A Life of Passion.
I step over the threshold of the house of Stanislaw and Ingrid Czuma and feel that I am in a special place. I am overwhelmed by the atmosphere of distinction, good taste and quiet elegance. I am glad we are meeting here, not in a restaurant and am looking forward to know my hosts better.
I do not realize that I will be treated to tea with homemade delicious cookies baked by Ingrid. The tea is served in fine Japanese porcelain with an attractive blue and white design. In a corner of the room is a sculpture of a magic creature that captures my attention, it seems to emanate a forceful energy… This is Garuda, explains Dr. Czuma, the conveyance of God Vishnu. Each Hindu deity has its own vehicle which he or she rides. I am captured by a warm smile on Ingrid’s face and the intriguing conversation with my host makes me feel at home.
These are the circumstances under which I meet Stanislaw Czuma, an exceptional individual, a specialist in the field of Asian art history and culture. A Polish man who lives in Cleveland since 1968 and who takes partial credit for the outstanding reputation of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian collections. A Polish man who from some distance observes our Polish-American Cultural Center, is its member and likes to receive “Forum” but with a charming smile admits that he promoted throughout his entire life and professional career Asian culture, rather than Polish, which resulted in distancing himself somewhat from the Polish community of Cleveland. The professional career gave direction and aim to his life which he dedicated to his field of studies. At first it all begun as a matter of great interest, later changed into passion and eventually became his life.
Dr. Czuma is an art historian, museum curator and academic professor. Born in Warsaw in 1935 he lived through the Warsaw uprising and remembers the bombardments of Warsaw during the war. He was brought up in post-war Poland without his father. His dad, a Colonel of the Polish army, together with his brother, General Valerian Czuma, the commanding officer in charge of the defense of Warsaw in 1939, lived after the war in Great Britain. In 2004 the Polish government approached Professor Czuma with the request of bringing the remains of the two brothers to Warsaw to be buried in Powazki Cemetery — a posthumous distinction reserved for national heroes.
Dr. Czuma’s interest in art history begun in Poland where he studied at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow in 1953-57. He obtained his MA degree in Art History. Already at that time he intended to pursue his interest in Asian civilizations but the university did not offer this specialization. In 1957 young Czuma leaves Poland for England to reunite with his father and uncle and resumes his studies, now exclusively dedicated to Asia. In 1958 and 1959 he studies in India and Southeast Asia, working on his PhD degree at Benares Hindu and Calcutta Universities. He continues his studies In 1960 and 1961 at the Sorbonne University in Paris.
A new chapter begins when he arrives in the USA. He works as a research fellow at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, pursuing at the same time his doctoral studies. He obtains the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Art, Culture and Civilizations of Asia. After graduation he spends a couple of years at the Cleveland Museum or Art as a post-doctoral curatorial intern.
Stanislaw Czuma’s specialized education and knowledge of various Asian cultures are responsible for important positions he holds in the USA beginning with that of Curator of Asian Art at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. He returns to the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1972 to assume the position of George P. Bickford Curator of Indian and Southeast Asian Art for the next thirty three years. At the same time he is an Adjunct Professor of Asian studies at Case Western Reserve University. During his tenure he organizes numerous exhibitions, acquires objects for the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection and publishes in his professional field.
The life of Stanislaw Czuma is filled with travel, studies and discoveries of new aspects of various Asian cultures. In this passionate pursuit he is accompanied by Ingrid Zollinger, his Swiss wife of 58 years, whom he met in Paris when studying at the Sorbonne. They have one daughter who presently works in Moscow. Ingrid just embarked on studies of the Russian language which, in her own words, is an ambitious undertaking! She is present all the time during our conversation, taking an active part in it, adding precious comments which give me a fuller picture of this fascinating pair. She remembers, with a touch of nostalgia and great sympathy, their research stays in India. She relates to me a story when they lived there in rather primitive circumstances during a severe drought and had to brush their teeth with coconut water. They also fell in love with Tibet where Czuma conducted field research. Ingrid adds, looking at her husband with love and admiration, that their life has been a fascinating journey. Now that health issues create new challenges they miss greatly their travels.
Lately, they read books by Olga Tokarczuk, translated into English and Dr. Czuma read in addition “Books of Jakob ” ( Ksiegi Jakubowe ) in Polish. They are fascinated by art, like to collect it, are fond of listening to classical music. I ask them what is the key to a happy marriage and Ingrid instantly replies: “exchange of views and communication which promotes mutual growth”.
I am finding out that the Cleveland Museum of Art has one of the world’s best collections of Asian art. When Professor Czuma talks about it he is full of passion and I learn that India is the cradle of some of the oldest religious systems: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism. Later arrived Islam, Judaism and Christianity. One has to acquire familiarity with all these religions when studying Asian cultures. Professor admits that this is in part responsible for his unique approach to religious beliefs. He choses his friends on their personal merit, regardless of their religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation. With the wisdom acquired through life experience, he states: “our society should be more tolerant and open – the progress in this direction is too slow”. He stresses: “education opens the door and gives aim to life but tolerance is paramount to passing through life with dignity”.
I ask if Professor has any recommendations for young people? His advice is: “limit your relationship with the smart phone, meet people instead, converse with them and never laugh at or criticize others that may be different from you”.
Summarizing our interview, Stanislaw Czuma expresses his admiration for the work of the Polish-American Cultural Center which promotes Polish history and culture and emphasizes that when he receives issues of “Forum” he reads with pleasure the articles in English and Polish. He also appealed to me that the publication should retain “freedom of expression” so important to the cultivation of our democratic values.
I also wish to thank Dr. and Mrs. Czuma for contributing to the Centrum’s library part of their collection of Polish books.