on November 11th invokes the end of World War I. For the Poles November 11this their Independence Day. In 2018 Poland celebrates its centennial.
No, Poland is not 100 years old. On November 11, 1918, Poland proclaimed its return to the world scene as an independent state. It also affirmed the continuity of its history: almost 900 years of its statehood, nearly a millennium of Christianity, and several thousands of years marking the presence of its people in the area around the Vistula River.
To tell the story chronologically, DNA research suggests that the denizens of contemporary

Poland descend from Eurasian settlers who originated in the Iranian plateau but put their roots down between the Vistula and Bug rivers some 3,000 years ago or more. A seminal watershed in Poland’s history was its Christianization in 966. That year also marks the official entry of the Polish state into the ranks of bona fide Christian European duchies.
It became a kingdom in 1025.
The medieval Crown of Poland eventually grew into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (14th to 18th centuries), which was the largest, most powerful, and freest nation in Europe.

Kings and parliaments were elective.
Over one million citizens had a vote and it was pre-modern times. It exceeded in number and freedom both Greek democracy and Roman Republic.
Habeus corpus applied since 1436; no taxation without representation was enshrined in thecon- stitution since 1505; and freedom of conscience, not only for Christians but also for Jews and Muslims from 1573. The Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania, the Rzeczpospolita, was partitioned by its predatory neighbors: Russia, Prussia, and Austria (1772, 1793, and, finally, 1795.)The Poles never reconciled themselves with the loss of freedom. They rose up in arms mul- tiple times at home and they fought abroad from Europe through North and Latin America. From 1918 to 1921 they fought seven border wars, including defeating the Red Army to stop the spread of Communism. Unfortunately, in September 1939, after a brief interlude of twenty years, Hitler and Stalin destroyed the Polish state as World War II broke out. Poland was driven under- ground, where its resistance units fought against both the Nazis and Communists. Abroad, the Polish army-in-exile never wavered in the service of the Allied cause.
In 1944-1945, the Red Army pushed the Wehrmacht out of Poland. There was no liberation: red totalitarianism replaced the brown one, Stalin substituted for Hitler. An anti-Communistinsur- gency persisted into the 1950s. Later, the Poles turned largely to non-violent struggle. From 1980 to 1989 “Solidarity” led the greatest charge for freedom. It prevailed and, eventually, Poland became a sovereign state and a parliamentary democracy once more.
Thus, November 11, 2018, Poland’s Independence Day, encapsulates the effort of
Polish generations to be free.

Marek Jan Chodakiewicz, 16 September 2018

 ©2018 The American Institute of Polish Culture | 1440 79th Street Causeway, Suite 117 | Miami | FL 33141

***********
--- Forwarded Message ---
From:   assistant@ampolinstitute.org 

The Blanka Rosenstiel Lecture Series on Poland

“Pola Negri”
Filmdom's First Femme Fatale

A Play from the Polish-Canadian Theater of Toronto

Thursday, Nov. 8th, 2018 | 7:00 p.m.
FIU Biscayne Bay Campus
Mary Ann Wolfe Theater
3000 N.E. 151 Street – North Miami, FL 33181

Following the play, there will be a reception for the artists and guests.
 This event is free and open to the public and all FIU students

Register:   https://www.eventbrite.com/e/play-pola-negri-tickets-50151287852

The European & Eurasian Studies Program at FIU, in collaboration with The American Institute of Polish Culture, The Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Poland, and the European Student Association at FIU, is pleased to invite you to a play about the life of Pola Negri, an extraordinary Polish stage and film actress.

Starring esteemed actors Agata Pilitowska and Maria Nowotarska, the dialogue is spoken in Polish with English subtitles projected onto large screen. Play written by Kazimierz Braun

Pola Negri (1894—1987) was a Polish American actress. She was born Barbara Apolonia Chałupec and performed as a ballerina for the Imperial Ballet Academy of Warsaw, but her dancing career was derailed due to an illness. With her first marriage she became Pola Negri, and she soon established herself as a successful stage actress and made her film début in 1914. A few years later she met German director Ernst Lubitsch and together they emigrated to Hollywood. In 1921 she signed a contract with Paramount, the first European actor in history to do so. She quickly became one of America's most popular and wealthy silent film stars, beloved for her seductive allure and tragic grand dame roles. She was also one of the few actors who was able to transition to speaking and singing parts.

Pola Negri was a style influencer and an undeniable trendsetter, popularizing red toenails, turbans and fur boots. She walked her pet cheetah on the residential streets of Los Angeles, and her passionate relationships with the leading men of the time, Charlie Chaplin and Rudolf Valentino, were daily fodder for celebrity followers. In the 1940s, she officially retired after her years as an important icon of cinema's golden era, and her contribution to film was recognized in 1960 with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

We are pleased to offer this riveting stage presentation for the first time in Miami.

► This event is free and open to the public and all FIU students

Funded by CSO

Presented and Co-Sponsored by The American Institute of Polish Culture, The Honorary Consulate of Poland, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, FIU Department of Theater, The European Student Association,
The Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, and FIU BBC Special Events Office.

►Register

  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/play-pola-negri-tickets-50151287852

Agenda

• 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Play “Pola Negri- Filmdom's First Femme Fatale"
• 8:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Reception