{"id":6365,"date":"2025-11-03T03:15:59","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T02:15:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/?p=6365"},"modified":"2025-11-03T03:16:01","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T02:16:01","slug":"polands-furniture-capitalcity-of-many-cultures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/polands-furniture-capitalcity-of-many-cultures\/","title":{"rendered":"Poland\u2019s furniture capital
city of many cultures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An interview with Piotr Psikus \u2013 Mayor\u00a0of \u00a0K\u0119pno, winner of Leader by\u00a0Vocation<\/em>, one of the longest-serving mayors in Poland (since 1990) \u2013 passionate and dedicated creator of\u00a0vital conditions for transformation of\u00a0his hometown into a\u00a0modern location with a\u00a0dynamically growing industry, mainly furniture, a\u00a0rich housing offer and ambitious plans for\u00a0the future. As\u00a0a\u00a0result, more and\u00a0more people from neighbouring cities, such as Wroc\u0142aw, are\u00a0settling in\u00a0K\u0119pno.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You are one of the few local government officials in Poland who have been in office for over 30 years. When did your first term start?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Almost at the very beginning of local government in Poland, i.e. on October 15, 1990. I was 29 at the time and was one of the five youngest mayors in the country. I remember that during the period of building local government structures, the work was so intense that my wife brought me sandwiches because we were exploring the secrets of local government from morning till night. Between 2010 and 2014, there was a break in my term \u2013 for two years I held the position of deputy mayor in a neighbouring municipality, and for the next two years I managed Elektromonta\u017c in Katowice as managing director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did your educational path develop?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I\u00a0obtained my degree at the Pozna\u0144 University of Life Sciences (former Agricultural Academy), and another at the Pozna\u0144 School of Banking (WSB). In 1997, I\u00a0passed an exam at the Ministry of the Treasury, obtaining the right to sit on the supervisory boards of state-owned companies. I\u00a0held membership of Supervisory Boards of Municipal and State Treasury Companies until April 2024. I\u00a0defended my doctorate at the University of Kalisz, where I\u00a0currently lecture, as well as at the Higher School of Management Personnel in Konin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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K\u0119pno from a bird\u2019s eye view<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Did you professionally start as a\u00a0social activist?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

No, I started in a construction company, then I worked as an inspector at the Bralin Municipality Office, and then at the K\u0119pno Town Hall. When the newly elected mayor was dismissed after three months, my father and uncle, both activists in the Citizens\u2019 Committee, persuaded me to run for office so that the position wouldn\u2019t go to someone from outside K\u0119pno. At that time, I was planning to start my own business \u2013 I have design and construction qualifications for sanitary installations. But family roots tipped the scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you\u2019re business-minded as well?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I must admit that K\u0119pno local government is growing dynamically. Even in the difficult years of 2001\u20132007, unemployment didn\u2019t exceed 9.5%. Most of the plants underwent transformation, only 2\u20133 went bankrupt, but afterwards their sites were repurposed. K\u0119pno is called the Polish capital of furniture manufacturing \u2013 there are over 800 companies in this industry operating here, employing hundreds of people and producing for export. The largest company has annual net revenues of around PLN 1 billion. In terms of income, we\u2019re surpassed by three rural municipalities, where in the 1990s farmers converted their barns into production halls. K\u0119pno used to be home to a branch of the Jarocin Furniture Factory, which went bankrupt, but the experienced staff remained. People took out secured loans and set up companies \u2013 that\u2019s how fortunes had been made. Today, their owners drive luxury cars and fly helicopters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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K\u0119pno from a bird\u2019s eye view<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

