I am from Lima, Peru. I never imagined myself living in Poland – the circumstances put me here. However, setting up in Wroclaw is the most precious thing that has happened to me since my arrival.
Location Peru
For sure, you have already heard this before, that Wrocław is the Polish city of the youth. Greatly innovative and much more dynamic than other places in Poland, it attracts mostly students and people who wish to shape their professional and personal lives. The city is an appealing place for them – with all the cultural momentum which drives them, if they are willing to look for it (because streets are not paved with knowledge).
Needless to say, many countries have “their Wrocławs” – cities that are rather far from the mainstream politics and big business affairs. Cities like Wrocław are closer to the production and management of their cultural capital.
From where I come from, cultural and economic capital were bound together. As a consequence, the country’s heart beats in Lima.
I have been an active participant in the efforts of my fellow compatriots – our common goal is to research, invent and share artistic expressions. Additionally, we want to spread technology and scientific ideas. Regrettably, when presented to the average consumer, these efforts encounter obstacles which will take longtime to overcome.
However, what we definitely have in large are great resources of vibrant cultures. To be more specific, we have the cultural heritage that transpires over many different crucial points through out Peruvian geography and history.
Despite the fact that I am not yet familiar with the Polish history, it is my understanding that not only Wroclaw, but also Poland has had various cultural dimensions. Today, many Poles miss this diversity while their contemporary culture is pretty homogeneous.
On the other hand, Wrocław remains very “German” even despite the years that separate it from the time it was actually a part of Germany.
Surprisingly, the most noticeable reason of this impression isn’t the architecture, which in fact is of secondary importance, but the inhabitants themselves. After spending some time in two different cities: Lodz and Wroclaw, I recognize the former to be more traditional. In Lodz, people identify more with the Eastern European culture. Not like in Wroclaw. On the contrary, people here (especially, the youth) have the thirst for novelties and the progressive Western values which help them become more open or even warmer in their approach to the foreigners.
At the moment, thanks to the social fabric of mixed cultural heritage and vigour of day and night, people like me can feel confident and, at the same time, exposed to new experiences in Wroclaw.
