Archive for October, 2021
2021 “Freedom” Monument Unveiled in Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Monument
“For Our Freedom and Yours”
Unveiled in Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Text David Rydzewski
Photos Irena Frączek
In a Stevens Point, Wisconsin park, sited on the banks of the Wisconsin River, a monument of immense significance to Polonia, was dedicated on Saturday September 18, 2021.
With a Polish Legion of American Veterans color guard, the flags of Poland and the United States were set in place to begin the dedication. A moment later (in a scene that could have been scripted out of Hollywood) a bald eagle patrolling the banks of the river flew overhead.
The Monument “For Your Freedom and Ours” is a derivation of “Za naszą i waszą wolność” which comes from the unofficial motto of Poland. It was dedicated this day, as the creation of 1st generation Polish American artist Boleslaw Kochanowski.
Kochanowski was inspired by the Polish motto, which was a rallying cry used since 1830 to unite oppressed peoples from many nations. He says “the canted and skewed spires signify the difficulties of upholding and retaining justice and liberty. The cracked and broken tips of the spires indicate that freedom came with hardship and sacrifice.” He continues “Corten alloy and stainless steel are used for durability and permanence, signifying strength and longevity. These materials also differentiate the Polish white eagle and the American bald eagle.”
Moving to the podium was Master of Ceremonies Gayle Phillip. Gayle is the President of the Polish Heritage Awareness Society of Central Wisconsin. She began by welcoming the assembled guests to the Stevens Point “Cultural Commons” on this momentous day.
Gayle then introduced the first speaker, the Mayor of Stevens Point and Polish American Michael Wiza. Following Mayor Wiza, the speakers included:
From left to right: Mayor Michael Wiza, Consul Paulina Szafałowicz, PNA and PAC President Frank Spula and artist Bolesław Kochanowski.
Consul Paulina Szafałowicz, who along with her own greeting, read a letter from Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago, Małgorzata Bąk-Guzik;
Frank Spula, President of the Polish National Alliance and Polish American Congress;
Professor JinMan Jo from the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point, College of Fine Arts;
David Rydzewski, President of the Polish American Congress – Wisconsin Division and PAC National Director.
Artist, Boleslaw Kochanowski introduced three of his sons Vincent, August, and Valerius who shared in the design, engineering, and creation of the monument, and his wife Anna, who along with amazing cooking of Polish food, manages the office; showing that this was a true family effort. Bolek also recognized and thanked his father, who so influenced his life.
Trish Mrozek led a board that assembled a group of donors from the Stevens Point area, who were the source of the funding for the monument. The donors include members of the Lemke, Ostrowski, Pisarski, Gollon, and Belke Families, and Heritage of Portage County.
From left to right: Father Janusz Kowalski, Trish Mrozek, Gayle Phillip and Mayor Michael Wiza.
A blessing for the monument was given in both English and Polish by Father Janusz Kowalski, of Saint Lawrence Catholic Church in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.
Members of the press included a video team from Polish TV, and Stevens Point’s own Polish newspaper GWIAZDA POLARNA, and its editor and publisher Jacek Hilgier.
Boleslaw comes from a long line of blacksmiths, starting with his great uncle Hipolit Kochanowski who apprenticed Bolek’s father Boleslaw Kochanowski Sr. in Kotlice, near Zamość, Poland. Boleslaw Sr. passed his exams and became a blacksmith journeyman.
Bolek’s parents miraculously survived World War II, having been rounded up in Poland for forced labor in Nazi Germany. Upon Allied liberation they met and were married in the refugee camp at Gablingen Germany, starting their family there. They finally were allowed to emigrate to America where Bolek and a younger brother were born, joining their German born siblings.
Boleslaw Sr. began work as a lead blacksmith in the shops of the Chicago Transit Authority, later moving to Milwaukee, becoming the boilermaker-blacksmith layout designer at the huge shops of the Milwaukee Road Railway.
As a young man Boleslaw Jr. earned a degree in International Relations from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, but the draw of working with his hands alongside his father, drew Bolek to the Milwaukee Road shops. Kochanowski Sr. had a motto “Look and Learn” which Kochanowski Jr. did, and he put that knowledge to use through the years, in turn passing the expertise to his own sons – the fourth generation.
Striking out on his own to design and build architectural ironwork, Bolek’s talents led to commissioned works for gates, railings, screens, and fine metal artistic pieces. Gradually it evolved to works on a grander scale and now include monuments that adorn commercial and civic centers and parks.
The origins of this monument began with Polish leaders in Stevens Point who thought that there should be another significant piece of public art with a Polish theme, and Kochanowski was asked to submit designs for it. The setting would be a “Cultural Commons” area within a public park on the banks of the Wisconsin River. Areas within the “Cultural Commons” would show a connection with Stevens Point Sister Cities. One of which is Gulcz, Poland, which reflects an area where many early Polish settlers came from to Central Wisconsin
As the ceremony for the dedication was coming to a close, many in the audience were smiling, very proud of this monument and its symbolism of “This Glorious Fraternity of the Polish and American Brotherhood” and their own “Polishness”. A few even had a tear in their eye.
