In 1972 a rumour that Wisła Kłodzińska. born in Kraków, a fresh graduate of the Department of Law at the Jagiellonian University, my Wife`s colleague from studies, was soon to be married to an artist-painter, ran through Krakow. We, who used to drink coffee with her at the Rio Cafe at St. John's Street, were extremely interested in Wisełka's (as we used to call her), known from her speed and determination in moving through the streets of the town, future with an artist husband. Then children were born, to us - Agnieszka in the end of 1972, to them - Wisła and Staszek (I had known his name by then) - little Andrzej in 1974. Walking with kids in the Planty was a good way to maintain student friendship and facilitate the flow of information about Staszek's artistic achievements to us, interested in art spelt with capital A. We heard about his exhibitions, first in Poland: in Zacheta in Warsaw, BWA in Wroclaw, Szadkowski's factory in Kraków, in the Palace of Art... Then came international exhibitions: in Bayreuth, Darmstadt and Bonn (a Polish-German exhibition), or in Kosice in the then Czechoslovakia. The eighties brought open air exhibitions and after-open air exhibitions in Mirabel, Lavilledieu, Edienne in France, in the Mansarde Gallery in Paris. Before that were exhibitions in Duesseldorf, Nuremberg, Neustadt and Bielefeld in Germany, Gavorrano in Italy, Lille in France and Csongrad and Szeged in Hungary...
   I could fill a few more pages with these memories and enumerations, but this is not the purpose of this introduction. I would just like to stress, that the artist, in spite of his extensive international activity, did not forget about Poland and his beloved Krakow, of which he is according to the pre-war laws, a proper citizen, because he owns some real property. An in which his paintings were shown on several individual exhibitions and together with invited colleagues. One of these exhibitions - ,,two Stanisławs' exhibition" - of Batruch and Puchalik, in BWA in Krakow in 1989, made a tremendous impression on me. The video film I made with my private camera I have watched since then several times, every time discovering new values in the art of these two present-day professors of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. I was surprised and enchanted by that exhibition just like other enthusiasts of Batruch's painting. I dreamt then about his paintings and those dreams have slowly begun to fulfil. Our social contacts were developing dynamically, especially after 1976, when the artist, thanks to the motion made by ZPAP (the Association of Polish Writers and Artists) was given a new studio by the Housing Department. It was at Szewska Street in a newly renovated tenement house ,,Under The Little Lion". It was one of the most interesting periods in Batruch's work and personal life. An open house. Crowds of visitors. Dreams with the motto ,,rather to be than to have". Enthusiasm. Fun. The fate decided that since 1996 I have been the President of the oldest in this part of Europe Society of Friends of Fine Arts (Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Sztuk Pięknych), where in The Palace of Art belonging to it exhibitions of numerous outstanding Polish artists, to which Stanisław Batruch undoubtedly belongs, have been organised. When during Juliusz Jonak's exhibition I suggested to Batruch to have his individual exhibition organised, he refused, saying he was not ready yet, but a year later he agreed and now, in June 2000, we can admire the works of this outstanding artist in The Palace of Art.
   We would like to wish him further success in his artistic and personal life.
                                                                                                                                             Zbigniew Kazimierz Witek