The 43rd Congress of the Polish Esperanto Association took place in Bielsko‐Biała, under the theme: “Between Mountains and Cultures – Together Through Esperanto.”
Around 130 participants attended, including a group of a dozen Esperantists from South Korea and individual participants from Germany, Slovakia, the Netherlands, and France. From Nowy Sącz, there were three of us: Jolanta Kieres, and Bożena and Marian Kocyk.
The activities were held in the building of the Beskid Library, which was very well adapted for this type of gathering.
As is customary, the event began with an excursion around the area: to the Castle in Pszczyna, the Kapias Gardens, and the village of Wilamowice, where the original language of the former inhabitants has been preserved — somewhat similar to German and Dutch.
The Koreans gave lectures on the culture of South Korea and on stages of economic development. They also led a short course in traditional Korean dance. Other interesting presentations included old Esperanto advertisements and travel impressions from Vietnam.
The artistic program was exceptionally rich. In addition to the well‐known satirical duo Szaszy Pfilipowicz and Georgo Handzlik, the following performed: the very famous and beloved Dutch band Kajto, and the outstanding French artist from Toulouse known in the Esperanto world under the pseudonym JoMo. We also heard the duo from Poznań SuMi, that is Zuzanna Kornicka and Mirosław Bartkowiak.
The city of Bielsko‐Biała was well worth visiting due to its rich history and the interesting architecture of Cieszyn Silesia, where – under the rule of the Habsburgs of Austria‐Hungary – the cultures of Poles, Czechs, and Slovaks mixed.
The congresses of the Polish Esperanto Association have a large group of supporters and are significant events in the Esperanto movement.
Bożena Kocyk
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