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Polish News Translated – Poznań Feb. 4

By Bethany HuffFebruary 4, 2025

(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Editor's Note: These are courtesy translations of local news provided by the U.S. Army Garrison Poland Public Affairs team for the benefit the military community stationed here. Views or opinions are not endorsed by USAG Poland or the U.S. Army.

Self serve coffee machine featured in Poznań airport

According to Baltona, which has set up a "coffee machine" at Poznań's Ławica airport, this "innovative solution combines comfort, modernity and excellent coffee quality".

Passengers can now prepare their own coffee according to the instructions on the device. - All you have to do is choose a drink, pay, pick it up and hit the road - informs.

As the creators of the machine assure, the entire coffee brewing process has been designed in the smallest details, which is to give a coffee taste comparable to that of a drink prepared by an experienced barista.

Prices: An espresso costs PLN 13.90, a cappuccino PLN 23.90, and a large cafe latte PLN 26.90.

This is another of the changes introduced recently at Poznań Ławica Airport. A Salad Story restaurant has recently opened at the airport.

Berdychowskie bridges construction almost complete

Pedestrians and cyclists will soon be able to move freely between the banks of Chwaliszewo, Ostrów Tumski and Berdychów. Construction of bridges over the Warta River and the Ulgi Canal is coming to an end. The impatient can take part in an auction for the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity and walk along the bridges before the official opening.

Currently, finishing works are being carried out on the construction site, which means that the bridges and the entire surroundings are being given their final appearance. Both crossings are already gaining their final surface. We can see how the area adjacent to the bridges is being developed. Residents and tourists will have access to various benches and seats, waste bins, and bicycle racks. The whole thing will be made more attractive by new plants, the first plantings are already visible - says Marcin Gołek, vice president of Poznańskie Inwestycje Miejskie.

At the same time, the contractor of the investment is cleaning up the access roads and the area near the works. In December, he replaced the road surface on the entire Nowe Zagórze Street and part of Wieżowa Street. After the completion of the construction works and cleaning up the area, it will be time for the formalities related to obtaining a use permit. According to the schedule, the opening of the Berdychowskie bridges for all users is planned for spring.

Currently, only construction crews, supervisors and maintenance personnel have access to the crossings. However, it is possible to take a walk on them in February. An auction is underway for the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. The winner of the auction will be able to walk on the bridges before they are made available, while maintaining all safety measures. Such an opportunity will not happen again. The person who wins the auction can take a companion on the walk. Additionally, there is a possibility of a guided tour by the construction management and recording a commemorative film of the event. You can take part in the auction, which lasts until February 10, on the Allegro platform .

The bridges under construction will lead pedestrians and cyclists from Berdychowo Street, through the headland in the southern part of Ostrów Tumski (Zagórze), to Chwaliszewo near the park in the Old Warta Riverbed. The crossing will thus facilitate the connection of the Poznań University of Technology campus area with the southern part of Ostrów Tumski and the left-bank part of the city, including the Old Market Square.

The Berdychowskie Bridges will not only enable efficient movement - walks and bike rides will be an opportunity to admire the Warta River areas. Atmospheric lighting will help with this after dark. The small architecture emerging near the bridges will also be conducive to relaxation.

Technically, the crossing consists of two structures. The one over the Warta is 165 meters long, and the other, over the Ulgi Canal, is 117 meters long. Both parts are analogous in terms of architecture and construction. They create a coherent spatial composition, especially legible from the perspective of the Roch Bridge and the southern Warta areas.

Berlin-Wroclaw Culture train comes to Poznań

The multi-award-winning "Berlin-Wrocław Culture Train" has been bringing regions, generations and cultures closer together every week since 2016. The success of this project has led to a special carriage full of artistic events connecting Warsaw, Poznań and Berlin in February.

