550th Birthday Celebrations of Astronomer Nikolaus Kopernikus in Olsztyn: A Recap of the Festivities

2023-06-15 20:02:40

In the Polish twin town of Olsztyn, an Offenburg delegation was invited to the celebrations for the 550th birthday of the world-famous astronomer Nikolaus Kopernikus.

From May 23rd to 25th, SPD city councilor Martina Bregler and university rector Stephan Trahasch represented the city of Offenburg at the celebrations for the 550th birthday of Nicolaus Copernicus. The three-day event was attended by delegations from five town twinnings of the Polish city.

After the delegations were warmly welcomed by the city of Olsztyn, a challenging and varied program awaited the guests from Gelsenkirchen, Offenburg, Richmond (Virginia/USA), Châteauroux (France) and Luzk (Ukraine). The first day was dedicated to the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the twinning between Olsztyn and Gelsenkirchen. There was also an official ceremony in the Copernicus Hall in the Castle of the Warmia Cathedral Chapter with a festive unveiling of a commemorative graffiti created by street artists from Olsztyn and Gelsenkirchen.

The second day of the visit revolved around Nicolaus Copernicus with the opening of the photo exhibition “Four Seasons in Olsztyn” by Grzegorz Januszewicz in the foyer of the planetarium. A round of talks on “The Many Faces of Nicolaus Copernicus” followed. The program was rounded off by a visit to the tomb and a tribute to the world-famous astronomer by laying flowers. The guests from Offenburg also joined the gala banquet. Visiting Frombork Cathedral, the resting place of Copernicus, was the goal of the last day of celebrations, which ended with an evening celebration at Lake Ukiel in Olsztyn. “We were all aware that there are many currents – also in Europe – that openly torpedo the topics of a united Europe and a peaceful world. All delegations emphasized the importance of partnerships for peaceful coexistence and friendly understanding,” said Martina Bregler quoted in a press release from the city of Offenburg. The young people of the countries in particular should experience the exchange at the various levels early on and comprehensively in order to break down prejudices and make friends, Bregler summed up.

The program left room for exchange with the Polish hosts, but the Offenburg city councilor was also deeply impressed with the delegations from the other partner cities. It was also regarding supporting Lutsk and Ukraine.

There was also an intensive exchange between the two university rectors, Jerzy A. Przyborowski (Olsztyn) and Stephan Trahasch (Offenburg), regarding the “European University” and the expansion of cooperation.

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