KrakowInformer.com

The Ballon at the center of the debate. Lofty ideals or capitalism?

A group of British and American expats led by Christopher B. Gray, an American rock musician permanently living in Krakow have united against destroying the unique look of Krakow with ghastly buildings and reckless investments in the heart of the city. They have launched a ‘Protect Krakow Heritage’ campaign on the internet which aims at forcing the city council to remove the big beauty spot balloon near the Skalka church on the banks of the Wisla. This is not the only investment they are targeting also on their agenda is the planned multiplex on Karmelicka st, the building of a hotel on the Blonia commons, the creation of a Hard Rock Cafe near St. Mary’s church and the list is growing. The PKH group has established a protest forum on Facebook.com where anyone can log in and join their movement, or simply discuss the matter and with every day the circle of users is growing.

It all started with an internet campaign ‘Cracovians United Against the Balloon’. Gray united several hundred opponents to the 'Skalka beauty spot balloon'  in a protest directed towards Krakow’s municipal authorities. According to CUAB the people responsible for allowing the balloon to be placed next to the Wisla should be brought to justice. The group has already visited some city offices and contacted the History and Monuments of Krakow Enthusiasts’ Society (Towarzystwo Miłośników Historii i Zabytków Krakowa) and Monika Bogdanowska, a conservator and a jurywoman for Archi-Szopa, an annual contest for Krakow’s most ghastly architectural investment.

However, the problem is that among people living in Krakow there are more supporters of the balloon than opponents. In an internet survey the latter have only one quarter of the votes. "It must be so cool to see Cracow from above" says Ola, a student from Radom, one of the thousands of balloon fans. "I wish I could afford a flight... maybe I’ll do it for my birthday" she lights up.

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PKH group also plans to protest against: the removal of old cobblestones from Cracow's streets, advertisements and banners placed on the facades of buildings... and the list goes on. As they say on their website, in recent years, more and more commercial pressure is causing cultural destruction of the city in the name of money. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the government of Poland has a duty to prevent such damage and promote sustainable development.

On internet forums more offended voices can be heard, as Cracovians do not want foreigners dictating what they should or should not have in their city, and mention distributing glass beads and blankets as the next step of foreign colonization.