The fourth issue of “Kwartalnik Polonicum” is rich in information on Poland and the Poles, with a clearly defined main topic of the Polish diaspora and the Polish language abroad. A specialist’s view on Polish beyond its ethnic borders is offered by Prof. Stanisław Dubisz, and Prof. Jiry Damborsky, an enthusiast of our country and a fluent speaker of Polish, discusses the emotional side of his acquaintance with our language. In an interview, the world of the Polish diaspora and its division between the East and the West is presented by the chairman of the “Wspólnota Polska” association Prof. Andrzej Stelmachowski. The history lesson, which customarily appears in every issue of our periodical, is provided by Prof. Zofia Zielińska in her article on Poland in the period of the Partitions. Contemporary Poland and its social divisions are shown in the review of the brilliant recent film entitled Cześć, Tereska, supplemented by an interesting interview with its director Robert Gliński. As always, there is a guide to Poland: a walk along the next stretch of the Royal Route and a visit to the Old Powązki Cemetery, as well as a trip to the plains of Podlasie and to Kazimierz Dolny, a picturesque town upon the Vistula. There is also a funny yet very informative text on the origins of Polish proverbs and idioms, and a treat for the faithful readers of the language pages: the amazing Genitive endings in the masculine plural and some of the more troublesome adjectives.
