Welcome to Polish Studies Macquarie University
Coat of Arms of
Sigismund II Augustus,
King of Poland
and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
(1548 -1572).
Photo by Andrew Siedlecki.
"If Joseph Conrad – Józef Konrad Korzeniowski * could learn English and become an excellent British writer, you can learn Polish and become an excellent communicator in Polish".
The Polish language belongs to the Slavonic group of languages, spoken throughout Eastern Europe and Russia. The Slavonic languages include Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Bulgarian and Russian.
The Polish language has a long and very rich cultural tradition dating back many centuries.
The language not only survived, but thrived during the partition of Poland that lasted for over 130 years. That period 1793 to 1918 produced some of the most acclaimed and enduring literature that strongly reflected a strong Polish patriotism and national character, notably Henryk Sienkiewicz's historical trilogy. Sienkiewicz later found wider acclaim by winning the Nobel prize for literature for "Quo Vadis", his story of Nero's Rome.
Poland has unearthed many significant contributors to the literary and performing arts over the course of the 20th Century, who used the Polish language to express their unique Polish perspective on the world. Two contemporary poets Czeslaw Milosz and Wislawa Szymborska gained prominence as Nobel literary laureates. Composers Krzysztof Penderecki and Henryk Górecki set new milestones in orchestral music, while directors Jerzy Grotowski, Tadeusz Kantor and Józef Szajna set new paradigms in theatre.
Film makers Andrzej Wajda, Krzysztof Zanussi and Krzysztof Kieslowski captured the short history and the human aspects of communist Eastern Europe, taking that medium to new literary heights.
It is this vibrant creativity which makes the Polish language all the more enticing to prospective students.
Contemporary Poland is a significant player in the new, post communist world order. Its independent trade union Solidarity was the catalyst for the fall of the iron curtain. Since 1989, Poland has developed a thriving market economy and was admitted as a full member into the European Union in 2004.
There is a great deal of economic interest in Poland and subsequently, a fresh demand for Polish language skills.
There is a vibrant Polish community in Australia of around 100,000 people, made up predominantly of Post World War Two refugees who did not want to return to a communist Poland. They are complimented by a smaller group of Solidarity era migrants , who came to Australia in the 1980s. These communities are served by numerous Polish language newspapers, community radio and television programs and an organisational network, which help to maintain the Polish language and culture in Australia. Representatives from the Polish community, together with Macquarie University formed the Polish Studies Foundation, a body that raises money to support and promote the Polish Studies program at Macquarie University.
* 'Conrad in Australia' by Lindl Lawton
The article first appeared in 'Signals', quarterly journal of the Australian National Maritime Museum, No 81 December 2007, and is reproduced courtesy of the museum. The author's exhibition 'Conrad and Australia' appeared at the museum from 15 November 2007 to 10 February 2008.