Corinne Evens is the daughter of Georges Evens and Irena Radzymińska, who were born in Warsaw and emigrated to Belgium, where Georges made an international business career, after the Second World War. Corinne Evens garduated in mathematics from the Université libre de Bruxelles. She also studied at the New York University film school.
Corinne Evens: a multifaceted entrepreneur
Corinne Evens is a member of international supervisory boards and company executive boards. She chairs a financial group and is active on the real estate market in Poland and other European countries. At the same time she is involved in philanthropic work commemorating her parents.
Corinne Evens and the Evens Foundation
The Evens Foundation, established in 1996, supports projects that promote democratic values, which are at the heart of European identity. The Foundation runs international activities, with offices in Antwerp, Paris and Warsaw.
Corinne Evens was one of the first private donors to support the Museum of the History of Polish Jews project, recognizing the Museum as one of the largest and most significant contemporary European undertakings. In June 2008, she managed to bring together over 60 prominent figures from the world of business and culture at the Polish Embassy in Paris, forming the European Association of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews. The purpose of the Association is to encourage potential donors from Europe to support the Museum and to promote the institution in France, Belgium and in European capitals.
In 2011 Corinne Evens was honored with the Voice of Joy and Deliverance – the award of the Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow, given to individuals and institutions which support the festival.
In Corinne Evens’ own words:
“The presence of Jews in Poland was an important element of European and world history. The Museum, which will describe 1000 years of the history of Jews in Poland, will be a place of memory and culture, an indispensable place in a united Europe.
I discovered the project of the Museum more than 10 years ago when Mr. Aleksander Kwasniewski was President of Poland and Mr. Lech Kaczynski was the Mayor of Warsaw. Mrs. Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka was at the time member of the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute and director of the development department of the Museum. The Project was introduced to me by Victor Markowicz, a founding donor. I then had the chance to meet Sigmund Rolat, Marian Turski and later on Waldemar Dąbrowski and many other people committed to the Museum. They all became unforgettable friends with whom we shared incredible moments of joy and sadness.
This was the beginning of the path to my roots in Poland and it became obvious for me that this Museum is necessary for humanity and the next generations.”
www.aejhmp.org/interview-corinne-evens-par-gazetta-wiborka-30-juin-2009/