Dr. Thaddeus V. Gromada
Honored In Krakow
Dr. Thaddeus V. Gromada, Professor Emeritus of History, New Jersey City University, Past President and Executive Director of the Polish Institute of Arts & Sciences of America and Co-editor of “The Tatra Eagle/Tatrzański Orzeł” participated in the V Congress of Polish Learned Societies in the World which was held in Kraków, Poland from October 17 to October 21. This impressive Congress organized by the Polish Academy of Arts & Sciences (Polska Akademia Umiejętności-PAU) attracted 71 delegates from fifteen countries in all six continents representing ten learned societies. “Polish Intellectuals in the World” was the theme of the Congress . The delegates, scholars and scientists, together with over hundred Polish colleagues from the Academy and from Polish universities discussed and assessed the progress being made to preserve and enrich the Polish cultural and intellectual heritage outside of Poland during five days.
Dr. Gromada, who last year was elected foreign member of the Kraków academy, was invited to present a lecture for the opening session that focused on Polish family histories. His lecture was entitled “The Gromada Family in America: Values and Principles of Activism”. The other lectures focused on the “Giertych Family in Great Britain”, “The Zaleski Family in France”, and the “Lanckoroński Family in Austria”. Following the formal opening of the Congress by Professor Andrzej Białas, President of the Academy , the “Honoris Gratia” medal was awarded to Dr. Gromada by Jacek Majchrowski the President of the Royal City of Kraków in recognition of his life time efforts to advance knowledge about Poland’s humanistic and scientific heritage in America. To honor the memory of Zbigniew Brzezinski a seminar was held during the Congress led by the Vice President of the Academy, Prof. Andrzej Borowski , with the participation of former Polish ambassador to USA, Ryszard Schnepf. Among the Polish American presenters at the Congress were Dr. Grażyna J. Kozaczka, Dr . Iwona Drąg Korga, Dr. Andrzej S. Nowak, Dr. Anna Jaroszyńska-Kirchmann, Dr. Maja Trochimczyk, Dr. Ewa Barczyk, and Dr. Czesław Karkowski. The coordinator of the Congress was Prof. Zygmunt Kolenda who together with a professional , cordial staff assured a fruitful, productive and memorable event. Before the Congress on October 12, Dr. Gromada made a presentation on the “Future of Polonia, the Polish American Community” at a seminar of the Academy’s Commission on the Study of the Polish Diaspora. He is a member of this commission.
