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15.NEWSWEEK Poland on Bloch
The first issue of the Newsweek magazine (Polish edition) in 2008 contains an article
on the history of charity. Among several benefactors a geat deal of space is devoted
to Jan Bogumil Bloch under the subtitle
The Generous King of the Railways.
The full text (only in Polish) can be found under the section Inni o Blochu
(Others on Bloch).
14. Funeral of Andrzej Werner
It was a great shock for us to learn about the tragic event of Mr. Andrzej Werner death.
He lost his life while crossing a street in Warsaw.
Over two hundred people attended the funeral ceremony at the Powazki Cemetery on the
November 8.
His grave is not far away from the family tomb of Jan Bloch. As you will remember
Andrzej Werner was the founder of the Jan Bloch Society. Its members were present
in large numbers (see photos below).
Mr Piontek, Professor of Law and Andrzej Werner`s schoolmate made a speach at the grave.
Andrzej Werner`s family and friends, the Jan Bloch Society and the Polish Banks Association all joined in expressing their heartfelt sorrow. Andrzej werner`s life and work were mentioned in numerous press abituaries. Condolescences arrived also from abroad, from prof. Peter van den Dungen, co-founder of the Jan Bloch Society, Andrew Kostanecki and Shaul Stampfer from Israel.
Some of Jan Bloch enthusiasts who attended the funeral need to be mentioned. They are: (appearing in the photos)
Elzbieta Malecka - the author of the brochure "Jan Bloch the Warsawer"
Andrzej Zor - the author of the book :Figle historii"
Joanna Kadlubowska-Wacior - custiodian of the Regional Museum at Leczna near Lublin
Przemysław Wisniewski - Polish Banks Association
Ceglowski - ex-diplomat, Commercial Councellor in Switzerland
Krzysztof Szwarc - ex-banker, Foundation of Jan Bloch
13. Ela Bauer
Our website has turned out to be useful again in bringing together people interested in Jan Gotlib Bloch.
In September 2007 Mrs Eli Bauer came to Waesaw and met Andrzej Zor, the author of the book on Jan Bloch and Krzysztof Szwarc from our Foundation (photos below)
Eli Bauer is head of the Department of Communication and Film at the Technological College of Tel Aviv and teaches in the Jewish History Department at Haifa University. In addition she is the academic coordinator of the Posen Research Forum for Jewish European and Israeli Political Thought at Haifa University Faculty of Law. Her academic interests include the history and culture of Polish Jewry and the history of the Jewish press.. Her books include"Between Poles and Jews", "The Development of Nahum Sokolow's Political Thought". Both were published by The Studies of the Center for Research on the History and Culture of Polish Jews and the Magnes Press in 2005. She is now working on an article on Jan Bloch as Polish Citizen, Russian Statesman, European Scholar and Jewish Cosmopolitan.
12. Great-grandson of Jan Bloch
Thanks to our website we were contacted by Mr. Andrew Kostanecki from the USA who is a great-grandson of Jan Bloch. Janina Maria the daughter of Emilia and Jan Bloch got married Kazimierz Kostanecki who was a rector of the Jagiellonian University and held many other important positions in a public life (e.g. he was a vice-president of the Town Cracow).
Mr. Andrew Kostanecki who is a descendant of Kazimierz Kostanecki was born in Warsaw in 1934 and emigrated with his parents to the USA before the outbreak of the Second World War. In his professional life he became known as an industrial designer, lecturing and writing on design and on the creative process in a variety of professional journals. Being a world class athlete he followed his interest in sport by deep involvement with the United States Olympic Committee. He was awarded the Gold Medal of the International Sailing Federation.
It should be known that recently he served as Director of the Foundation for the Development of Polish Agriculture under David Rockefeller.
There are some pictures of Mr. Andrew Kostanecki below:
Mr. Andrew Kostanecki is about to publish a book on the history of wars under the title “Whatever Happened to War”. He devoted much attention to the Jan Bloch philosophy of war.
Our Foundation as first got the privilege of getting access to the Epilogue to this book. You can read now this Epilogue on our website under section “Publications”. Not surprisingly you will find there a lot on Jan Bloch.
11. Exhibition War and Peace Museum in Lucern presented in the Regional Museum at Leczna (near Lublin).
March 2007
Jan Bloch Foundation with Central Military Library and Regional Museum in Leczna co-organized presentation of the exhibition War and Peace Museum in Lucern. Exhibition runs: 9 March – 31 July.
Exhibition has been shown the first time in Poland in the Central Military Library in 2002, on the 100th anniversary of the inception in Lucern by Jan Bloch.
The opening ceremony was presided over by Joanna Kadlubowska – Wacior Director of the Leczna Museum.
Numbers representatives of the local authorities were present: their names and positions can be found in the Polish version of the Events.
The guests listened to the concert of Jewish Music.
Besides the charts on War and Peace Museum in Lucern there were some local exhibits like for example the sculpture of the head of Jan Bloch, his photo portrait with his original signature as well as some books by Bloch from the Town Library in Lublin.
 
