Kultura Liberalna / Liberal Culture is a centrist, liberal media organisation, think tank and NGO based in Poland which publishes an influential weekly online journal, featuring articles, commentary and debate. Liberal Culture publishes books, organises international events and develops partnerships with other media outlets around the globe. MORE

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Affluent Poles looking at Ukraine – too much lecturing, not enough support

Karolina Wigura, Kacper Szulecki Łukasz Jasina · 11 March 2014
Poland has become a part of Western Europe – for better or for worse. In the face of the escalating Ukrainian conflict it definitely seems for worse. The Poles have become wealthy enough to forget where they were 25 years ago. The memories of our own poor condition are so faded that we can no longer empathize with the Ukrainians’ violent struggle. And yet it seems so easy to keep convincing everyone in Brussels that Poland will teach its European partners to think in terms of solidarity.

Different Ukrainians, different Poles

Victoriia Zhuhan · 21 October 2014
My friends in Ukraine want to know what Poles are like, since they know I lived in Poland for two years. Poles, on the other hand, ask what we Ukrainians are like. I never know what to tell either group. Each new story I come across is different – the more I learn, the more I am afraid of getting things wrong.

Explaining Europe to the Europeans

Łukasz Pawłowski · 25 July 2011
During a conference organized five years ago in London to celebrate Europe Day one of the major issues raised by Austrian ambassador to the United Kingdom (Austria was at that time president of the EU) was… the lack of jokes on European Union. At the time being, only British historian, Timothy Garton Ash, replied with the one-liner: “If the EU applied to join the EU it would not be admitted”. Over the next few years this became more of a reality than anecdote and I am pretty sure that…

Maybe Russia would change its mind

Gernot Erler in conversation with Łukasz Jasina · 10 January 2015
Gernot Erler talks about European politics and war on Ukraine.

I am greatly impressed by the intellectual level and organization of the Kultura Liberalna community.

Timothy Snyder, historian

I find Kultura Liberalna to be one of the most interesting young networks of intellectuals.

Agnieszka Holland, film director

The magazine introduces readers to the tradition of liberal thought understood not in a narrow, economic perspective, but emphasizing the most precious value of liberalism – human freedom. Such activity is not only important but indispensible in the modern world.

John Gray, philosopher

Kultura Liberalna is a unique phenomenon with a great importance for our culture.

Zygmunt Bauman, sociologist

Kultura Liberalna is an amazing magazine of young intellectuals.

Aleksander Smolar, President of Stefan Batory Foundation