The tradition of the Kashubians’ Unity Day was established in 2004. Since 2006, thanks to Marek Wantoch-Rekowski, as part of the celebrations, accordion players from around the country meet for a mass performance.  This year, the organizers hope to break the Poland’s record in concurrent accordion playing. Thousands of accordion players are expected to arrive, including the Koszalińska Orkiestra Akordeonowa “Akord.”

The main celebrations will take place at the Secondary School Chain Nr. 2,  located in the Wybicki housing area in Kartuzy. If this year’s festivities resemble those of yester years, you can rest assured that leaving your house and mingling with the crowds will be worthwhile. A performance by Weronika Korthals (known from the “Szansa na sukces” (A chance for success) singing talent show) and a concert of Niwa Modrego Lnu (a music group from Smoldzino) are some of the perks for those who decide to show up.

The festivities will commence on 21 March 2010, at 930AM and culminate with the earlier-mentioned attempt to beat the country’s record in concurrent accordion playing (around 5PM).

• The sponsors of this year’s celebrations include:
• Minister of Culture and Art – Bogdan Zdrojewski
• Minister of Education – Katarzyna Hall
• Pomeranian Voivod – Roman Zaborowski
• Pomeranian Voivodship Marshall – Jan Kozłowski
• President of the Provincial Parliament of Pomerania – prof. Brunon Synak
• Kashubian Parliament Lobby -  Senator Kazimierz Kleina.

(More information about the sponsors is located at www.wotoch.bloog.pl)
The Organizing Committee form:

• Municipality of  Kartuzy
• Kartuzy County Office
• Miastko Chapter of the Kashub-Pomeranian Association
• Kartuzy Chapter of the Kashub-Pomeranian Association

The originator and chief organizer of the celebrations: Marek Wantoch Rekowski
Related matter:

• The Accordion Playing Record – Rules and Regulations
• Logo of the Kashubians’ Unity Day

Original article by: Marek Wantoch Rekowski

Due to the 700MB size limitation, some of the applications included in the vanilla Kubuntu 9.10 distribution had to be removed while others were added; the determination which applications to add/remove was made subjectively and can be argued. Nonetheless, this is a welcomed addition to the wealth of Linux distributions and the first one specifically compiled for the Kashubian user in mind.

Download from:

• http://linuxcsb.org/download/csb-lite.iso

( 32-bit distribution compatible with 64-bit systems)

For more information about this distribution visit:

• http://linuxcsb.org/kde/kaszebsczi-remix-kubuntu-9-10

Gdańsk 2016

Thanks to the translation efforts of Zbigniew Jankowski Gdańsk has lately published Kashubian version of its Web site promoting the city’s aspirations to become the European Capital of Culture in 2016.

Although the idea of promoting the diverse cultures of Europe has been born in 1995, it’s been only lately that two separate European cities are being nominated concurrently: one from the original EU countries and one from the states that have recently joined the Union.  In this case, the contestants will represent Spain and from Poland.

What is still disappointing (and we’re also referring here to the City of Gdańsk homepage we wrote about last year) is the static nature of the Kashubian-language portals. Aside from short news stories, the content is largely stagnant; still, the new Kashubian Web site is a step in the right direction and supports the ultimate goal of the language’s presence on the WWW.

• en.kaszubia.com/culture/bibliography

Yurek

Stolem's Medal (source: www.pomorania.pl)

On 28 May 2009, at 6PM in Gdańsk’s Staromiejski City Hall on Korzenna Street 33/35, Ida Czaja and Roman  Drzeżdżon will be recognized with the Stolem’s Medal award. From its inception in 1967, this Pomorania Student Club’s award recognizes organizations and individuals who have distinguished themselves by popularizing or otherwise impacting the development of the Pomerania region and Kashubia.

Ida Czaja is a school teacher and a Kashubian poet who has been publishing since the 1990’s. She debuted in a Kashubian periodical “Tatczëzna”.

