The Jan Karski International institute for Dialoque and Tolerance was formed in Ruda Śląska. The inauguration took place on the 17th of October 2008 during the conference called “The dialog and tolerance for the future”. The Institute aims to protect human rights, the development of liberal media and preventing the anti-Semitism and xenophobia. The Institute received the name of Jan Karski, legendary courier who during the II World War was appealing to the Allies to attract their attention to the problem of Holocaust.

The idea to move the headquarter of “The Jan Karski Institute for Tolerance and Dialogue” from Washington to Poland was brought up by Kaya Mirecka-Ploss two years ago. She was born in Nakło Śląskie, but she’s been attached to the city of Ruda Śląska helping many children that had lost their parents by organizing holidays and travels for them.

Kaya Mirecka-Ploss wants that the values and ideals preached by Jan Karski to continue when she is no longer with us. Thanks to her we know that Jan Karski was always warm hearted toward Śląsk. He believed that Śląsk and Łódz (where he was born) are united by the same multiculturalism. The tolerance toward different cultures and understanding for different historical heritage are the basis of the educational role we embrace in the Institute - said Bożena Łobzowska, the chairman of Institute.

The new Institute will undertake many cultural and educational activities, that will be addressed toward youth. We cannot ask for tolerance without integration. The Institute should be a place that integrates groups of different backgrounds. By workshops, conferences, meetings with people that have something to share, we want to get to the young people untouched by the wrong assumptions yet - Łobzowska explains. Dialogue and tolerance are extremely devaluated nowadays. Poland, and especially, multicultural Śląska, have an important task to fulfill in bringing those values back.

Apart from the spiritual legacy, Ruda Śląska received all memorials of Jan Karski, like his diploma from the University of Lwów, his Righteous Among The Nations diploma and many of his decorations.