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Professor Andrzej Rottermund is the laureate of the 25th edition of the Professor Aleksander Gieysztor Award
On March 14, 2024, the XXV Professor Aleksander Gieysztor Award was presented at the Royal Castle in Warsaw during a ceremonial Gala. This prestigious distinction was awarded to Professor Andrzej Rottermund for his lifetime achievements in the cultivation and protection of cultural heritage in Poland and abroad, as well as for his decades-long efforts to preserve and revitalize Warsaw's monuments.
"The protection of cultural heritage has become a permanent part of our social responsibility activities. We deeply believe that by distinguishing people working in this area, we care about the memory of generations. This year's laureate of the jubilee award, Professor Andrzej Rottermund, is not only an icon of museums, but also a man who cares about cultural goods. It is an authority and a guide in activities for building our cultural identity. It is a great honour for us that our Foundation has been able to benefit from his advice and guidance for years", said Elżbieta Czetwertyńska, President of the Management Board of Citi Handlowy.
The Jury of the Professor Aleksander Gieysztor Award emphasised the involvement of Professor Andrzej Rottermund in the work and efforts to preserve and revitalise the monuments of Warsaw, which he carried out consistently, not only by writing books and scientific dissertations on the subject, but also by working in numerous organisations that could support this activity. The professor is the author of over 100 publications in the field of art history and museology. The Jury appreciated the Laureate's contribution to the completion of the reconstruction and making the Royal Castle in Warsaw flourish, acquiring priceless works of art for this museum and popularizing knowledge about Polish art.
During his speech, Professor Andrzej Rottermund emphasized the challenges faced by the broadly understood field of heritage protection, issues related to the care of architectural objects, the protection of contemporary heritage, changes that take place on a global scale, in cultural identity politics, or the protection of intangible values of cultural goods.
“Matters important for the future of our heritage. Architectural objects which, despite being entered on the list of monuments, and therefore having legal safeguards from the point of view of formal protection, are threatened today. This applies to as many as 58 sites inscribed on the World Heritage Lists on a global scale. Most of them are objects threatened by hostilities, but there are also such historic urban centers as Vienna or Dresden, which have already been removed from the UNESCO list. It is becoming a serious challenge to reconcile the protection of the historic landscape of the city with the current needs of the urban community. We still remember the words of the great visionary of architecture, Antonio Sant'Elia, who argued that "each generation will want to build its own city". (…) Inspired by a fragment of Prof. Jacek Purchla's laudation on the arrangement and furnishing of the Royal Castle in Warsaw, I would like to share with you a personal reflection on one of the aspects of heritage protection. I mean the protection of the intangible values of cultural goods, especially in relation to those historical houses that today serve as museums. Personally, I am convinced that the immaterial aspect of our reality evoked in the space of the historical house, which today serves as a museum, is something very important for the integral reception of this kind of monument. This is what distinguishes historical houses from classic museums", said Professor Andrzej Rottermund.
The Professor Aleksander Gieysztor Award has been awarded for 25 years by the Citi Handlowy Leopold Kronenberg Foundation for special achievements in the protection of cultural heritage. The aim of the project is to promote and support personalities whose activities can inspire future generations. The distinction is awarded for outstanding achievements aimed at protecting Polish cultural heritage in the country and abroad. Institutions and individuals honoured with this Award are actively involved in the development, promotion and education in the area of cultural heritage protection. Previous Laureates of the Award include Professor Jerzy Hausner for his comprehensive activities for the use and (re)interpretation of cultural heritage as the basis for communication and creativity as well as the economy of values. Professor Jerzy Limon was awarded for creating the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre, which combines tradition with modernity, promoting contemporary theatre and art in an understandable way. The Pendereccy family was also awarded for creating the European Centre for Music in Lusławice – a place where young art adepts can develop their talent. Anda Rottenberg also received the award. It was also awarded to the British historian Norman Davies, who devoted a significant part of his scientific achievements to the study and dissemination of Polish history. Among the winners there were also such names as Krystyna Zachwatowicz and Andrzej Wajda – awarded for outstanding achievements in the field of film and theatre promoting Polish culture. The award was also given to The Social Committee for the Care of Old Rasos, which has been taking care of the oldest Polish necropolis in Vilnius since 1990. The winner of the Award was Bishop Waldemar Pytel for over thirty years of effort to save, revitalize and restore the splendor of the Lutheran quarter together with the Church of Peace in Świdnica, inscribed in 2001 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The winners are also Professor Jacek Purchla in recognition of his many years of work on urban issues and urban development, and Leon Tarasewicz – for conscious, long-term building of bridges between different ethnic, linguistic and religious groups of the Polish-Belarusian-Lithuanian borderland. The award was also given to The Borys Woźnicki Lviv Art Gallery – for consistently building the identity of Lviv as an open city and strongly connected with Polish heritage, which is at the same time a combination of many other cultures: Ruthenian, Armenian, Jewish, German.
The award is one of the numerous initiatives, thanks to which Citi Handlowy fulfils the commendable mission of its founder, economic activist, patriot and patron of culture, Leopold Kronenberg. With his activities, he supported many areas of social and cultural life. By establishing the Aleksander Gieysztor Award, the Bank supports the development of projects in the field of cultural heritage protection, at the same time contributing to its preservation for future generations.
The 25th edition of the Award was held under the Honorary Patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda.
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The Citi Handlowy Leopold Kronenberg Foundation n supports activities for the protection of cultural heritage, financial and digital education, startups and innovations, support for women, support for migrants, and activities to promote the idea of Corporate Social Responsibility.
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