66thAnnual Meeting of the Polish Institute of Arts & Sciences of America, Inc

The 66th Annual Meeting of the Polish Institute of Arts & Sciences of America (PIASA) will be held on June 13-14, 2008 at the Holiday Inn Historic District Philadelphia, 400 Arch Street, in the “Nation’s Most Historic Square Mile” near the Liberty Bell, and the National Constitution Center.  This two day multi-disciplinary conference on Polish and Polish American studies is being organized in cooperation of the Polish American Cultural Center in Philadelphia. According to Dr. Thaddeus V. Gromada, chair of the Annual Meeting  close to 100 scholars from various parts of the United States as well as from Poland will participate. Sessions and panels  in various disciplines e.g.  political science, economics, history, music, literature ,  Polish American studies, education, historiography, etc. will be presented.  Among the topics discussed will be “The Politics of Remembrance; Katyn and the Holocaust”. “Economics, Politics and Society in Contemporary Poland”,”The Polish American Heritage and the Question of Its Preserva-tion “, “Polish Contributions to the American Cultural Mosaic in Philadelphia”, “History Abroad: Polish Historians Outside of Poland”, “Kosciuszko:  New Appraisals”, “Into the Future: An Agenda of the Polish American Congress in a New Era”,  Presenters from Poland  include  Dorota Janiszewska-Jakubiak , a representative of Poland’s Ministry of Culture, Rafal Stobiecki, Professor  at the University of Lodz , and Marek Baranski , President of the Polish Conservation Workshop in Warsaw.  Participation in the conference is not limited to PIASA members.  All person interested in the intellectual and cultural heritage of Poland and Polonia are welcome. A complete listing of the program schedule can be found on PIASA’s website: www.piasa.org  together with an “Advance Registration” form  The registration fee is $60.. PIASA has reserved a block of  single/quad occupancy rooms at the Holiday Inn Historic District  a special group rate of $149. per room, but all room reservations must be made directly by telephoning  the hotel 1 800 843 –2355  by May 19.

A reception will be held for all registered participants on Friday, June 13 at 7pm in the Polish American Cultural Center, 308 Walnut Street,  near Holiday Inn . A Gala Banquet will be the culminating event of the Annual Meeting on Saturday, June 14 at 7 pm in the Grand Ballroom of the Holiday Inn.  Speakers will include HE Boguslaw Winid, Poland’s Ambassador to NATO in Brussels, and Brig. General Leszek Soczewicza, Defense Attache  in Poland’s Embassy in Washington, DC.  Banquet tickets are $65 and reservations can be made with Janina Kedron, Coordinator by June 2 PIASA address: 208 E. 30th St., N.Y.C. 10016 . Tel. 212 686-4164. e mail : piasany@verizon.net .  Members of the local arrangements committee include Michael Blichasz, President of the Polish American Cultural Center and his associate Richard Klimek. 
 
The  Polish Institute of Arts & Sciences of America (PIASA)
208 East 30th St., New York, N.Y. 10016
Contact: Dr. T.V. Gromada  336 940-5656 – e mail  tgromada@mindspring.com