 
 
 
10. Symposium “Ladies from manors and palaces of Lublin region” in Kozłówka.
September 2006
Representatives of our Foundation participated in the part of seminar during which the lecture “Emilia from Kronenber Janowa Blochowa and Halina Anna from Boguslawskich Wielowieyska – the owners of the land property of Leczna” was delivered by Ewa Lesniewska, the custodian of Leczna Museum.
 
9. 20th Anniversary of BRE Bank.
September 2006
Each person invited to the jubilee banquet received a copy of the book “The Antics of History” as a souvenir.
8. Honorary Titles of Jan Bloch Society.
June 2006
Ceremony of handing diplomas of the Honorary Members:
- to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Adam Rotfeld
The laudation for Mr. Rotfeld was delivered by Mr. Ryszard Kapuściński – popular writer,
and
- to Mr. Krzysztof Szwarc
The laudation for Mr. Szwarc was delivered by Ambassador Andrzej Żor, Jakub Wolski the former vice-minister of Foreign Affairs and the editor of the weekly “Gazeta Bankowa” Andrzej Nartowski.
Similar ceremony took place in the Hague in 2004 during which Mr. Krzysztof Skubiszewski former minister of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Edmund Wellenstein received diplomas of Honorary Members of the Society.
 
 
7. The unveiling of the plaque of the Jan Bloch Foundation on the donators’ wall in the Central Military Library (CML).
December 2005
CML received 20 computers and CD stations as a gift from the BRE Bank and Jan Bloch Foundations.
 
6. Promotion of book “The Antics of History” in the Central Military Library.
December 2005
The meeting was presided over by dr Jerzy Zalewski
Opening speeches were delivered by:
Col. Andrzej Wesolowski – Director of the Central Military Library
Mr. Adam Marszalek – the publisher
Selected fragments of the book were read by Grzegorz Wons the actor of the Kwadrat Theatre.
 
 
5. Cooperation with Polish Museum in Rapperswill (Switzerland).
September 2005
Mrs. Aneta Pochec presented the Museum with three books published in Poland in 2005:
- Jan Bloch “The future of War in technical, economic and political aspect” selected texts by Mr. Grzegorz Babiak. The book was published by the Polish Institute of International Affairs.
- “The Owners of the Land Property of Łęczna in 1800-1944” written by Ewa Lesniewska, published by Regional Museum in Lublin,
- “The Antics of History” written by Andrzej Żor.
and she suggested that the books should be displayed in a special showcase devoted to Jan Bloch.
4. International Peace Conference “ Internationale Friedenskonferenz” in Lucerne(Switzerland)
September 2005
Mrs. Aneta Pochec the President of our newly established Foundation attended this Conference and thus become acquainted with the foreign members of the Jan Bloch International Society, and namely:
- Prof. Peter van den Dungen from University of Bradford (UK),
- Mr. Walter Troxler the chief librarian and archivist of AAL Armee-Ausbildungeszentrum Luzern,
- Mr. Artur Eyffinger from International Court of Justice in the Hague,
- Mr. Reto Sidler Vice-president of the Lucern Initiative for Peace and Security.
Our Foundation sponsored the visit to the conference of Mr. Andrzej Werner the President of Jan Bloch Society.
3. Promotion of the book “The Antics of History” in the Polish Writers Center.
September 2005.
The meeting was presided over by Jan Zdzisław Brudnicki, a literary critic
Opening speeches were delivered by:
Mr. Marek Wawrzkiewicz – the President of the Polish Writers Centre and
Mr. Adam Marszalek – the President of Publishing House
 
2. Our Foundation started cooperation with two other Foundations (the BRE Bank and the Jan Kanty Steczkowski Foundations) on the project of publishing a series of biographies of less known eminent Poles (Unconventional biographies).
The first book of this series devoted to Jan Bloch entitled “The Antics of History” was written by Andrzej Zor and published by the Adam Marszalek Publishing House in Toruń.
1. Founders of Jan Bloch Foundation.
March 2005
From the left: Andrzej Księżny, Emil Drożdż (Members of the Foundation Council), Aneta Pocheć (President of the Foundation), Krzysztof Szwarc (President of the Foundation Council).
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