Polnisches Institut Berlin

In the location's words:

As an institution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, the Polish Institute Berlin is entrusted with tasks of Polish public and cultural diplomacy. It not only conveys Polish culture in Germany, but also aims to arouse interest and enthusiasm for all aspects of the multifaceted and diverse social life in the neighboring country, including the country's history, traditions and Poland's commitment as a reliable member of the European Union. Numerous projects carried out jointly with German and Polish partners have created lasting networks and long-term cooperation, enabling intensive and direct cultural exchange. Polish artists and cultural workers succeed in interweaving traditions and history with the present. However, the presentation of classical and contemporary art and culture is not the only concern of the institute. It also sees itself as a mediator, platform and competent contact for German cultural workers and artists as well as institutions and cultural facilities interested in an exchange with Poland. In this way, sustainable networks and cooperations are created that contribute significantly to the strengthening of the European community of values on both a small and large scale and broaden existing horizons. The gallery of the Polish Institute Berlin is more than just a white cube that regularly presents exhibitions of Polish artists. The program includes contemporary painting, photography, video art, design and installations, but the gallery also serves as a contact point for people interested in Poland, providing them with information on other aspects of Polish art, culture, history and regional studies. In addition to the visual arts, theater, film, literature, music, creative industries and dialogue are of great importance in the Institute's program. The Institute places special emphasis on communication and is committed to using virtual platforms such as its own website, Facebook or Twitter in order to reach as broad and diverse an audience as possible. The Institute's library offers readers a unique selection of literature of all genres, both in the Polish original and in German translation. The book collection includes more than 40,000 publications with a focus on fiction. There are also more than 600 Polish films with mainly English or German subtitles, as well as daily newspapers, magazines, journals, music CDs and illustrated books. The Polish Institute Berlin was founded in 1956 and since 2004 has been located in the heart of the city, on Burgstrasse directly opposite Museum Island. Previously, it was located on Friedrichstraße and later on Karl-Liebknecht-Straße. An important turning point in the Institute's history was 1989, when the function of all Polish Institutes changed to an open, exchange-oriented approach to Polish society and culture. The Polish Institute Berlin is a founding member of the Berlin EUNIC cluster and, within the framework of this network, cooperates intensively with other national cultural institutes active in Berlin. In addition to its activities in Berlin, the Polish Institute Berlin supports and initiates projects and events in other German states, including Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, as well as in Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt through the Institute's Leipzig branch. There are currently 25 Polish Institutes worldwide, with the German-speaking countries including the Institute in Düsseldorf and in Vienna, in addition to the Berlin Institute and its Leipzig branch. An overview of all Polish Institutes can be found at the following link: http://www.msz.gov.pl/pl/p/msz_pl/aktualnosci/polska_dyplomacja_cyfrowa/. This content has been machine translated.