Rijeka marks 25 years of the Polish Language Lectorate: a month of Polish culture, language, literature, music and theatre
From 14 April to 9 May 2026, Rijeka becomes one of the centres for presenting Polish culture in Croatia through the programme marking the 25th anniversary of the Polish Language Lectorate at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Rijeka. The anniversary programme brings together 13 events connected with Poland, and it is conceived as a broader cultural cycle that connects the academic community, city cultural institutions, public spaces and guests from abroad. In just under a month, audiences will be able to visit exhibitions, literary programmes, workshops, concerts and a theatre performance, with events taking place at several Rijeka locations: at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Korzo, the Croatian Cultural Centre in Sušak, Rijeka City Library, Villa Dworski, Exportdrvo and Ri Theatre.
The anniversary is not only about a ceremonial reminder of the institutional history of one lectorate, but also about the visibility of the Polish language and culture in the urban space. The Polish Language Lectorate at the Rijeka Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences operates within the Department of Croatian Studies, and according to available publications, it is the oldest among the lectorates of that faculty. Its role goes beyond regular language teaching: over the years it has become a meeting place for students, teachers, translators, writers, musicians and cultural associations that connect Croatia and Poland. Because the programme is scheduled across several locations, for visitors coming from outside the city,
accommodation offers in Rijeka may also be useful, especially during the period of weekend events and the final programme at the beginning of May.
The anniversary of the lectorate as a cultural event outside the classroom
The programme marking 25 years of the Polish Language Lectorate shows how an academic language programme can become an important part of the public cultural life of a city. At its centre is not only the teaching of the Polish language, but also the broader context: literature, translation, music, traditional culture, visual identity, theatre and public diplomacy. Such an approach is especially important for less represented languages in higher education, because their survival and development depend not only on the formal curriculum, but also on community interest, the availability of cultural content and the possibility of presenting the language as a living space of communication, creation and cooperation.
At the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Rijeka, part of the programme is directly connected with the teaching and professional dimension of the lectorate. Exhibitions and a translation workshop are held there, while the other contents move into city spaces. In this way, the anniversary opens up to the wider public, and the Polish language leaves the academic framework and becomes part of Rijeka’s everyday cultural offer. The programme also includes guests from Poland, among them musicians from Kraków, but also Poles active in Ireland, which shows the contemporary mobility of Polish culture and its presence in different European environments.
An important part of the story is also the fact that different generations and different audience profiles are included in the programme. Some contents are intended for students and those interested in language and translation, others for families and children, and others for audiences who follow jazz, theatre, literature or contemporary visual culture. For this reason, the anniversary programme can also be read as an example of cultural cooperation in which an academic institution, city institutions and international partners create a joint public event.
Exhibitions open the programme: Polish language on Korzo and Polish culture at the faculty
The programme begins on 14 April 2026 with the exhibition “Polish in Rijeka. 25 years of the Polish Language Lectorate at the Department of Croatian Studies of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Rijeka”, installed on Korzo. The exhibition lasts until 28 April and offers an overview of the development of the lectorate, its place in teaching and the cultural ties that have been created over the past quarter of a century. Placing the exhibition in the city centre is symbolically important because it brings the story of the university programme closer to passers-by and to an audience that may not be directly connected with the academic community. In this way, the anniversary does not remain behind the walls of the faculty, but becomes visible in Rijeka’s public space.
On the same day, the exhibition “Polska” also opens at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, announced as a visual journey through Polish culture, history and identity. According to the published information, the exhibition can be viewed at the faculty from 14 to 30 April, and the programme also lists its additional period from 1 to 13 May. It is content that presents Polish culture through visual symbols, contemporary design and recognisable motifs, and admission is free. Such an exhibition has an educational and popularising function: it provides visitors with basic context, but at the same time points them to the richness of a culture that cannot be reduced only to language or the literary canon.
The combination of the exhibition on Korzo and the exhibition at the faculty shapes a dual beginning of the programme. The first exhibition speaks about the local history of the lectorate and its development in Rijeka, while the second broadens the view towards Polish cultural identity. For visitors planning to tour several locations in the city, especially those coming to exhibitions, concerts or the final theatre evening, a practical choice may be
accommodation close to event venues in Rijeka, since the programmes are spread from Korzo and the Campus to Sušak, Pećine and the Exportdrvo space.
The musical part of the programme connects tradition, jazz and international cooperation
One of the first major musical events is held on 16 April at 8 p.m. in the Croatian Cultural Centre in Sušak, where the group Dzikie Jagody from Ireland performs. The programme announces a concert that connects Polish traditional music, contemporary performance practices and the experience of the Polish diaspora. The performance of the group from Ireland is especially interesting because it shows how Polish musical heritage develops beyond the borders of Poland as well, in communities that transmit tradition through new contexts, languages and audiences. Admission is free, which additionally opens the event to the wider public.