K\u0119pno is a\u00a0wealthy municipality.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Definitely \u2013 we have reliable taxpayers. The highest income per capita is achieved by the neighbouring municipality of Baran\u00f3w, with a population of 7,000 and the largest number of factories. The Town and Municipality of K\u0119pno have over 25,000 inhabitants, so the income is spread more widely. Trade and steel structure industry are also developing. Unemployment is currently 1%. The district has 56,000 inhabitants, with an additional 8,000\u201312,000 foreigners residing here. In the furniture industry, 50% of employees are citizens of Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Colombia, India and Nepal. One of the largest employment agencies in Poland operates here, with offices in Bogota and Dubai. One-third of children in nurseries are children of foreigners, and they account for 22% of primary school pupils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do children want to learn Polish?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Most Ukrainian children do, but recently there has been an increase in the number of students from South America only speaking Spanish, which is quite an obstacle. However, our children benefit from the gap by developing their language skills. There\u2019s a growing sense of integration \u2013 children talk, argue and make friends. I\u2019m a grandfather of three grandchildren myself. Janek, the eldest, is in the fourth grade and has four Ukrainian friends \u2013 they get on quite well, playing together, but behavioural problems are sometimes unavoidable. My granddaughter, Zosia, attends nursery school along with children from Ukraine and Brazil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The two-level railway station in K\u0119pno<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

K\u0119pno has multicultural traditions and interesting monuments.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The most valuable building is the synagogue from 1815, open to visitors with a\u00a0guide. In the past, Jews constituted 56% of the town\u2019s population, and the synagogue was the heart of the \u2018Kamczadka\u2019 district. Over the years, the building was vandalised. During the occupation, the Germans set up a\u00a0horse riding arena there, and during the communist era, it served as a\u00a0furniture warehouse. In 1973, the building burned down. One of my first decisions as mayor was to secure the building \u2013 I\u00a0commissioned the construction of a\u00a0roof and gutters. In 2007, I\u00a0bought the synagogue from the Jewish community for a\u00a0symbolic one zloty, with the intention of using it for cultural purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The synagogue in K\u0119pno after revitalization; Interior of the Synagogue Center<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It was successfully renovated due to European funds. Also worth seeing are St. Martin\u2019s Church from 1911 and the 18th-century Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession. When St. Martin\u2019s was being renovated, masses were held in the Evangelical church \u2013 this even attracted the interest of TVP. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve restored two parks: Staro\u015bcia\u0144ski Park, next to the historic Maria Fredro Countess Szembekowa Library, and the 100th Anniversary of K\u0119pno\u2019s Return to the Motherland Park. The market square in K\u0119pno is the second largest in Wielkopolska (Greater Poland), right after Pozna\u0144. Next to the Town Hall the Museum of the K\u0119pno Region is located, with a\u00a0collection of Judaica and works by one of Poland\u2019s greatest Kapists, Tadeusz Piotr Potworowski, who lived there and painted after the war. The Museum bears his name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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City Park named after the 100th anniversary of\u00a0K\u0119pno\u2019s r eturn to the Motherland (left Photo)
& Staro\u015bcia\u0144ski Park after revitalization <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The square on Sp\u00f3\u0142dzielcza Street<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What other forms of culture are available to residents?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In summer, a series of concerts organised by the K\u0119pno Culture Centre and the Town Hall takes place in the K\u0119pno market square \u2013 from May 3 till the September Festiwal Trzech Kultur, preceded by \u2018Muzyczne pi\u0105tki\u2019 and Do\u017cynki. Since 2017, eight editions of the Festival have been held, with the participation of soloists from the New York Philharmonic, the Bester Quartet \u2013 a group of klezmer music virtuosos from Krak\u00f3w, the world leader in this genre, Darek Male Malejonek, Edyta Geppert, Kuba Badach, Stanis\u0142aw Soyka, Anna Maria Jopek & KROKE, Grzegorz TURNAU, Wojciech Waglewski. The Synagogue houses the Cultural Activation Centre, which organises classes for different age groups and artistic events. I personally supervise its activities \u2013 I want it to be an exclusive centre of high culture. We also have a cinema, whereas a theatre, opera house and concert hall are available in Wroc\u0142aw, 76 km away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What achievements are you most proud of?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

K\u0119pno offers an indoor swimming pool, a\u00a0full-size sports hall, and a\u00a0soccer field with natural and artificial turf. Several facilities are equipped with lighting, so events may also take place in the evening. There\u2019s a\u00a0cinema, a\u00a0museum, and a\u00a0local library. The K\u0119pno Culture Center is also going very well. Our seniors have their own Senior Club facility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Senior Club and Caregiver Support Center<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We care about the environment. We have two revitalised parks: Miejski and Staro\u015bcia\u0144ski, where various cultural events take place. There are also walking squares for residents. We have several professional playgrounds for children and the young of different age groups. The Town and Municipality of K\u0119pno provide a\u00a0whole infrastructure of water supply and sewage