Klopsztanga 2012 - Polish Cultural Programme in North Rhine-Westphalia  

A unique new project dedicated to promoting Polish culture across Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia draws its inspiration from a typical object with a not-so-typical cultural significance

The Klopsztanga. Polska bez granic / Polen grenzenlos (Poland without Borders) project kicks off in Schauspiel Köln on the 15th of April 2012. Over the next few months the programme of events introduces German audiences to the freshest and most significant aspects of Polish art, film, music and literature.

The name of the project draws its inspiration from the word klopsztanga (trzepak in Polish), which stands for a hanging frame used for beating rugs in Silesian dialect, considered by some a distinct language, which is spoken in the south-western areas of Poland. The word is related to the German word Klopfstange, thereby linking the two neighbouring nations through language. In Poland the hanging frame holds a particular significance for cultural life, being for many decades, the object that focused the social life of communities, a special place which attracted groups of people who played games and ideas. It remains a symbol of meeting and interaction, particularly for the tough times of communism, where everything was lacking - including suitable meeting places. The klopsztanga (hanging frame) has become a symbol of an ongoing dialogue between artists, institutions, and social organizations from Poland and Nordrhein-Westfallen. The region is one of the most important in Germany and boasts the largest industry of the nation.