Opening Ceremony

Opening Ceremony of the XXIII Quinquennial World Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR)

Elżbieta Przybył-Sadowska, Agata Świerzowska, Lech Trzcionkowski

Wojciech Łaptaś

Jarosław Górniak

Jerzy Kojkoł

Satoko Fujiwara

Tim Jensen

“Ziemia Żywiecka” Folk Dance Ensemble

The “Ziemia Żywiecka” Folk Dance Ensemble, founded in 1971, is renowned for showcasing the rich musical and dance traditions of southern Poland. Each performance features authentic choreography, costumes, music, and rituals that preserve the spirit of Poland’s folk heritage. Through their artistry, the ensemble brings these traditions to life on stages both in Poland and abroad.

We will see a program entitled “The Folklore of the Żywiec Highlanders”. It showcases the vibrant traditions of the Żywiec Highlanders (from the southern part of Poland), bringing to life their music, songs, and dances. We will experience lively polkas, spirited obyrtki (fast turning dances), playful shepherds’ games, graceful girls’ dances, and, as the grand finale, the Hajduk – a dynamic dance with striking figures performed by male dancers.
The performance features regional instruments such as the alpine horn (róg) and the heligonka (a type of button accordion). The music will be provided by a traditional highlander ensemble, with violin, sekund (harmony fiddle), and bass.

5:45–6:45 p.m.: Opening Keynote Lecture

Anna Niedźwiedź: Moving, dialoguing, transforming. Ethnographic experiences and anthropologies of religion(s). Read more.

Session Chair: Sławomir Sztajer

Auditorium Maximum Level -1, ul. Krupnicza 33, Kraków