Letter from Matthew Wagner to Miriam Grossman, April 24, 1996

I'm sure you are wondering right now who could be writing you from Konin. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Matthew Wagner, and I'm am an American Peace Corps Volunteer living and teaching here in Konin for almost two years now, and will be returning to the states in just a couple of months.

I'm writing you because I was very intrigued by your story in the book Konin: A Quest by Theo Richmond. Your story of life in Konin, and your departure from here was fascinating: it seems like a completely different wold from the Konin of today.

Konin was described pretty accurately in the book. It is an industrial city of 85,000. Because of all of the industry, and the great population growth after the war, it isn't exactly a pretty city. I live in the part of the city called "New Konin" in the neighborhood called   "Glinka". I live in a large, grey, cement, communist-inspired apartment block. Still, I've enjoyed my time in Konin. I especially like the part of Konin called "Stary Konin" where you lived, across the Warta. It has retained some of the older architecture and flavor of previous times. I can't go down to Stary Konin and the Tepper Marik without thinking of the incredible history of the place, and the people who lived there.

Part of the reason why I wanted to write you, other than just to tell you how moved I was by Konin: A Quest, and your part in it, was to ask you if there was anything you'd like me to do for you in Konin -- take pictures of certain things, or anything you could think of. Please feel free to ask for anything at all.

I don't think I mentioned that I am originally from Nebraska, and all of my family still lives there, which is probably another reason why I felt a special affinity for you. In fact, a couple of summers ago I lived in Omaha right off of 132nd St, very near your address.

So again, I was fascinated by   your story, and if there is anything I could do for you here in Konin, please feel free to ask. My address is:

Matthew Wagner
Wyzwolenia 5144
62-510 Konin
Poland.