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Toruń around the World Copernican Congress
Exhibitions, debates, meetings, tastings – the proceedings of the Toruń part of the Copernican World Congress will be complemented by numerous accompanying events.
In September, in connection with the final part of the Congress, jointly organised by Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Jagiellonian University and the University of Warmia and Mazury, as well as the Institute of the History of Science of the Polish Academy of Sciences, there will be several exhibitions dedicated to Copernicus on the 550th anniversary of the astronomer's birth
Faces of Copernicus
On 8 September, an exhibition "Mystery of the Sun: Copernicus, the Son of the Renaissance" will be opened at the Old Town Hall in Toruń. This exhibition explores the early period of Nicolaus Copernicus's life. The ambition of the District Museum in Toruń is not only to present the youth of the scholar, including his travels to Italy and his studies at the universities of Bologna and Padua, but also to showcase the influence of Italian Renaissance culture on his later achievements. Through carefully selected works, visitors will be able to experience the spirit of the times in which the foundations of the heliocentric theory were laid. The display will feature over 200 sculptures, paintings, graphics, ceramic, arts and crafts objects, as well as furniture.
Through carefully selected works, it will be possible to feel the spirit of the times in which the foundations of the heliocentric theory were forged. The presentation will consist of more than 200 sculptures, paintings, prints, ceramic objects, artistic craftsmanship, and furniture.
The exhibition is complemented by the installation "Mystery of the Sun" by dr. hab. Katarzyna Łyszkowska, of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Nicolaus Copernicus University, presented in the courtyard of the Old Town Hall.
From 11 to 25 September, there will run an exhibition "Of All Books The Most Worthy of Reading... Around De revolutionibus" by Nicolaus Copernicus, prepared by the University Library. The exhibition refers to the astronomical tradition before the Copernican revolution and is dedicated to the work De revolutionibus and its later reception. The display board exhibition, located in the passage between the University Library and the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Management, will present 14 copies of the first edition of the work (1543) from the collections of Polish libraries.
From 11 to 22 September, the lobby of the University Library will host an exhibition "Nicolaus Copernicus on Philatelic Values". The exhibition features 21 display panels showcasing a unique collection of stamps, first-day covers, postcards, commemorative postmarks, and other philatelic artifacts related to the figure of Nicolaus Copernicus. In addition to items from Poland, the exhibited collection also includes an extensive assemblage from more than 70 countries from all over the world..
The "School of Friends of Copernicus" program and the 7th Nationwide Competition "Toruń in Touch with History " will result in an exceptional exhibition of works by students who have created birthday cards for Nicolaus Copernicus and have designed and printed on 3D printers buildings from the cities visited by Nicolaus Copernicus. The exhibition will be open for viewing from 12 September in the main hall of the NCU Collegium Humanisticum at 1 Bojarskiego Street.
On 15 September, as part of the World Copernican Congress, an exhibition "Marek Żuławski. Painting from the Collection of the Nicolaus Copernicus University Museum" will be opened at the "Znaki Czasu" Center of Contemporary Art in Toruń. This will be the largest presentation of the artist's works in Poland and worldwide to date, featuring over 250 pieces of art, most of which were donated to the Nicolaus Copernicus University by the artist's wife, Maryla Żuławska. The exhibition at the Center of Contemporary Art will include oil paintings, acrylics, serigraphs, ink drawings, lithographs, collages, sculptures, and memorabilia related to the painter.
Copernicus turns and tastes
"Does Copernicus Still Turn Us On? - The Art of Storytelling About the Work and Life of Outstanding Personalities " is the title of a debate that will begin in the Grand Hall of the Old Town on 14 September at 3:30 pm. Participants in the event will seek answers to the question of whether, in the age of social media and news, we are capable of creating a panoramic and innovative narrative about an outstanding scholar who spent 40 years of his life secluded within the clergy in distant Warmia?
It will also be an opportunity to reflect on the art of telling biographies of great people, adapted to the contemporary times and attractive to today's recipients.
The participants in the debate include:
- dr hab. Jacek Wasilewski (University of Warsaw) – Polish media expert, doctor habilitated in social sciences, journalist, writer, screenwriter;
- mgr Joanna Malicka (University of Silesia) – film producer, production manager, film expert, journalist;
- mgr Agnieszka Jankowiak-Maik – Polish historian, educator, author of the blog Babka od Histy, editor of historical websites.
The event will be hosted by Karolina Glowacka, journalist and science populariser, author of the Radio Naukowe podcast.
On the occasion of the 550th anniversary of the birth of Nicolaus Copernicus, the Toruń chefs have turned to recipes from the 16th century to present them in new interpretations and have created a Copernican menu. It will be available until the end of September in selected restaurants in Toruń as part of the Eat Like Copernicus event.
The dishes will be based on recipes from Kuchmistrzostwo from around 1540. This unique historical source, the oldest Polish cookbook, was considered lost until recently. It was rediscovered, deciphered, and reworked by Professor Jarosław Dumanowski, a historian from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń."
The dishes will be created based on recipes from the "Cookery" from around 1540. This unique historical source - the oldest Polish cookbook - was until recently considered lost. It was found, reinterpreted, and complied by Prof. Jaroslaw Dumanowski, a historian from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń.
Scientific meetings
The program of the World Copernican Congress also includes accompanying scientific events. From 15 to 11 September, the 41st Congress of the Polish Astronomical Society will take place. It will be held not only on the occasion of the 550th anniversary of Copernicus' birth, but also in connection with the 100th anniversary of the Polish Astronomical Society.
On 14 and 15 September, the regularly organised since 2013 All-Poland Conference on Light Pollution is planned. The main goal of the event is to present the current state of knowledge and exchange experiences regarding artificial light pollution and to discuss actions aimed at mitigating its negative effects. The conference will address issues concerning the environmental, astronomical, economic and legal effects of light pollution, as well as topics related to conducting measurements, observations, and targeted monitoring of this phenomenon.
Shortly after the end of the Congress - from 18 to 22 September - Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun will host the 65th Scientific Congress of the Polish Chemical Society. The conference topics include the presentation of the latest research achievements in chemistry in 14 sections, as well as a panel discussion on the collaboration between the world of science and industry.
We would like to remind you that the program of the Toruń part of the World Copernican Congress, which will take place from 12 to 16 September, consists of six thematic sections: history of astronomy, cultural studies, history of medicine, medicine, education, and youth. Participation in the proceedings is free, but on-line registration is required for most events. An event search engine and registration guidelines are available at: https://kopernik550.umk.pl/en/program.