"The Train to Culture" will run on six designated journeys as part of the EC Berlin-Poznań-Warsaw Express connection, from 11 to 16 February. A specially designed and adapted car for the presented artistic programs will be added to the regular EC journeys. Its passengers will be able to participate in concerts, literary meetings, language animations, workshops and discussions free of charge. The main assumption of the program is a meeting and conversation between artists and passengers.

This is an important undertaking for the promotion of Poznań. If we take into account Polish cities, the largest number of tourists come to us from Warsaw, among foreign cities Berlin is in first place - says Mariusz Wiśniewski, deputy mayor of Poznań. - This project is important not only because of tourism, but also because of the use of sustainable transport, which is very important to us in Poznań.

The train journey from Berlin to Poznań to Warsaw takes about five hours. Tickets can be booked through Deutsche Bahn or PKP Intercity.

Poznań institutions played a major role in creating the artistic program. On Tuesday and Wednesday, February 11-12, Grzegorz Wierus, conductor from the Teatr Wielki, will conduct workshops "Here Everyone Has a Voice". On Thursday and Friday (February 13-14), passengers of the train will be able to spend an evening with the stars of the Musical Theatre and experience the "Magic of the Musical". On Saturday and Sunday (16 and 16 February), representatives of the Croissant Museum will present the history of this Poznań delicacy to everyone, and Ania Babrakowska and Emil Nowak from the Jeżyce Cultural Centre will play a unique concert.

Each element of the program is the result of cooperation, for which I would like to thank many institutions - says Ewa Stróżczyńska-Wille, curator of the cultural program of "Pociąg do kultury". - Our motto is the slogan "Cities move". Poznań, Berlin and Warsaw move us, they are also very dynamic, full of life, they change.

The strength of cities is the network of European connections, and civic engagement is an important driving force of the guiding idea of ​​the European Union: "United in diversity". The train to culture, which will travel from Berlin via Poznań to Warsaw, fits into this context. Artistic programs, carried out during the journey, are to connect not only people of culture and art, but also create a unique space for dialogue and exchange of ideas.

We want to use the train and create a connection between Berlin, Poznań and Warsaw - says Moritz van Dülmen, Managing Director of Kulturprojekte Berlin. - Of course, a project that connects German and Polish cities, PKP and Deutsche Bahn, involves many challenges. Coordinating everything required work, but now we can officially start a new phase. For now, only for a week, but we hope that the project will stay with us longer.

The "Culture Train Berlin-Poznań-Warsaw", initiated and implemented by the state-owned company Kulturprojekte Berlin GmbH, is financed by the State of Berlin with the support of Poznań and Warsaw.

Barack Obama set to speak at Impact Conference in May

Barack Obama, an American politician and two-time President of the United States, will be the speaker at the Impact'25 congress. This most important economic event in Central and Eastern Europe will take place on May 14-15 in Poznań.

The former US president will take part in a moderated live discussion during the 10th anniversary edition of the event on May 15. This will be Barack Obama's fourth visit to Poland. Last year, his wife Michelle Obama was a speaker at Impact'24.

The presence and the opportunity to listen to one of the leading politicians of recent years is particularly important in the new reality, in which after Donald Trump's victory in the United States, on the eve of the presidential elections in Poland, in view of the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, we are focusing on security - says Jacek Jaśkowiak, the mayor of the city. - Thanks to Impact, it is in Poznań, hosting a politician of this caliber for the first time, that we will be able to discuss this in a distinguished group. The prestige and importance of these talks are reinforced by the fact that Impact'25 has been included in the calendar of events of the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union, the leitmotif of which will also be broadly understood security. I am glad that thanks to this conference Poznań will be so strongly present in this.

Barack Obama is the winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize and Time Magazine's "Person of the Year" award. His presidency, although it occurred at a time of great change and challenge, strengthened the economy, created the foundations for a more equal society and strengthened the US position in the world.

Today, President Obama remains a leader in philanthropic and political circles, including running the Obama Foundation with his wife, which is shaping a new generation of world leaders. He is the author of three books, including the autobiographical "The Promised Land."

