The development of Polish cultural identity is inseparable from the history of a nation at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe and its perennially discussed and changing borders. According to petsinclude, Poland has had to undergo foreign oppression, territorial divisions and invasions that have profoundly marked the soul of its people. The placement of the Polish artistic-cultural experience in the international scenario of art and cultural maps is a topic that has been under discussion for some time. In the intellectual tradition, in fact, two opposing currents face each other: one that supports a strong link with Western culture and philosophy, the other that instead identifies in this “border” culture, innovative values that are opposed to those of a West now come to decline. However, any discussion cannot ignore the fact that the culture of this country has long been “colonized” by history, politics, religion and ideologies. Already in romanticism art was assigned a particular and improper role: to be the only possible territory of political and moral dissent. This is therefore the task – to espouse the patriotic cause and support the national conscience and spirit – which, due to the historical events that for almost 150 years have forced the Poles to fight for the independence of their country divided by the great European powers, is long been assigned to art. With the regaining of independence in 1918, Polish culture somehow freed itself from this bond and was finally able to become itself again, but the interference of history was destined to repeat itself. The trauma of the Second World War (with the intense cultural activity developed clandestinely during the war in occupied Poland and in various centers abroad), the period of real socialism (with aspects such as the interference of Marxist ideology, censorship, the literature of emigration, clandestine publishing, the role of the Church and Solidarity in the defense of intellectuals), the political changes of 1989 (the collapse of the Soviet system and the implications this had on cultural life), as well as the most current and contemporary (the role of new media in the circulation of ideas, the emergence of new themes, the growing presence of imported cultural models, globalization), they are further historical components that have contributed and continue to define the cultural identity of this country, influencing its expressions in various fields. Poland is home to prestigious universities, including the Jagiellonian University of Krakow (founded in 1364), the oldest Polish university and also one of the oldest in Europe. Already in the mid-fifteenth century it became the leading academic center in Europe for mathematics, astronomy, astrology, geography and law studies, it was reformed in 1780 and became autonomous in 1870. Among the other universities, it is worth mentioning that of Warsaw (currently the largest university with its 18 faculties) and those of Poznań, Lublin, Łódź, Toruń and Katowice. the oldest Polish university and also one of the oldest in Europe. Already in the mid-fifteenth century it became the leading academic center in Europe for mathematics, astronomy, astrology, geography and law studies, it was reformed in 1780 and became autonomous in 1870. Among the other universities, it is worth mentioning that of Warsaw (currently the largest university with its 18 faculties) and those of Poznań, Lublin, Łódź, Toruń and Katowice. the oldest Polish university and also one of the oldest in Europe. Already in the mid-fifteenth century it became the leading academic center in Europe for mathematics, astronomy, astrology, geography and law studies, it was reformed in 1780 and became autonomous in 1870. Among the other universities, it is worth mentioning that of Warsaw (currently the largest university with its 18 faculties) and those of Poznań, Lublin, Łódź, Toruń and Katowice.