The next day, 17 April at 12:30 p.m., the programme returns to Korzo with an event announced as “Surprise”. Although the details of that part of the programme are not particularly elaborated in the available announcement, its location points to a public character and the possibility of a direct encounter between passers-by and the Polish cultural theme. Such short city formats often have an important role in festivals and anniversary programmes because they also attract audiences who had not planned in advance to participate in a cultural event.
The musical highlight of the second part of the programme comes on 29 April at 8 p.m. in Exportdrvo, where Pacemaker Jazz Fusion from Kraków performs. The concert is announced as a jazz fusion programme with free admission, and the arrival of musicians from Kraków emphasises the direct connection of the Rijeka programme with the Polish contemporary scene. Jazz fusion as a genre fits well into this anniversary framework because it connects improvisation, contemporary expression and international communication without relying exclusively on language. In this sense, the musical part of the programme complements the language and literary contents: Polish culture is presented as alive, changeable and open to cooperation.
Literature and translation at the centre of the Rijeka programme
The literary part of the programme opens on 17 April at 6 p.m. in Rijeka City Library with the presentation of the book “Mitologija Slavena” by Aleksander Gieysztor, translated by Slaven Kale. It is a title dealing with Slavic mythological heritage, and its presentation in the context of the anniversary of the Polish lectorate has clear symbolic value. Polish culture is not presented here in isolation, but as part of a wider Slavic and European space in which languages, myths, historical experiences and literary traditions touch one another.
Translation occupies a special place in the programme, not only as the technical skill of transferring a text from one language to another, but as cultural work that mediates between communities. The translation workshop is held on 24 April at 12 noon at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and it is led by Adrian Cvitanović, a translator from Polish. For foreign language lectorates, translation is one of the most important points of contact with the public: thanks to translators, literary works, scholarly texts and cultural concepts cross linguistic borders and become accessible to new readers.
On the same day, 24 April at 5 p.m., Rijeka City Library hosts the presentation of the book “Fijak. Croatia – an outside view” by Aleksandra Wojtaszek, also translated by Adrian Cvitanović. The programme thus connects the workshop and the public presentation of the book, that is, the professional work of the translator and its result in the literary and journalistic space. A title that addresses Croatia from an outside perspective is additionally suitable for such an anniversary because it opens the question of how one culture is seen through the eyes of another. In that encounter, a space is created for critical reading, intercultural dialogue and a better understanding of cultural differences.
Workshops bring traditional culture closer to children and adults
The programme does not remain only at lectures, exhibitions and concerts, but also includes workshops that invite the audience to active participation. On Saturday, 18 April at 10 a.m., in Rijeka City Library, in the Benčić Art Quarter, the workshop “Leluje” is held, dedicated to Polish traditional paper cut-outs for children and adults. Polish paper cut-outs are a recognisable part of folk art, and through the workshop they can be brought closer even to those encountering this tradition for the first time. The workshop format is especially important because it presents cultural heritage not only as an object of observation, but as an experience of creation.
On the same day at 3 p.m. in Villa Dworski, a workshop of traditional Polish songs of the plant world is held, led by the Polish group from Ireland Dzikie Jagody. The combination of music, traditional themes and the space of Villa Dworski gives the programme a more intimate character, different from larger concert and public events. The workshop is announced with free admission, and its value lies in the fact that it presents Polish culture through voice, shared singing and traditional motifs. Such contents often create the most direct contact between performers and the audience, because knowledge does not come only through lecture, but through shared performance.
The inclusion of children, adults, students and the wider public in the workshops shows that the marking of the lectorate is not directed only towards experts in language or literature. On the contrary, it is conceived as a public cultural programme that presents Polish tradition through different levels of participation. For those planning to visit several workshops and evening events,
accommodation for visitors to the Rijeka programme can make it easier to follow the schedule taking place at several locations and at different times during April and May.
The finale under the sign of Constitution Day and Polish theatre
The final day of the programme, 9 May, brings two events that round off the anniversary cycle. At 12 noon in Villa Dworski, the Polish national holiday, Constitution Day of 3 May, is marked. That date has a special place in Polish history because it is connected with the Constitution of 3 May 1791, one of the most important constitutional documents in European political history. In the context of the Rijeka programme, the marking of that holiday connects the cultural and historical dimension of Polish identity, but also reminds us that language is always connected with the political, social and institutional history of the community that speaks it.
