Today marks two decades since terrorists hijacked four passenger jets and used them to attack the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, DC.
A total of 2,973 people were killed in the attacks, excluding the 19 al-Qaeda hijackers and 26 people still considered to be missing.
The vast majority (2,669) of those killed on 9/11 were American citizens, but 372 foreign nationals also lost their lives that day, including six Polish nationals.
Poland is home to several memorials to the 9/11 attacks, including one near skwer Kościuszki in Gdynia, installed on the first anniversary of the tragedy.
The inscription on the „11 Września Tablica Pamiątkowa” echoes the sentiment of Americans and Poles alike: On September 11th, 2001, our hearts stopped, petrified with horror. On that day, we were all New Yorkers.
Source: Radio Poland, www.memorialmapping.com/memorials/gdynia-9-11-memorial
A five-day festival kicked off yesterday in Kraków to mark 100 years since the birth of renowned Polish science-fiction writer Stanisław Lem.
Entitled the „Megabyte Bomb,” the festival comprises a wide range of events, including meetings, debates, book launches, workshops, readings coupled with live music, concerts, film screenings, and theatre plays.
The festival runs from now until the 14th of September and will be supplemented by a three-day „Futurological Congress” starting tomorrow at the Potocki Palace on the Main Square.
Lem, who lived in Krakow until his death in 2006, was one of Poland’s most pre-eminent writers and the most frequently translated Polish author. Earlier this year, the Polish Parliament proclaimed 2021 as the Year of Lem in honor of his birthday on September 12-13, 1921.
More information on the events celebrating Lem’s life can be found on the website of the city of Krakow at krakow.pl or on the Lem Institute website at planetalem.pl.
Source: Radio Poland, krakow.pl
The Polish men’s volleyball team will be facing off against Finland in Gdańsk tonight after defeating Ukraine earlier this week in the EuroVolley 2021 tournament.
The win marked Poland’s fifth straight tournament victory after defeating Portugal, Serbia, and Greece earlier in the week to finish at the top of Pool A.
The Polish team will have a chance to finish off their Finnish rivals and advance to the quarterfinals starting at 20:30 today at Ergo Arena.
Source: Radio Poland, cev.eu
The „Żywa Biblioteka” or „Living Library” program will be held in person in Gdańsk today for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Some 15-20 „Human Books” will be available for conversation at the event, representing a wide variety of human experiences. Human Books have previously included a family of refugees, parents of children with disabilities, a Polish police officer, a Methodist pastor, a person on the autism spectrum, a Taiwanese immigrant, and an American military veteran.
The event is free, and Human Books are available in Polish, English, and various other languages. Each reader has 30 minutes for a private conversation with their Human Book of choice, conducted in an atmosphere of respect and understanding.
The Living Library will be open from 14:00-18:00 today at Gdańska Galeria Miejska 2 at Powroźnicza 13/15.
For more information on the Living Library, visit the event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/303782358212699.
Weather
Today will be warm but mostly cloudy, with winds coming in from the west and a good chance of rain and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Temperatures will peak around a high of 26°C, or 78°F, cooling off overnight to a low of 15°C or 59°F. Similar rainy weather is expected for tomorrow, with temperatures dropping and skies clearing as we move into Monday.
Elizabeth Peck/MarWer
