Kultura was founded in Rome (Central Europe Review 25 Sept. 2000; Rzeczpospolita 16 Sept. 2000) in 1947 as a quarterly by Jerzy Giedroyc, a former official from the Information Ministry of the exiled Polish government in London (ibid.; The Warsaw Voice 24 Sept. 2000) and then Kultura's editor (AP 15 Sept. 2000). In the fall of 1947, the periodical became a monthly after its office moved to Paris (Central Europe Review 25 Sept. 2000). In total, more than 600 issues of the magazine were published (ibid.) and distributed in 50 countries (The Daily Telegraph 18 Sept. 2000). However, Kultura was banned in Poland (Central Europe Review 25 Sept. 2000) between 1947 and 1989 (The Warsaw Voice 24 Sept. 2000), although issues were reportedly "smuggled" to Poland (ibid.; The Daily Telegraph 18 Sept. 2000). The last issue was published in October 2000 (Witryna Czasopism.pl n.d.).

Sources provide different descriptions of Kultura, including a "literary magazine" (AP 15 Sept. 2000; Central Europe Review 25 Sept. 2000), "an influential, thought-provoking (...) political-cultural periodical" (ibid.), a "dissident literary journal" (The Warsaw Voice 26 Apr. 1998), "the most important institution of independence-minded thought" (Rzeczpospolita 16 Sept. 2000), "a Polish literary and political magazine" close to the Polish democratic opposition movement in exile (The New York Times 20 Sept. 2000), "the most famous Polish émigré magazine" (The Warsaw Voice 24 Sept. 2000), "the most important European voice of the Polish émigré community (ibid.), and "the most influential Polish newspaper in the world" (The Daily Telegraph 18 Sept. 2000). Its content drew from culture, arts, fiction, philosophy and politics (The New York Times 20 Sept. 2000).

According to The Daily Telegraph, Kultura contributed to the survival of the Polish dissident culture by opening its pages to banned writings from intellectuals (18 Sept. 2000).

According to Rzeczpospolita, a Polish newspaper described as an "independent, centrist political and economic daily," Kultura was supportive of the liberalization initiated in Poland by Wladyslaw Gomulka in 1956, but stopped short of any collaboration with the Communist authorities (16 Sept. 2000). The daily notes Kultura's critical contribution to the creation of "circles of the democratic opposition" and stresses its support for the Worker's Defense Committee and the Solidarity movement (ibid.).

According to Jerzy Giedroyc, both Polish and Soviet governments asked French President Charles de Gaulle several times to shut down the periodical, claiming that it was harming Franco-Polish and Franco-Soviet diplomatic relations (AP 15 Sept. 2000). However, de Gaulle refused each time (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Associated Press (AP). 15 September 2000. "Jerzy Giedroyc, Polish Emigre Editor, Dies in France." http://www.cnn.com/2000/books/news/09/15/france.obit.giedroyc.ap/ [Accessed 29 Apr. 2002]

Central Europe Review [Prague]. 25 September 2000. Wojtek Kosc. "Prophet and Loss Obituary: Jerzy Giedroyc (1906-2000)." http://www.ce-review.org/00/32/kosc32.html [Accessed 29 Apr. 2002]

The Daily Telegraph [London]. 18 September 2000. No title. (NEXIS)

The New York Times. 20 September 2000. William H. Honan. "Jerzy Giedroyc, 94, Literary Voice of Polish Democracy Movement." (NEXIS)

Rzeczpospolita [Warsaw, in Polish]. 16 September 2000. "Poland: Life, Achievements of Jerzy Giedroyc Reminiscence." (FBIS-EEU-2000-0919 16 Sept. 2000/WNC)

The Warsaw Voice. 24 September 2000. Vol. 622, No. 39. "The End of an Epoch." http://www.warsawvoice.pl/v622/Buzz14.html [Accessed 29 Apr. 2002]

_____. 26 April 1998. Vol. 496, No. 17. Christopher Smith. "Poets Up, Communists Down." http://www.warsawvoice.pl/v496/people.html [Accessed 29 Apr. 2002]

Witryna Czasopism.pl. n.d. "Cultural Periodicals in Poland. Kultura." http://katalog.czasopism.pl/pismo_en.php?id_pisma=254 [Accessed 29 Apr. 2002]