Foundation

The Jan Michalski Foundation for Writing and Literature was founded in 2004 in Montricher at the foot of the Jura Mountains in Switzerland. Vera Michalski-Hoffmann opened the foundation in her husband’s memory to perpetuate their common commitment to actors who devote themselves to the written word.

The mission of the Jan Michalski Foundation is to foster literary creation and encourage the practice of reading through a range of initiatives and activities. These include holding exhibitions and cultural events related to writing and literature, making a large multilingual library available to the public, awarding an annual prize in world literature, granting financial support, and hosting a writer-in-residence program.

The Jan Michalski Foundation was originally imagined as a small community sheltered beneath a canopy and completely surrounded by nature, an inspirational setting at the foot of the Jura in the Canton of Vaud. The Foundation opened its initial buildings in 2013. Today it offers a unique communal venue that is turned outward to the world at large. It is a place where writers, artists, and the public come together.