The ceremony for the planned centre was held on Tuesday at Kraków's Kościuszko Mound to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence.
The centre, an initiative by the Kościuszko Mound Committee, is intended to promote educational, scientific, cultural and business cooperation between Poland and the United States, as well as provide a space for dialogue linking the countries' shared history with activities for future generations.
Its headquarters will be located in a restored former fortification next to the Kościuszko Mound. The centre is scheduled to open at the end of next year.
During Tuesday's ceremony, US Ambassador Tom Rose said Poland was America's most important relationship in Europe.
He said differences between Poland and the US were minor compared with what the two countries share and the common challenges they face.
The project has received USD 150,000 (EUR 132,000) from the US State Department through the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP). The money will be used to renovate the historic space where the centre will be located.
A time capsule was also placed at the Kościuszko Mound during the ceremony. It is to be opened in 50 years, marking the 300th anniversary of US independence.
The capsule contains the founding document of the Polish-American Centre, the pen used to sign it, commemorative medals, a pin featuring the Polish and US flags, and a letter from Rose addressed to the people who will open it in 2076.
Polish upper-house Speaker Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, who attended the ceremony, said security was not only military but also economic, cultural and educational, and involved supporting Poles living in the United States and the Polish diaspora.
The project draws on the symbolic significance of the Kościuszko Mound as a reminder of the shared Polish-American struggle for freedom 250 years ago.
The famous Kraków mound honours Tadeusz Kościuszko, a hero of both the Polish and American struggles for independence in the 18th century.
(sp/gs)
Source: PAP