Wojtek – A Bear Who Became A Soldier
The most famous corporal of the Polish Armed Forces

A bear became a soldier? Yes! Polish soldiers adopted a little orphaned bear and took good care of him. He returned the favor during the war. by Piotr Bejrowski   A Bear Joins The Polish Army Arguably the most unusual soldier to fight in the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944 was Wojtek, a bear....

He did not return on a white horse. General Władysław Anders
Polish Army in the Battle of Monte Cassino

He was compared to Moses taking his people out of captivity. He commanded the Polish armed forces during the most renowned attack they mounted and after the war he was supposed to return to Poland on a white horse. He was wounded on seven occasions. Deprived of Polish citizenship by communists, he became one of...

Marian Kukiel: a soldier, professor, and émigré
(15 May 1885 – 15 August 1973)

Marian Kukiel’s oeuvre is one of the milestones of Polish military historiography. Together with Wacław Tokarz, Marian Kukiel was a co-founder of this discipline. His monumental work on the War of 1812 is an important contribution to European Napoleonic studies. The researcher’s qualities included versatility and diligence. He was a soldier, politician and promoter of...

Stanisław Małachowski: the last man standing of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
A Man for All Seasons

He witnessed the country’s turbulent history in the second half of the 18th century. This active politician, great patriot, and distinguished reformer is considered one of the fathers of the Constitution of 3 May 1791. by Piotr Abryszeński   Stanisław Małachowski was born in Końskie, an estate that had belonged to the family for generations,...

The Constitution of 3 May 1791: the dawn of a better future
An interview with Professor Richard Butterwick-Pawlikowski

The Constitution was the dawn of a better future. After 3 May 1791, there was time for supplementary laws to be passed, institutions to get to work, and for a new kind of politics to bed down during the last year of the Great Sejm. On the whole, the indications are very promising. On the...

The Temple of Divine Providence: a commitment fulfilled
A vote of gratitude for the Constitution of 3 May 1791

In 1791, members of the Four-Year Sejm passed a resolution to build a Temple of Divine Providence as a votive sign of gratitude to the Constitution of 3 May. Poland’s turbulent history made it necessary to wait 225 years for the resolution to be implemented. The Poles did not forget their word.    In a...

How the Constitution of 3 May 1791 was passed
the 233rd anniversary

The passing of the Government Act was possible because an understanding had been reached between members of the enlightened opposition and the King, Stanisław August Poniatowski. by Piotr Ugniewski The turning point had been a long discussion between the leader of that opposition, Ignacy Potocki, and the monarch, at the Royal Castle, on 4 December...

Henryk Dobrzański: A Crazy Major
The first partisan of World War II

Henryk Dobrzański lived and served in the Polish army according to the motto: “I will not lay down my arms, I will not take off my uniform. So help me God.” Henryk Dobrzański, aka Major Hubal, was taken by surprise and killed by the Germans on 30 April 1940. by Piotr Bejrowski He was born...

A centre of entertainment and a temple of culture
 An interview with Agata Łuksza about the beginnings of Warsaw’s theatre

The 19th-century theatre had a double function – it offered an ambitious repertoire, and was an element of ‘high culture’, but it was also a way to spend an evening, not necessarily ambitiously – says Agata Łuksza (Institute of Polish Culture, University of Warsaw) in an interview for polishhistory.pl   Nowadays, when we say ‘theatre’...

Gen. Stanisław Sosabowski: Honour is of the essence
The fate of a legendary commander of the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade

He became the scapegoat for the greatest Allied defeat at the end of the Second World War. An outstanding commander who had to fight mainly in lost battles. The biography of General Stanisław Sosabowski reflects, like few others, the drama of the fate of Polish soldiers during the Second World War. by Grzegorz Wołk  ...

Dangerous Minds: Independent Students' Association
40th anniversary of anniversary of the legalization of the organization

On 17 February 1981, protests were putting the communist authorities under pressure, which resulted in the legalizing of the Independent Students’ Association. A new, autonomous youth organization operating alongside “Solidarity”, its members would eventually become famous for their radicalism, especially during the political transformation. by Tomasz Kozłowski   At the end of the seventies, students...

Michał Sędziwój: an alchemist who discovered oxygen
(2 February 1566 – 1636)

An alchemist known all over Europe, he was diligent in his research and performed many complex physical and chemical experiments. In his writings he often described the life-giving “philosophical salt” hidden in the air, which is why he is considered one of the discoverers of oxygen and thus a pioneer of modern chemistry. by Piotr...

Robert Kostro: The Polish History Museum is unique on a European scale
An interview with Robert Kostro, Director of the Polish History Museum

A movie theatre, concert hall, conference rooms – all this in the vicinity of exhibitions presenting exhibits that are unique to Poland and sometimes even globally. The Polish History Museum boasts one of the largest and most modern museum buildings in Europe. Robert Kostro, its director, talks about the museum’s unusual approach to telling history...

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Polishhistory is an online project of the Polish History Museum in Warsaw. It is primarily addressed to all those interested in Polish and Central European history. Our aim is to build a community consisting of those professionally involved in research and of those interested in the outcomes of research, essentially, all lovers of history. The...