Homily of John Paul II delivered during Holy Mass at Victory Square, Warsaw
the 44th anniversary of Pope John Paul II pilgrimage

Alongside Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Karol Wojtyła was one of the leading figures of the Polish Catholic Church in the 1960s and 1970s. As the archbishop of Kraków and a lecturer at the Catholic University of Lublin, he enjoyed great popularity, especially among young people. His election as pope on October...

The Frederic Chopin statue was blown up by the Germans in 1940

Tourists visiting the Royal Łazienki in Warsaw could never imagine what dramatic event is behind the monumental statue of Frederic Chopin standing there. by Piotr Bejrowski The Royal Łazienki, a palace and gardens currently located in the heart of Warsaw, was founded by Stanisław II August Poniatowski. It was established as a private summer royal...

The Nihil novi Constitution
518th anniversary of proclamation of the Act

The Nihil novi Constitution was adopted by the General Sejm (parliament) convened in the city of Radom in 1505. Its passage entailed one of the stages in the conflict between the magnates of the royal council and the representation of the szlachta (gentry) gathered in the Chamber of Deputies – i.e., the lower house of...

The birth of local democracy in Poland
the 34th anniversary of the first free elections of local government in the Third Polish Republic

The 1989 revolution created an opportunity for the resurgence of a democratic state in Poland. That is why the elections for local authorities that were held on 27 May 1990 were so important. It was a first step on the road to rebuilding democracy on a local level after nearly half a century of Communist...

"Back Home: Polish Chicago". A unique exhibition at the Chicago History Museum!

On May 19, the exhibition “Back Home: Polish Chicago” was opened at the Chicago History Museum. It was prepared in cooperation with the Polish History Museum. “Back Home: Polish Chicago” is the first exhibition to tell the fate of the Polish community in Chicago in such a comprehensive way, showing the fate of several generations...

A breakthrough discovery about the first Polish chronicler
An interview with Professor Tomasz Jasiński

For years, historians have researched and discussed the identity of Gallus Anonymous – the author of the “Polish Chronicon.” Now, a recent discovery by Professor Tomasz Jasiński, a medievalist from the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, sheds new light on the mysterious chronicler and is a significant contribution to ongoing studies of the medieval history...

Herling-Grudziński showed in one drop the ocean of evil of the Soviet system
an interview with Prof. A. Nowak

Gustaw Herling-Grudziński, in one drop, which incorporated  his personal experience from the camp near Arkhangelsk, revealed the ocean of evil of the Soviet system, says Prof. Andrzej Nowak, a historian from the Jagiellonian University.   Polish Press Agency: How did Gustaw Herling-Grudziński and other writers from his generation contribute to understanding the nature of communism?...

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...

Bronisław Piłsudski: researcher of the Ainu
From conspiracy to ethnography

Bronisław Piłsudski was the older brother of Józef Piłsudski, one of the leaders responsible for bringing about Poland’s return to independence in 1918 after more than one hundred and twenty years of partitions. Józef’s decision to become involved in the independence movement was largely influenced by the fate of Bronisław, who participated in an anti-tsarist...

Stanisław Moniuszko: founder of the Polish national opera

Stanisław Moniuszko, one of Poland’s greatest composers, was born on 5 May 1819 in Ubiel in the Minsk province (currently Belarus). As a composer, he was well-known for incorporating elements of folklore and the works of national poets into his musical compositions. During his career, he wrote several hundred songs and church songs as well...

John III Sobieski and Marysieńka
Love letters of the Polish King to his beloved wife

King John III Sobieski is remembered as the commander of the victorious armies on the battlefield at Vienna. Yet this brave and talented commander was also a man of deep feelings, as evidenced by his love letters to his wife, Marie-Casimire de la Grange d’Arquien (Marysieńka). by Piotr Abryszeński   Marie-Casimire came from the old...

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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...