Archived Posts
- 80th Anniversary of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising
- 2024 Wianki Festival
- 2024 Polish Constitution Day in Wisconsin
- 2023 Merry Christmas
- 2023 Lighting the Light of Freedom on Dec 13 at 7:30pm
- Independence Day and Veteran Day invitation
- 2023 Wianki Festival
- 2023 May 3rd Constitution Day Celebration
- 2023 Lecture on Polish Borders by Prof. Don Pienkos
- 2023 REMEMBER THIS: Jan Karski movie premieres on PBS Wisconsin
- 2023 Upcoming lectures in the Polish Center of Wisconsin
- 2022 Polish National Independence Day
- 2022 Independence and Veteran Day Luncheon (invitation)
- 2022 Wianki, Polish Celebration of Noc Świętojańska (St. John’s Night)
- Celebrating Constitution of May 3, 1791 in Polish Center of Wisconsin
- 2022 Polish Constitution Day, Polish Flag Day and the Day of Polonia
- 2022 March Bulletin
- 2022 Polonia For Ukraine Donations
- 2022 Polish American Congress Condemns Russian Invasion of Ukraine
- 2022 PAC-WI State Division Letters to WI Senators and Representatives
- 2021 Polish Christmas Carols
- 2021 Panel Discussion: Martial Law in Poland 1981-1983 (REPORT)
- 2021 Panel Discussion: Martial Law. Poland 1981-1983 (invitation)
- 2021 Solidarity: Underground Publishing and Martial Law 1981-1983
- 2021 Polish Independence Day and Veterans Day
- 2021 Polish Independence Day and Veterans Day Luncheon
- 2021 Prof. Pienkos lecture: Polish Vote in US Presidential Elections
- 2021 POLISH HERITAGE MONTH EVENTS
- 2021 “Freedom” Monument Unveiled in Stevens Point, Wisconsin
- 2021 PCW Picnic and Fair
- 2021 Remembering Września Children Strikes (1901-1903)
- 2021 May 3 Constitution Day
- 2021 DYKP Contest Winners and Answers
- 2021 DYKP CONTEST EXTENDED and CASIMIR PULASKI DAY
- 2021 February announcements
- 2021 Polish Ministry of Education and Science oficials visit Wisconsin
- 2021 DYKP Contest, KF Gallery and Dr. Pease lectures
- 2020 Help Enact Resolution commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Katyn Massacre
- 2020 Independence And Veterans Day
- 2020 Remembering Paderewski
- 2020 POLISH HERITAGE MONTH
- 2020 Solidarity born 40 years ago
- 2020 Battle of Warsaw Centenary
- 2020 The Warsaw Rising Remembrance
- 2020 June/July News: Polish Elections, Polish Films Online and more
- 2020 Poland: Virtual Tours
- Centennial of John Paul II’s Birth
- 2020 Celebrating Polish Flag, Polonia and Constitution of May 3rd
- 2020 Polish Easter Traditions
- 2020 Census and Annual Election
- Flavor of Poland (Update 3)
- 2020 Copernicus, Banach & Enigma talk
- 2020 Do You Know Poland and other announcements
- 2020 Flavor of Poland (Update 2)
- 2020 People and Events of the Year
- 2019 Holidays
- 2019 December Medley
- 2019 Independence Celebration
- 2019 Independence Invitation
- 2019 WI Study in Poland Reports
- Lecture: Poland’s Entry Into the NATO
- August 2019 anniversaries
- 2019 Polish Fest
- Celebrating Polish Constitution and Ignacy Paderewski
- WSIP 2018 Reports (Wisconsin Study in Poland)
- 2018 Christmas Carols
- 2018 Polish Independence and Veterans Day
- November 2018 events
- October 2018 Events
- 2018 Kashube Lecture Notes
- September 2018 events
- 2018 Polish Fest Report
- Upcoming 2018 Polish Fest
- Celebrating Polish Constitution Day
- Poland 1979-1989 (panel discussion)
- Protest the Passage of S.447 in the U.S. House of Representatives
- STOP H.R.1226
- 2018 People and Events
- 2017 Polish Christmas Carols
- 2017 The Christmas Tradition of “Kraków Szopka”
- 2017 Dr. Mazurkiewicz lecture notes
- 2017 Polish Independence and Veterans Day
- 2017 Dr. Mazurkiewicz lecture
- 2017 KOŚCIUSZKO MEDIA GALLERY
- Mark Pienkos Named Polish American of the Year
- A DAY WITH GENERAL KOŚCIUSZKO
- 2017 KOŚCIUSZKO EVENTS IN SEPTEMBER
- 2017 POLISH DECLARATIONS of 1926
- 2017 Polish Fest
- 100 Years of White Sox Baseball
- 2017 Kosciuszko Bicentenary
- 2017 Annual and Election Meeting
- 2017 March/April events
- 2017 Kościuszko Lecture
- Reports of WSIP-2016 recipients
- 2017 Wisconsin Study in Poland
- 2016 Merry Christmas
- 2016 Independence Day Luncheon
- 2016 Polonia Forum
- December 12, 2015 Agenda
- CHRISTMAS GET-TOGETHER & GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING Saturday, December 12, 2015 Agenda
- Dr. Mark Pienkos received Cavalier’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
- October is Polish American Heritage Month
- Congressman Clement Zablocki” Civic Achievement Award”
- Please Attend the General Membership Meeting – September 26, 2015
- Activity Report – August 2015
- 2015 Elected Officers and Directors
- 2014 Congressman Clement Zablocki Civic Achievement Award Recipients
- Polish American Congress Meets in Washington D.C. – July 2015
- Issues Statement Condemning FBI Directory James Comey’s Comments
- 2015 Congressman Clement Zablocki” Civic Achievement Award”
- Civic Achievement Award
- PAC-WI Special Recognition
- Medal of Paderewski
- Pro Patria Medal
- Thank you to Chicago….
- OCTOBER PROCLAIMED POLISH-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH IN WISCONSIN
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- Laureaci Nagrody Dziedzictwa im. Kongresmena Klemensa Zabłockiego na rok 2012
- Thank you so much for coming and making the premiere of 1920 a great success!!!