systems, whereas a\u00a0gas network functions in the town and one of the villages. Wodoci\u0105gi K\u0119pi\u0144skie has been operating since 1997. The company frequently carries out investments and modernises existing water treatment plants as well as water and sewage networks. It\u2019s the first company in Poland to sign a\u00a0loan agreement with Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego under the KPO program. K\u0119pno within one of its parts is also supported by a\u00a0heating network. We\u2019re implementing educational and public housing projects. We\u2019re the (largest) shareholder in a\u00a0waste management company. We care about the safety of our residents \u2013 there\u2019s a\u00a0Town Guard in K\u0119pno, the monitoring system includes 56 cameras, and we subsidise the activities of the Police and Fire Departments. Since 2018, there\u2019s been a\u00a0ban on the sale of alcohol in the Municipality of K\u0119pno from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., which also contributes to improving safety. I\u2019ve focused on ecology. We\u2019re implementing the local \u2018K\u0119pno wolne od smogu\u2019 (K\u0119pno free of smog) programme, and we\u2019re winding up coal stoves. The municipality has no loans, only borrowings and bonds, and its debt remains at a\u00a0safe level of 20%. Every year, we generate surpluses and invest them. I\u2019m one of the first mayors in Poland to implement a\u00a0programme of flats with an option to purchase \u2013 the rent and instalments are structured in such a\u00a0way that they don\u2019t burden the household budget. We\u2019re building more blocks of flats: 24 and 36 flats. We compete with developers by offering lower rates. I\u2019ve centred my attention on providing modern infrastructure to retain residents and attract new ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What about education?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Each and every child can easily find a place in a nursery or kindergarten \u2013 we have five public preschools, one private and one nursery. There are also nine primary schools and three secondary schools within the Municipality area. Secondary School Complex No. 2 trains upholsterers for the local furniture industry \u2013 the demand is so high that entrepreneurs once offered funding the additional classes. Upholsterers here earn between PLN 8,000 and PLN 9,000 a month. When it comes to university, my generation chose Pozna\u0144, but today\u2019s youth prefer Wroc\u0142aw. Due to location at the junction of several provinces, other academic centres are also available: Kalisz (63 km), Opole (88 km), \u0141\u00f3d\u017a (128 km) and Katowice (145 km).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where can residents spend their free time actively?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We have the Quarium indoor swimming pool, a modern cinema, numerous bike paths, a sports hall, football and handball pitches, and there are plans to build an ice rink. For quite a small town, the range of sports, leisure and cultural activities offered is relatively wide. The aforementioned Synagogue Centre proves useful as a concert hall as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Piotr Psikus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And how does the Mayor relax?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I enjoy swimming, walking, cycling, and skiing. I take advantage of the nearby city of Wroc\u0142aw to go to the theatre or opera. I also enjoy attending art exhibitions, because art is something I truly appreciate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the future plans for the town\u2019s growth?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re working on a new spatial development plan. New investments and jobs are being created on the lands between the S8 and S11 roads \u2013 Leroy Merlin is currently looking for 100 employees. The municipality has seven municipal companies. The largest planned project is the construction of heat and power plant, to convert waste into heat and electricity \u2013 to satisfy the needs of residents and companies. Local government is a multidimensional organism. When making decisions, we attempt to balance the development of the municipal economy and the purely recreational sphere, which is quite difficult. We consistently try to stay ahead of our time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We wish you successful implementation of plans and congratulate for all your so-far achievements.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dorota Kolano<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An interview with Piotr Psikus \u2013 Mayor\u00a0of \u00a0K\u0119pno, winner of Leader by\u00a0Vocation, one of the longest-serving mayors in Poland (since 1990) \u2013 passionate and dedicated creator of\u00a0vital conditions for transformation of\u00a0his hometown into a\u00a0modern location with a\u00a0dynamically growing industry, mainly furniture, a\u00a0rich housing offer and ambitious plans for\u00a0the future. As\u00a0a\u00a0result, more and\u00a0more people from neighbouring […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6379,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1126],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6365"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6365"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6384,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6365\/revisions\/6384"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}