On the same day at 8 p.m. in Ri Theatre, a theatre performance by the Polish Cultural Association “Fryderyk Chopin” from Zagreb is held. The programme lists “Szlon” and “Conversation with a Stone”, and the performance is staged by the theatre group “Obserwatorium”. The arrival of a Polish theatre group from Zagreb shows how the programme relies not only on guests from Poland, but also on the Polish community and cultural initiatives active in Croatia. In this way, the circle is closed between the academic lectorate, city cultural institutions, international guests and the Polish cultural presence in the Croatian space.
The finale of the programme in Ri Theatre especially emphasises the performative side of language. Theatre is a space in which language is not only a means of communication, but rhythm, voice, body and interpretation. For a lectorate marking a quarter of a century of work, such an ending has strong symbolism: the Polish language is presented not only as a subject of learning, but as a living artistic practice. The programme thus leaves the impression of a carefully shaped cultural cycle, in which language is observed through literature, music, visual culture, tradition, history and stage performance.
Institutional cooperation and the importance of cultural diplomacy
According to the published programme, the partners include the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Rijeka, the Department of Croatian Studies, the City of Rijeka, Rijeka City Library, Ri Theatre, the Croatian Cultural Centre in Sušak, Villa Dworski, Platform PL.HR, the Polish Cultural Association “Mikołaj Kopernik” in Zagreb, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Zagreb and other organisations. The programme also mentions NAWA, the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, which further emphasises the academic and international dimension of the anniversary. Such a network of partners shows that the Polish Language Lectorate is not an isolated teaching unit, but part of a broader system of cultural and educational cooperation.
The role of the embassy and cultural associations in such programmes is important because they often provide the institutional framework for the promotion of language, literature and cultural ties. On the other hand, local institutions such as the City Library, the Croatian Cultural Centre in Sušak, Ri Theatre and the Exportdrvo space enable the programme to be accessible to different audiences. It is precisely this combination of academic, diplomatic and urban cultural frameworks that gives the anniversary broader significance: it is a programme that at the same time marks 25 years of the lectorate’s work and confirms the importance of international cultural exchange.
In this programme, Rijeka appears as a city of multiple cultural addresses, not as the backdrop of a single ceremony. Korzo, the Campus, Sušak, the Benčić Art Quarter, Pećine, Exportdrvo and Ri Theatre become connected points of the same story. In this sense, the anniversary of the Polish Language Lectorate also speaks about the way contemporary cultural programmes function: they take place less and less often in one place, and more and more often build a network of events that leads the audience through different spaces and different forms of participation. For visitors who want to follow a larger part of the programme,
accommodation in Rijeka during April and May can be a practical part of planning a cultural stay.
The Polish language as a bridge between the academic community and the public
A quarter of a century of work by one lectorate in the higher education system is an important anniversary because it shows the continuity of interest in a language that is not only a communication tool, but a bearer of literature, history and cultural memory. The Polish language in Rijeka’s academic context is connected with teaching, student mobility, translation work, cultural programmes and cooperation with institutions. Such continuity does not arise by chance: it depends on teachers, students, translators, partners and the public that recognises the value of intercultural learning.
The programme from 14 April to 9 May 2026 can therefore be seen as a public display of what has developed over 25 years in teaching and cultural work. Exhibitions speak about identity and history, workshops invite participation, books and translations open a space for reading and discussion, concerts connect tradition and contemporaneity, and theatre shows the performative power of language. In such a structure, the anniversary is not only a remembrance of beginnings, but also a confirmation that the lectorate has a current role in the cultural life of Rijeka.
Given that admission to several events is free, the programme is accessible to a wider audience and does not remain limited to the academic circle. This strengthens the visibility of Polish culture, but also the broader understanding of the role of the lectorate in the public space. At a time when foreign language education is often viewed through immediate market usefulness, such a programme reminds us that languages also have deeper social value: they create connections, open the archives of literature and history, enable translations and shape long-term cultural relations. During this anniversary, Rijeka will host Polish culture precisely through such a series of events as a living, diverse and open story.
Sources:- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Rijeka – official announcement of the programme marking 25 years of the Polish Language Lectorate (link)- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Rijeka – published programme of events for the anniversary of the lectorate (link)- Visit Rijeka – calendar announcement of the marking of the 25th anniversary of the Polish Language Lectorate in Rijeka (link)- Kanal Ri – feature on the marking of 25 years of the Polish Language Lectorate in Rijeka and the exhibition on Korzo (link)- Moja Rijeka – announcement of the exhibition “Polska” at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Rijeka (link)- Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Zagreb – official information on Polish diplomatic presence in Croatia (link)- Novi list – earlier article on the lectorates of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Rijeka and the role of the Polish lectorate (link)
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