MULTICULTURAL AND MULTILINGUAL EUROPE
25 YEARS AFTER THE POLISH DEMOCRACY REGAINMENT
AND BERLIN WALL DESTRUCTION
under the high patronage of the European Parliament
THE COMPETITION RULES AND REGULATIONS
1. The Competition is organized by the Centre of Polish Language and Culture in the
World by the Jagiellonian University in Krakow and Volkshochschule der Stadt
Eschweiler in cooperation with the Network of Polish Language Teachers of
Landesverband der Volkshochschulen in NRW.
The competition is co-organized by the Institute Polonicus, the Aachen Municipality
and the International Charlemagne Prize Society in Aachen.
2. The Competition is held under the High Patronage of the European Parliament.
3. The Coordinator of the Competition within the territory of Germany is Malgorzata
Müller, Volkshochschule Eschweiler ([email protected]), who shall
offer any support and assistance to all the interested parties.
4. The Coordinator of the Competition within the territory of Poland is Piotr Horbatowski,
representing the Centre of Polish Language and Culture in the World by the Jagiellonian
University in Krakow ([email protected]).
5. The participants of the Competition have to be of age (18 years old or, possibly, turning
18 in 2015).
6. The participants of the Competition can be foreigners, regardless of the place of
residence.
7. The first stage of the competition shall be held from 15 December 2014 to 15 March
2015.
8. The first stage shall be held on-line. Each participant shall be granted access to the
“Lajkonik” online platform operated by the Centre of Polish Language and Culture in
the World by the Jagiellonian University.
9. Each participant shall have to solve the first stage test online not later than by 15
March 2015.
10. The test is composed of closed multi-choice questions and the maximum score is 100.
11. Those 20 participants who obtain the highest score shall advance to the finale.
12. If more participants obtain the same score, the prevailing shall be the score in the extra
question /the only open question in the test/.
13. The results of the first stage of the Competition shall be announced by 31 March 2013.
The list of the finalists shall be announced online at: www.polishstudies.uj.edu.pl.
14. The finale of the Competition shall be held in Aachen on 2 May 2015. The finalists
shall be required to prepare 10-minute presentation on the following subject: “Europe –
unity in diversity, with particular consideration of Polish and German experience
perspectives.” The presentations shall be open to public. The competitors who did not
manage to get to the finale shall also be invited to the event. The presentations shall be
evaluated by a jury composed of the representatives of the organizers, the Polish
Institute in Dusseldorf, the Polish-German Society and Volkshochschulen.
15. Main prizes:
a) A free three-week Course of Polish Language and Culture in Krakow, so-called
Summer School, held from 25 July to 13 August 2015. The prize includes boarding
and accommodation during the course. The costs of travel to Krakow shall be
incurred by the course participant. The other finalists shall be awarded with books
or other in-kind prizes.
b) Multilingualism courses at VHS Eschweiler (details of deadlines shall be provided)
or at the Jagiellonian University from 6 to 10 July 2015.
16. The announcement of the Competition results shall be held on 2 May in the evening,
during a celebrated Gala of “Polonicus” Awards in the Coronation Hall of the Aachen
Town Hall. Earlier, in the afternoon, the finalists together with other competition
participants shall participate in a tour of Aachen – the city of Charlemagne.
The Celebration:
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

The grand opening of the Gala with musical performance

A speech of the President of Aachen, Marcel Philipp

A speech of the “Polonicus” Institute Director, Wiesław Lewicki

The prize granting to the laureates of “Multicultural and Multilingual Europe – 25
Years after the Polish Democracy Regainment and Berlin Wall Destruction”
competition

Musical Intermezzo

The granting of “Polonicus” prizes, speeches held by official guests and laureates

Musical performance, end of the official part of the Gala

A formal banquet
The guests of the Gala include, inter alia: high-rank representatives of both Polish and German
political scene – Members of the European Parliament, Bundestag, Landtag, Seym and Senate
of the Republic of Poland, diplomats of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Berlin and
General Consulate in Cologne, the Polish Institute in Dusseldorf, the German-Polish Institute
in Darmstadt, etc.
“Polonicus” Prize
“Polonicus” prize has been awarded since 2009 and it is a part of the International Charlemagne
Prize celebrations in Aachen. The “Polonicus” prize is the top prize of the European Polonia,
to celebrate the dialog, unity and promotion of Poles in Europe and in the world. The prize is
awarded in 4 categories. The laureates of the previous editions include, inter alia: Jerzy Buzek,
Bogdan Borusewicz, Karl Dedecius, Angelika Schwall-Dueren, Andrzej Wajda, Władysław
Bartoszewski, Norman Davies, Krystyna Janda, Barbara Borys-Damięcka, Władysław
Miodunka and others.