„Kultura Liberalna” (Liberal Culture) is an intellectual milieu created around a non-profit, socio-political, weekly magazine established in 2009 by a group of young academics, artists, journalists, students and freelancers. Devoted to modernize liberal thought according to the forthcoming theoretical and practical challenges it also strives to apply liberal ideals to the specific, Central European historical experience.

As the group aims at transcending a narrow, strictly economical understanding of liberalism it combines reflection on the economy with that on politics, society, ethics and culture. Liberalism in the title is not just a declaration of commitment to the core liberal values – which are still hardly present in Polish public life – but also an indication of openness to the world, to diverse social, political and cultural phenomena which may be found in it.

The range of subjects discussed in subsequent issues of the magazine is exceptionally broad. Apart from ongoing analyses of Polish and international politics, in-depth reflection on our society also plays a prominent role, as well as articles on economy, history and new social movements in Europe and the world. Separate columns are devoted to contributions on the current trends in literature, visual arts and music.

“Rarely does such thing happen in the world of culture – Zygmunt Bauman wrote on „Kultura Liberalna” – that a small group of enthusiasts takes up a venture – not for fame and money, but moved by an inner need and probably a kind of vocation – to follow month after month, week after week, live, in real time, the meanders of both high and everyday cultural life, its elitist and popular kind, its institutionalized and spontaneous version, recording and commenting on its ups and downs, mistakes and discoveries, promises and weaknesses”.

„Kultura Liberalna” attaches great importance to both intellectual and linguistic quality of the articles published. Established as a leading liberal journal in Poland among its contributors it already counts many eminent scholars, artists, politicians and journalists, among others: Lech Walesa, Saskia Sassen, Timothy Garton-Ash, Michael Walzer, Paul Berman, Adam Michnik, Richard Wolin, Quentin Skinner, Zygmunt Bauman, Aleksander Smolar, Krzysztof Penderecki and Agnieszka Holland.

Below, please find a selection of articles and interviews from „Kultura Liberalna” published in English. All the articles are free for readers to view on line. For reprint permissions and other information please contact:

[email protected]

Read KL in English:

• Hamlet on the battlefield – an interview with Olly Lambert
• Internet offers, it doesn’t promise –  an interview with Andrew Rasiej
• Liberty, climate, electricity! – topic of the week
• A battle over electricity – an interview with Claudia Kemfert
• Frivolous cohabitation. Preparing the soil for a Jobbik takeover? – an interview with János Mátyás Kovács
• It is time we challenged the global economy – an interview with Richard Sennett
• Change is a „right” thing now – Łukasz Pawłowski’s post-election commentary
• America The Most Important Election in the World – topic of the week
• Obama won’t win. But don’t worry, Romney will lose – an interview with Benjamin Barber
• Romney alike Obama, Obama alike Bush – an interview with Anne Applebaum
• Pragmatic Obama and unpredictable Romney – an interview with Martin Wolf
• Polish presidency or how to explain Europe to the Europeans – topic of the week
• What’s that thing called democracy? – topic of the week
• A democracy, the Democracy or liberal democracy? – an interview with Jeffrey C. Isaac
• The Global Street or the Democracy of the Powerless – an interview with Professor Saskia Sassen
• Should Hungary be expluded from the European Union – topic of the week
• An Era of Global Competition – an interview with Frederick Kempe
• Between passions and moderation – an interview with Quentin Peel
• Do not democratize Russia. We will do it ourselves – an interview with Lilia Shevtsova
• Swiss cheese of privacy protection – an interview with Jameel Jaffer
• BAUMAN, GAUCHET, KAZIN, POMIAN: The 21st Century. A World Without The Left? – topic of the week (34/2013)
• Today words have little meaning – an interview with Guy Sorman
• DEMPSEY, LEGGEWIE, BURAS, PRAWDA, KUISZ, ŁAWROWSKA: The most important elections in Europe – topic of the week (38/2013)