Tom Hanks, a small car, and the unique bond between Poland and the US
In today’s day and age when Twitter, Facebook and Instagram reign supreme, it should come as no surprise that a single post on social media can cause quite the international commotion.
“I’m so excited about my new car” wrote Tom Hanks during a trip to Europe this past summer.
The tongue in cheek reference was not referring to the latest German or Italian automobile, but the classic Polish maluch! This bite-sized car once populated the roads of Poland and much of Eastern Europe at a time when the Iron Curtain divided our continent. Small, simple to produce, and as easy to fix as a bike, the maluch became the classic Polish automobile and continues to have a cult following even to this day.
What do Tom Hanks and a small old car have to do with sister cities? Well over three million Polish maluchs, or Fiat 126p were produced in Poland, and many of them in the city of Bielsko-Biała. When the citizens of Bielsko-Biała saw Hanks’ posting several months ago, they decided that they had to act quickly and get Hanks this classic “hot rod.” Local residents decided to purchase, restore and ship a Polish maluch to Tom Hanks in the US. In return, Hanks has offered to make a donation to a local hospital in Bielsko-Biała. This kind-hearted and sincere exchange is symbolic of the strong Polish-American ties that our two nations share; Bielsko-Biała experiences a similarly close relationship with its sister city Grand Rapids, Michigan!
Bielsko-Biała is a city of about 170,000 residents in the south of Poland, near the picturesque Beskid Mountains. The sights, history and geography of the city make it uniquely connected to Grand Rapids.
Did you know? Both cities are named after the river they straddle. Bielsko-Biała after the River Biała (or White River), and Grand Rapids after the Grand River.
Within Bielsko-Biała itself, there is a rich offering of cultural attractions. The Municipal Museum has a wide variety of exhibits, including some housed in a 14th century castle, and one dedicated to Julian Fałat, a renowned Polish painter, whose artwork also hangs in our Embassy in Washington, D.C. Thanks to our sister city, in 2016, artists from Grand Valley State University in Michigan were invited to Bielsko-Biała to paint a mural. In addition to highlighting our art culture and our relationship with Grand Rapids, it also makes the city more welcoming to visitors and residents alike.
Did you know? The two city logos are strikingly similar!
Bielsko-Biała is also home to the Studio Filmów Rysunkowych (SFR), one of Poland’s iconic film studios. SFR is the force behind Bolek & Lolek, considered by many to be the most popular Polish children’s cartoon, and Reksio, a Polish TV animated series depicting the adventures of Reksio the dog, to name a few.
Did you know? Both cities share close ties with the automobile industry. In addition to the maluch production of the past, Bielsko-Biała continues to be a manufacturing and innovation hub, with companies such as GE, Cooper Standard, Philips and others having established a presence in the city.
Keep your eye on the news and maybe you’ll see Tom Hanks driving his Polish Fiat 126p on U.S. roadways. We hope it will serve as a reminder of the lasting friendship between our two countries, as well as the close working ties between our two sister cities: Bielsko-Biała and Grand Rapids, Michigan.
This story is part of the #SisterCitySunday series on Medium. Each Sunday from October 2, 2016 to May 7, 2017, new stories from the 28 European Union Member States will be published. Stories will also be shared on social media using #SisterCitySunday.
To join the conversation on social media, make sure to use #SisterCitySunday and tag @EUintheUS and @SisterCitiesInt on Twitter and Instagram, and EUintheUS and SisterCitiesInternational on Facebook. Let us know about your experiences in twinned cities and share your partnership stories with us!
