Poland's old city Cracow expected to become sister city of Yogyakarta

Poland's old city Cracow expected to become sister city of Yogyakarta

Oei Eng Goan, The Jakarta Post, Cracow

As a country that has a myriad of historical relics and dozens
of nature reserves, Poland is indeed an attractive land for
tourists.

Poland's old city of Cracow (also spelled Krakow), its
Wieliczka Salt Mine and Bialowieska Forest are listed in the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization's record of world heritage sites.

Cracow, lying on the Wisla River in south central Poland and
about a three-hour journey by train from the capital Warsaw, is a
historic city which maintains its reputation as the center of
Polish culture and national identity as well as home to the
prestigious Jagiellonian University and other scientific and
cultural institutes.

Impressed by the city's reputation and committed to further
strengthening bilateral ties, Indonesian Ambassador to Poland,
Koko Wijanarko, discussed with the Mayor of Cracow, Andrzej
Golas, the possibility of making Cracow the sister city of
Yogyakarta, an ancient Javanese city that houses a wealth of
Indonesia's cultural heritage and the oldest institute of higher
learning in Indonesia state-run Gadjah Mada University.

"There are many similarities between the two cities and Mr.
Golas has responded well to the idea," Ambassador Koko told the
visiting Indonesian journalists in Warsaw recently.

Both Cracow and Yogyakarta were formerly the nations' capitals
and to this date the two cities have maintained their status as
the seat of learning. While Cracow is dubbed as "a city of one
hundred thousand university students", Yogyakarta is known as "a
college town" with its numerous higher learning institutions
covering a wide range of studies, from music and the fine arts to
high technology and nuclear science.

Like Cracow's imposing Wawel Hill and Royal Castle, once the
abode of Polish kings and queens, which are open to visitors,
Yogyakarta's kraton, the residence of the present Sultan
Hamengkubuwono X, is open to both foreign and local tourists.

Exchange visits by officials of the two cities will be
conducted in the near future, an official of the Cracow
municipality told The Jakarta Post.

A native of Cracow, when asked what made her feel proud of her
home town, replied: "Some cities and places in the world possess
their own soul, but Cracow has its own soul, a very unique one."

A little of that uniqueness can be seen when one strolls
around the city's main square where the Cloth Hall stands and
witnesses how diverse cultures of other European countries
coexist in harmony in Cracow. Russian, German and Czech street
dancers and traveling musicians enliven the square with their
performances. Passersby who enjoy the entertainment willingly
throw a zloty (US$0.25) or two into the baskets laid in front of
the performers.

The Mariacki (St. Mary's) Church, which stands opposite the
Cloth Hall, reminds passersby that time is fleeting by, not by
the chiming of its huge bells but with the sound of melodious
trumpets that add to the peaceful yet lively environs of Cracow's
main square, the largest city square in Europe in medieval times.

St. Mary's Church was once administered by Bishop Karol
Wojtyla, now known as Pope John Paul II.

Adding life to the square for pedestrians during the day are
hundreds of pigeons -- some strutting, some pecking crumbs of
bread -- that flock to one side of the square where a row of
cafes and restaurants stand.

Another claim to fame of Cracow, many agree, is the fact that
it was in this city that the great Polish astronomer Nicolaus
Copernicus (1473-1543) disclosed the truth about the motion of
the heavenly bodies: that the earth is a moving planet which
revolves around the sun, correcting the centuries-old erroneous
concept that the earth was static and was the center of the
universe!

At the invitation of the Polish Embassy in Jakarta, three
Indonesian journalists visited Poland recently to witness the
country's development and tourist attractions. The visit was
jointly sponsored by the Indonesian Embassy in Warsaw and the
national carrier, Garuda Indonesia.