Polish American Sister Cities

[gigi]

Did you know that there are nearly 80 cities and communities in the USA and Poland participating in Sister Cities partnerships? The objective of Sister Cities is to strengthen partnership between communities around the world and to foster global cooperation at the local level. It also promotes cultural understanding; academic and professional exchanges, as well as economic growth.

Participation in the Sister Cities program presents countless advantages to all cities involved. Schools, youth organizations and professionals from twinned cities have tremendous opportunities to enjoy a myriad of visits and other cultural and educational exchange programs. Through mutual cooperation and the promotion of various professional and educational projects, Poles and Americans are able to explore each others’ countries: an invaluable opportunity to broaden one’s knowledge of the culture and heritage of another nation.

Poland/U.S. Sister City

Bialystok, Podlaskie/ Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Bielsko-Biala, Slaskie/ Grand Rapids, Michigan
Bochnia, Malopolskie/ Roselle, Illinois
Bytow/ Winona, Minnesota
Chelm, Lubelskie/ Knoxville, Tennessee
Czestochowa/ South Bend, Indiana
Gdansk, Pomorskie/ Cleveland, Ohio
Gdynia, Pomorskie/ Seattle, Washington
Gietrzwald/ Frazee, Minnesota
Gorzow Wielkopolski, Lubelskie/ Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Gulcz, Malopolskie/ Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Jelinia Gora, Dolnoslaskie/ Tyler, Texas
Katowice, Slaskie/ Mobile, Alabama
Kielce/ Flint, Michigan
Krakow, Malopolskie/ Rochester, New York
Krapkowice, Opolskie/ Camas, Washington
Lesnica, Opolskie/ Karnes Couty, Texas
Limanowa/ Niles, Illinois
Lodz Region, Lodzkie/ State of Maryland, Maryland (slightly different)
Lomianki, Mazowieckie/ Columbia Heights, Minnesota
Lomza, Podlaskie/ Muscatine, Iowa
Lowicz/ Cheektowaga, New York
Lublin, Lubelskie/ Erie, Pennsylvania
Lublin, Lubelskie/ Lublin, Wisconsin
Mielec/ Lackawanna, New York
Milanowek/ Winsted, Connecticut
Morawica, Swietokrzyskie/ Camas, Washington
Moryn/ Bronson, Michigan
Naklo nad Notecia/ Seymour, Connecticut
Olsztyn, Warminsko-Mazurskie/ Richmond, Virginia
Opole, Warminsko-Mazurskie/ Roanoke, Virginia
Plock, Mazowieckie/ Fort Wayne, Indiana
Poznan/Toledo, Ohio
Pultusk, Mazowieckie/ New Britain, Connecticut
Rzeszow, Podkarpackie/ Buffalo, New York
Slomnik/ Sparta, Michigan
Slubice, Lubelskie/ Yuma, Arizona
Szczecin, Zachodniopomorskie/ St. Louis, Missouri
Torun, Kujawsko-Pomorskie/ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Wadowice, Malopolskie/ Chicago Heights, Illinois
Warsaw Province, Mazowieckie/ San Diego, California
Warsaw, Mazowieckie/ Chicago, Illinois
Wroclaw, Dolnoslaskie/ Charlotte, North Carolina
Zabierzów, Malopolskie/ Camas, Washington
Zawiercie/ Shoreview, Minnesota
Ziebice, Dolnoslaskie/ Brighton, Colorado
Zielona Gora/ Aurora, Colorado


There are also two pairings of sister parks:

Slowinski National Park (Baltic Coast) and Sleeping Bear Dunes (near Lake Michigan)

Kampinos National Park (near Warsaw) and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (near Chicago)



www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/Europe/Poland/index

www.polamcon.org/taste/07/sistercities.pdf

[valpomike]

This is great, and how do we make contact with them?

Mike

[gigi]

Sept 30, 2008 17:38:16 GMT 1 valpomike said:

This is great, and how do we make contact with them?

Mike

There is quite a bit of information on the sister cities website. Here is the page that talks about frequently asked questions.

www.sister-cities.org/sci/aboutsci/faq

If you want to join, there is a "join now!" button on the left hand side.


As a side note, here is some information about Columbia Heights, MN and its sister city Lomianki that I found on the web:

In 1991, Columbia Heights joined Sister Cities International and selected Lomianki, Poland as its Sister City.

In 1944, a plane of Allied flyers was shot down during the Warsaw uprising, near Lomianki. The brother of a long time Columbia Heights resident was on that mission. In 1987, the people of Lomianki erected a monument in memory of the American flyers who lost their lives. Because of this personal connection Lomianki was selected as our Sister City.

The Sister Cities committee is a group of volunteers dedicated to encouraging and promoting the exchange of cultural, social, economic and political traditions and enabling the understanding, appreciation and friendship between peoples.

The City of Lomianki renamed one of its thoroughfares "Columbia Heights Boulevard" and in 1994 Columbia Heights renamed one of its parks "Lomianki Park".

In September 2005, 17 Sister City members spent five days visiting Lomianki as part of their 10 day tour of Poland. They were present for the start of the distribution of the 240 new wheelchairs donated to the needy of the Lomianki/Warsaw areas. This humanitarian endeavor was co-sponsored by the Behring Wheelchair Foundation.


Very cool!

[Bonobo]

I knew such bonds are made between cities in Europe. Some Polish settlements put boards at their borders displaying a list of befriended cities.
But I had no idea that American cities also participate in the programme.

[valpomike]

See, we all learn something each day. It is good to see, you have your computer working again.

Mike