Jump to content

Polish Social and Cultural Centre

Coordinates: 51°29′36″N 0°14′15″W / 51.49333°N 0.23750°W / 51.49333; -0.23750
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Bender the Bot (talk | contribs) at 14:35, 6 November 2016 (→top: clean up; http→https for Google Books using AWB). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"POSK" redirects here. For the South Korean head of state, see President of South Korea.
The POSK building in Hammersmith.

The Polski Ośrodek Społeczno-Kulturalny (POSK) is the Polish Social and Cultural Association in London. It was founded and funded in 1967, at the initiative of Polish engineer Roman Wajda, at 238-246 King Street, Hammersmith where Poles who had escaped the occupation of their country congregated in west London.[1]

POSK promotes Polish culture and art. It houses the Library of Poland in London, which was founded in 1942, exhibitions, film screenings, theatre performances and a regular jazz club. There is also a Polish cafe and a restaurant.

Numerous Polish organizations are hosted within the building, including:

  • Zjednoczenie Polskie w Wielkiej Brytanii - ZPWB (The Federation of Poles in Great Britain - the largest Polish organisation in Britain which itself hosts a number of other organisations)
  • Instytut Józefa Piłsudskiego (J. Piłsudski Institute in London)
  • Polish University Abroad - PUNO
  • Polskie Towarzystwo Naukowe na Obczyźnie - PTNO (Polish Society of Arts and Sciences Abroad)
  • Stowarzyszenie Polskich Kombatantów - SPK (Polish Combatants Association)

The original membership fee was £10 but this was updated in 2008 by the new President, Ewa Brzeska.[2]

On 26 June 2016, in the wake of the Brexit referendum, the office was vandalized with a racist graffiti.[3] [4]

References

  1. ^ Benedict Le Vay, Eccentric London
  2. ^ Wiktor Moszczynski, Hello, I'm Your Polish Neighbour
  3. ^ Micklewaithte, Jamie (June 26, 2016). "Police probe racist graffiti smeared on Polish centre after Brexit vote". London Evening Standard. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  4. ^ BBC News. "'Racist' graffiti on Polish cultural centre in Hammersmith". BBC. Retrieved 27 June 2016.

51°29′36″N 0°14′15″W / 51.49333°N 0.23750°W / 51.49333; -0.23750


Poland

This article about an organisation in Poland is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon

This article about an organisation in the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon

This London-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polish_Social_and_Cultural_Centre&oldid=748131239"