Your Excellency, Honourable Members of Parliament,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

I consider it a great honour that you have come to Trzebiechów today so that we can jointly express our appreciation of a marvellous figure in the world of art - Henry van de Velde - a brilliant Belgian artist, who, here in Trzebiechów, surprises us with his unrivalled artistry and vivid imagination.

May I extend a special welcome to His Excellency the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Warsaw, Mr Jan Luykx and His Wife. Let me also welcome Member of Parliament to the Sejm of the Republic of Poland of the 5 th term Mr Czesław Fiedorowicz. May I also welcome a member of the Lubuskie Province Board - Mr Andrzej Szablewski, the Provincial Conservator of Monuments - Mrs Barbara Bielinis - Kopeć, and the representatives of the Lubuskie Province Office. It is also my enormous pleasure to welcome dr hab. Dariusz Markowski, a conservator of works of art of the Institute of Studies and Conservation of Historic Relics of the Mikołaj Kopernik University of Toruń, a professor of the University.

I am very glad to welcome a strong representation of our guests from Germany. May I give a special welcome to the acting director of the German Forum for the Culture of Central and Eastern Europe - dr Klaus Herer from Potsdam, Mr Erwin Bockhorn von der Bank, and dr Brigitte Reuter and Leonie Beiersdorf of the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Hamburg.

May I also extend my welcome to the representative of our twin Sprewa - Nysa County, Mrs Estera Lindner - Kuhlmann of the German - Polish Centre For Innovation and Technology in Guben.

Let me welcome the council members of the zielonogórski county, town mayors and commune administrators and as well as all the others present at today's conference.

There are no representatives of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Warsaw nor of the General Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany in Wrocław with us today. Therefore, please allow me to read out the letters that I have received from both intitutions.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Even five years ago the Nursing Home as well as Trzebiechów itself led a peaceful life. Then

they became an overnight sensation! One can admire original works of art by a world - class artist still intact after a hundred years since their creation. For art connoisseurs Trzebiechów became a very important place. It is frequently visited by Germans, Belgians and the French, both art historians, the lovers of Henry van de Velde's creative output as well as journalists.

Since October 2003, when - at the first conference - art historians confirmed the authenticity of the Belgian artist's works, a lot has changed in the interiors of the Nursing Home. The Zielonogórski County, which is the founding body of the Home, has made a continuous investment in the renovation of the estate. We have a group of loyal allies, such as the Lubuskie Province Governor and the Lubuskie Province Conservator of Monuments. Thank you very much for your generous financial support.

In 2004, within the framework of the Provincial Contract, the Office of the Zielona Góra County Governor launched the 'Henry van de Velde - Arts Without Frontiers' project, which resulted in the creation of www.henryvandevelde.pl website, which provides information on the discovery in four languages. The year 2004 also marked the beginning of the renovation work, which has been carried out with the purpose of restoring former splendour to the estate. Thanks to the so - called 'exposures' one can now admire the original colouring of the interiors as designed by the eminent Belgian artist. Also, the pattern on the ceiling of the dining room was restored. At the turn of 2006 renovation work on the window carpentry was undertaken in both the santorium building, the former doctor's house [which is now an administrative building], a few other apartments as well as in the connecting building, thus restoring it to its original colouring.

Afterwards, the so - called social rooms for Ladies and Gentlemen and the billiard room have been restored. Further research, conducted by prof. dr hab. Dariusz Markowski, a conservator of the Institute of Studies and Conservation of Historic Relics at the Mikołaj Kopernik University of Toruń, exposed a unique set of seven ornamental motifs - the richest of its kind - adorning the interiors.

Currently, renovation work is in progress on the sanatorium's roof. Still this year more rooms

are going to be painted and some of the floors are going to be renovated. The work is financed

by the Zielonogórski County, the Ministry of Culture and Cultural Heritage and the Lubuskie

Province Governor.

There is still a lot of renovation work ahead of us. We will do it little by little. That is what we

are for: to preserve the cultural heritage of the united Europe. It is our common good.

A Belgian artist, working in almost every corner of Europe, contracted by a German Duchess

creates designs in the easternmost territories of Germany. A hundred years later, Polish art historians restore the beauty and glamour to particular buildings.

Next month we are going to commemorate the 50 th anniversary of Henry van de Velde's death. He was a brilliant Artist. His art remains and it is eternal.

Thank you very much.