Natolin's Cultural Education Programme: Field Visit to Powązki Cemeteries on All Saints' Day

On 1 November 2024, students from the College of Europe in Natolin participated in a profound cultural education event: a field visit to the Powązki Cemeteries in Warsaw, guided by Professor Georges MINK and Jakub KUBICA, Head of Intercultural Communication. All Saints' Day, known as Wszystkich Świętych in Poland, is a revered holiday when Poles gather to honour the deceased with candle-lit gravesides and tributes to both loved ones and national figures.

The students walked amidst thousands of flickering candles that illuminated the resting places of politicians, artists, athletes, and heroes who have shaped Poland and Europe's rich history. The event provided an immersive experience in cultural heritage and memorial traditions of Central and Eastern Europe, shedding light on the symbolic significance of this day in this part of the world, as well as in other European countries. 

The group also visited gravesites of importance to some of Natolin's staff members, deepening their connection to the region and its people through personal narratives of those with family roots in the Powązki Cemeteries.