Eleven years ago, I had the opportunity to see President Barack Obama speak live and I was very impressed. Today, I have the honor to announce that one of the most influential, charismatic and inspiring leaders in the world has accepted our invitation and will perform at Impact'25 in Poznań - says Krystian Wolak, the originator and creator of Impact. - I am especially happy because the presence of a guest of this rank at the tenth, anniversary edition shows how Impact has grown over the years. Today, it is an event where the most important world leaders and authorities in many fields meet - adds Wolak.

Impact is a meeting platform for the most outstanding and important leaders in business, politics and technology in the world. Over the past decade, it has become a place for creative debate between experts, representatives of the most important industries and innovators, which inspires participants to think about the future. Speakers from previous editions of Impact included Sanna Marin, Hilary Clinton, Carl Bildt, Sviatlana

Tsikhanouskaya, Timothy Snyder, Yuval Noah Harari, Nassim Nicholas Taleb and many

other world-class personalities.

In addition to the 44th President of the USA, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, former Secretary of State and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, political scientist Francis Fukuyama, author of the book "Age-not-Peace" Mark Leonard, professor of psychiatry Anna Lebmke, known for the bestseller "Slaves of Dopamine", Peter Pomerantsev, author of the excellent book "This is not propaganda" and many other distinguished personalities have confirmed their presence at Impact'25.

Plans for Year 2025 at Poznan Convention Centre

The PCC Group has planned 63 trade fair events for 2025 - both in Poznań and outside of it. These will include well-known events that have been attracting crowds of visitors for years, but also a few new ones.

The Poznań Convention Centre is visited by over 1.5 million guests from all over the world every year. These include professionals who participate in business events, as well as individual clients who take part in thematic fairs.

Events planned for 2025 include:

Poznań Book Fair and Educational Fair (March 7-9) - schools and universities will have the opportunity to present their educational offer, aimed at future pupils and students. The event will also attract lovers of literature of all kinds, offering meetings with authors, joint reading and talks with key editorial offices with which the organisers cooperate.

Brick Festival (March 29-30) - an event for LEGO fans and creative constructions.

Poznań Motor Show (24-27 April) - visitors will have the opportunity to see the latest car models, learn the secrets of tuning and personalizing vehicles and learn from experts whether electric cars are the future of our world.

Poznań Game Arena (24-26 October) - visitors will be able to see the premieres of games and electronic equipment, participate in esports tournaments, meet gaming stars and admire cosplay shows.

Hobby Fair (November 15-16) - workshop zones, board games, models and vehicle models are planned.

Visitors to the Poznań International Fair will also have the opportunity to take part in year-round exhibitions, such as: the Imagination Science Centre (interactive educational space available until June 29) and the Copernicus Station (multimedia exhibition open until March, including sensory shows and scientific lectures).

Events for professionals and enthusiasts

In 2025, PCC Group will also introduce new industry events aimed at presenting innovations and trends in key sectors of the economy:

Marca Poland (2-3 April) - the first edition of the international private label fair organized in cooperation with BolognaFiere.

International Cybersecurity Congress IN.SE.CON (April 2-3) - conference on cybersecurity, workshops and presentations of modern data protection technologies.

Net Zero (8-10 April) – de-carbonization and alternative fuels forum.

Move - International Mobility Congress (April 24) - a meeting of experts from the automotive and energy industries dedicated to electromobility.

PCC will also host fairs aimed at representatives of key export industries:

Meble Polska (February 25-28) - the largest furniture fair in Poland, visited in 2024 by almost 15,000 buyers from 68 countries.

Budma (February 11-14) - presentation of innovations in construction and a meeting of the architectural industry "Archi-Strada".

ITM Industry Europe (3-6 June) - trade fair of innovations in the digital industry, presentation of modern machines and technologies.

Drema (9-12 September) - an event dedicated to woodworking, the furniture industry and wood energy.

Polagra (24-26 September) - the most important trade fair for the food industry in Poland.