International Cultural Centre

The International Cultural Centre in Krakow is a national institution of culture specialising in the issues of culture and heritage of Central Europe.

The idea for the Centre was first put forward by the government of Tadeusz Mazowiecki in 1991. The institution has from the very beginning concentrated in its research on issues of broadly understood cultural heritage in an active dialogue with Poland’s neighbours and the world. 

Thanks to the ICC’s contribution to the international debate on the role of heritage and through maintaining international connections, the Centre realises the mission of public diplomacy by developing Poland’s position as an important actor within the international community (UNESCO, V4, the Barcelona Process, the Berlin Process), and as a significant partner for cultural and intellectual cooperation.

The ICC undertakes a critical and multidirectional reflection on the notion of cultural heritage using interdisciplinary instruments. In its research and activities, it refers to history, history of art and architecture, memory, cultural heritage protection, as well as all aspects of its management.

The ICC’s activities are geographically focused on Central Europe and its complex history, particularly in the 20th century.  Since it was founded, the ICC has developed a formula for its activity that combines research projects, addressed to experts and policymakers, with more popular endeavours that introduce the Polish audience to a fascinating world of 20th-century history, culture, and art, as well as contemporary intellectual reflection on heritology with a special focus on Central Europe.