Opowiedzmy Amerykanom o naszej historii

Opowiedzmy Amerykanom o naszej historii – Tadeusz Kościuszko

The project is tasked with designing, fabricating and hanging a plaque dedicated to Tadeusz Kosciuszko on the newly opened 2018 Kosciuszko Bridge in New York City. This bridge is built on the site of the old Kosciuszko Bridge, which was commissioned in the 1930s. The Kosciuszko Bridge is one of New York City's most famous transportation destinations, and the new version of the bridge has been designed with a number of attractions at and under the bridge: created, among other things, are parks and a concert venue. The observation bridge is designed for pedestrians, but also for cyclists and joggers. Our project concerns the installation of commemorative plaques dedicated to Tadeusz Kosciuszko, with the approval of the New York State Department of Bridges.
The plaque has been hung in the busiest part of the bridge.

The new bridge is designed to last a hundred years, and will certainly serve Americans and foreign tourists for much longer. Our proposed plaque will be made of the same material as the plaques already hanging on the bridge. Their workmanship and the durability of the material will ensure a lifespan of several hundred years.

Our project is not just about designing, making and hanging the plaque, but rather about creating an attractive tourist destination where many people will take photos of Manhattan as well as a photo with the beautiful plaque. Many Americans, New Yorkers will, thanks to this plaque, learn for the first time who Kosciuszko was and what he did, also for the United States. It will be a place for Polish ceremonies as well as school trips. We envisage a ceremony to unveil the plaque, which will certainly be mentioned in the New York media. The ceremony will be an opportunity for New Yorkers to hear about Tadeusz Kościuszko. Thanks to the great efforts of the Polish community in New York, and in particular to the efforts of Dr Tadeusz Alberski, who was one of the most important people in the construction of the new bridge, it was possible to win the retention of the name Kościuszko Bridge.

It should be noted that despite keeping the name Kościuszko Bridge, this has not changed the reality that the average American, New Yorker knows absolutely nothing about Kościuszko and his contribution to the American Revolution. Nor do they know much about Poland and our history. This plaque may be the only place in New York where many Americans and tourists from all over the world will come across the figure of Tadeusz Kościuszko for the first time and perhaps become interested in his homeland - Poland.

On the occasion of the ceremonial unveiling of the Tadeusz Kosciuszko plaques in New York, a letter from Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was issued.

Informacja o uroczystym odsłonięciu tablic została również zamieszczona przez Konsulat Generalny RP w Nowym Jorku.

Projekt był szeroko komentowany w mediach, m.in. przez Polskie Radio: „Trzy pamiątkowe tablice honorujące generała Tadeusza Kościuszkę odsłonięto w sobotę na moście nowojorskim jego imienia. List do uczestników uroczystości skierował premier RP Mateusz Morawiecki, wyrażając radość, że dzieło wielkiego Polaka, patrioty, bohatera Polski i Stanów Zjednoczonych pozostaje w pamięci obydwu narodów”.

Opowiedzmy Amerykanom o naszej historii – Tadeusz Kościuszko

Tablice