Roman Drzeżdżon is a Kashubian publicist, published author, and a poet.  When not writing, Drzeżdżon can be found at the Puck Regional Museum where he holds a fulltime position.

This year’s Student Nobel recipient is a Kashub, a graduate of the University of Gdańsk’s Polish Philology Master’s program and a multi-discipline PhD student of the Slavic Studies, Russian Philology, and Philosophy, Hanna Makurat.

Makurat has contributed a number of academic papers, mostly dealing with Kashubian culture (especially the language), and has  published several works in Kashubian. She is also the author of the first thesis entirely written in the Kashubian language.

In 2007, Hanna Makurat had claimed the regional Primus Inter Pares award considered to be the Student Nobel’s preliminary.

More information about Makurat can be found on these Web sites:

• Hanna’s home page: hana.kashubia.com
• Biography and poetry published on the ZYMK portal
• Biography and works (original and translations) published on the Czëtnica portal
• Pictures from the Student Nobel award ceremony are available at ISA.

Sources:

• Story:
  • Student Nobel home page
  • Katarzyńska Alicja (2009, 24 April). Studencki Nobel dla Hanki z Kaszub. Gazeta wyborcza: Trójmiasto

• Student Nobel logo: University of Gdańsk Independent Student Association (ISA)

If you would like to contribute to this section, please let me know (reviews don’t have to be written in English).

Paweł Zbierski, in the next episode of his “For two voices” multimedia debate will present two competing outlooks on Kashubian movement:  “traditional” and “modern.”

The program will air on the TVP Gdańsk channel on 7 February at 6:50 PM. In addition, it will be available online at the station’s portal.

Radio Gdańsk is planning to rebroadcast the program on 9 February at 8 PM. Again, it will be accessible via the Internet, for those who missed the original broadcast.

Verba Sacra - Kashubian Bible

As part of the Verba Sacra – Polish Cathedral Prayers series, on 19 January, at 5 P.M. at Wejherowo Collegiate (Fara), The Gospel  According to St. Matthew will be presented in Kashubian language.  The author of the translation (including commentary on the Book) is Fr. Adam Ryszard Sikora (OFM)also know by other Kashubian New  Testament translations. Fragments of the Gospel (in Kashubian) will be read by Danuta Stenka, with remarks by prof. Jerzy Treder and Fr. Adam Ryszard Sikora.

Verba Sacra is a project realized since 2000 and established by a film director, Przemysław Basiński.

The Verba Sacra 2009 music was composed by Tadeusz Korthals (Northstudio) and Cyprian Wieczorkowski (Lud Hauza). The variety of music to be performed during the event will be provided by a band consisting of: Cyprian Wieczorkowski -  electronics; Weronika Korthals – vocal, violin; Dawid Gorgolewski – guitars;  Zdzisław Ejsmont – drums; and Tadeusz Korthals – keyboards, percussion. The happening’s director is Przemysław Basiński.

Sources:

• verbasacra.pl
• franciszkanie.pl

The final round of the contest consisted of two parts. During the first part, students had to complete a written test available in Polish and Kashubian.  The top ten finalists moved to the second, oral, part of the contest. Here, contestant’s ability to answer three questions covering literature, geography, and history of Pomerania, were evaluated.  The jury, consisting of Dr. Marek Cybulski, prof. Jan Wendt, and Andrzej Hoja announced the winner – - Wiesław Mielewczyk of the Jan III Sobieski Lyceum of Wejherowo.

The finalists received an assortment of awards to include digital camera (grand prize), MP3 players, and books about the Pomerania region. No participant has left the library empty handed thanks to the sponsors: The Kashub-Pomeranian Association, University of Gdańsk, The Kashubian Institute, Sierakowice Mayor’s Office, Puck and Wejherowo Prefectures, and Oficyna Czec.

We would like to congratulate the finalists and invite all to participate in the next year’s contest which will take place in September, 2009. High school graduates are also invited to participate but this time as the organizers.

Barbara Mudlaff