Defend Polish culture

SIR – We write in support of Pawel Potoroczyn, who, until a few days ago, was director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute – the Polish equivalent of the British Council – based in Warsaw.

Many of us who have signed this letter benefited directly from Pawel Potoroczyn’s determination, energy and enthusiasm, and his visionary leadership as an outstanding cultural diplomat. Mr Potoroczyn has enabled citizens in Europe, North America and Asia to appreciate the power and the beauty of Polish creativity.

His advocacy efforts have included the strategic backing of performances by the great Polish composer Karol Szymanowski, whose music is now much more widely known as a result, in countless prominent concert halls and international festival programmes.

Mr Potoroczyn’s entrepreneurial ambition and flair are poignantly embodied in the establishment in 2011 of the I, Culture Orchestra, an ensemble of talented young musicians from countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine as well as Poland.

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Poland has been at the forefront of a process of re-engagement, not only with the rest of Europe, but with many other parts of the world. It would be a tragedy if all this good work and good will were to be dissipated, or one of its principal architects were to be silenced.

We call upon Piotr Gliński, the minister of culture and national heritage and deputy prime minister of Poland, to restore Mr Potoroczyn to his position at the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, for the benefit of Polish culture throughout the whole world. Sir Jonathan Mills Programme Director, Edinburgh International Culture Summit Kasper Holten Director of Opera, Royal Opera House David Lan Artistic Director, Young Vic and 34 others; see telegraph.co.uk