On Sunday 16th November a plaque was unveiled in the heart of the Old Town in memory of Alexander Chalmers, a Scot who made his home in Warsaw in the 17th century and went on to become the elected mayor of the city on four separate occasions.
It is thought that he came to Poland around 1676 and Polonised his name to Aleksander Czamer. As well as holding the office of mayor he was also a judge and served as a deputy in the coronation parliament of King August II.
Chalmers died in 1703 and was buried in Warsaw's Cathedral of St.John. The Cathedral was rebuilt after the war but the plaque commemorating Chalmers life was never re-created. Plans are already in place for a permanent rememberance plaque honouring Chalmers in the Cathedral and it should be in place by 2010.
Over the past few weeks Paul Gogolinski, a Scot of Polish descent living and working in Warsaw has worked tirelessly in order to organise the installation of a plaque celebrating Chalmers role in Warsaw's history and also as a reminder of, not only, the historical links between Poland and Scotland but also the ongoing relationship between the two countries. The realisation of the project was also made possible with the kind help of the Warsaw Museum, the Conservation Office, the City of Warsaw Authorities and the tremendous support of Krzysztof Noworyta from the National Centre of Culture.
The plaque has been installed on the site of Chalmers former house at the corner of Waski and Szeroki Dunaj in a building now housing the Leathercraft Museum. It was officially unveiled by Ms. Linda Fabiani, minister for European and External Affairs and Culture in the Scottish Parliament. Around thirty people attended the event including the legendary Scottish arts guru and champion of Polish art Professor Richard Demarco and also the former Polish Consul General in Edinburgh.
Paul Gogolinski and Linda Fabiani MSP at the unveiling of the Alexander Chalmers plaque.
|