A War of the Worlds at Legnica
775 years ago, Poland was ravaged by the first Mongol invasion

In the first half of the 13th century, the Mongol tribes, united by Genghis Khan, created the largest land empire in history, stretching from Vietnam to Rus’. The Asian warriors were feared and seen as horsemen of the Apocalypse. Poland’s geographical location made it a gateway through which the invaders tried to penetrate deep into...

Helena Modrzejewska. The brightest theater star
(12 October 1840 – 8 April 1909)

Helena Modjeska (or rather: Modrzejewska) became a theater legend during her lifetime. An outstanding actress and Polish patriot, she was widely esteemed and her talent admired. by Piotr Bejrowski   Born on 12 October 1840 in Krakow, Jadwiga Helena Mise was the illegitimate daughter of the wealthy widow Józefa Benda. From an early age, she...

Easter in Old Polish Times
Tradition and modernity

Easter is a special holiday in Polish culture. Although most families still celebrate it solemnly today, in previous years it certainly aroused even greater emotion. Let’s take a look at how the Resurrection of Jesus Christ was celebrated in the modern era. by Anna Wójciuk   Easter is the most important Christian holiday, commemorating the...

The Battle of Racławice: How did Kościuszko defeat the Russians?
The battle that gave hope to Poles

On 4 April 1794, the Polish army defeated the Russians in the Battle of Racławice. The victory primarily had a symbolic dimension and showed the strength and unity of the nation. It enabled the Kosciuszko Uprising to spread to other regions and became indelibly inscribed in the collective memory of Poles. by Piotr Bejrowski  ...

Kazimierz Prószyński: a pioneer of world cinematography
(4 April 1875 – 19 March 1945)

Kazimierz Prószyński was a cinematographer, director and inventor whose importance in the development of cinematography was highlighted by the famous Lumière brothers. by Piotr Bejrowski   He was born on 4 April 1875 in Warsaw and was the son of Konrad, an educational activist, founder of the National Education Society and publisher whose “Primer” was...

E.Wedel: From a Manufacturer to a Legend. The Story of Poland's Sweetest Brand

Ptasie Mleczko, Torcik Wedlowski, and dark chocolate are more than just sweets. They are iconic products that have become indelibly ingrained in the Polish soul and are recognized far beyond the country’s borders. Behind these flavors stands the legend of the E.Wedel brand, synonymous with the highest quality, confectionery craftsmanship, and over 170 years of...

General Stanisław Maczek and the Black Devils
Long war of the Polish 1st Armoured Division

Generał Stanisław Maczek has gone down in history as a brilliant army general. The Germans called his army the Black Devils. He himself often said that „the Polish soldier fights for the freedom of all nations, but dies only for Poland”. by Piotr Abryszeński   Stanisław Maczek was born on the 31st of March 1892...

General Maczek: Tenaciously, yet chivalrously
an interview with Jacques Wiacek

“Fight just like a Polish soldier has always done throughout history. Fight tenaciously, and yet chivalrously!” Thus, General Stanisław Maczek, the model of an indomitable soldier, encouraged his soldiers to fight. Jacques Wiacek, author of “Histoire de la 1re division blindée polonaise (1939-1945): L’odyssée du phénix”, first French-language monograph on the 1st Division of General...

Stefan Banach: The Genius of the Scottish Cafe
(30 March 1892 – 31 August 1945)

He is regarded as one of the most brilliant mathematicians in history. His colorful life has become the stuff of legend. Stefan Banach was a pioneer of functional analysis and a central figure of the Lwów School of Mathematics, one of the most important scientific circles in the history of the discipline. by Piotr Abryszeński...

Stanisław Lem: Visionary of Science and the Human Experience
(12 September 1921 – 27 March 2006)

Stanisław Lem remains one of the most important and most widely read science fiction writers in the world. His books have been translated into dozens of languages, with a combined circulation of over 30 million copies. Although fascinated with technology, he warned against its detrimental impact on human existence. by Jan Hlebowicz   Born on...

Jarosław Dąbrowski and Walery Wróblewski: from a Polish uprising to a French revolt
On the 155th anniversary of the Paris Commune

In the spring of 1871, when Adolphe Thiers’ government fled to Versailles and the capital was engulfed in the flames of revolution, between four and six hundred Polish émigrés volunteered to fight under the red banner. Most of them had already experienced the smell of gunpowder, so they became the elite of the communard army...

The March Constitution of 1921. Compromise and modernity
The 105th anniversary of the proclamation

Poland reborn after the First World War faced a host of challenges. In particular, the issue of the nature of the constitution provoked a heated debate in the country. The overriding aim of the Act was not only to consolidate the state after the years of partition, but also to create a solid foundation for...

Wiktoria and Józef Ulma. They died because of hiding Jews
The Ulmas’ martyrdom

From the spring of 1942, in the territory of the General Government (GG), German policy towards the Jewish population entered a phase of mass deportations to extermination centres. These actions, carried out under the code name ‘Operation Reinhardt’, aimed at the extermination of all Jews in the GG area. Among the few who escaped deportation...

Joachim Lelewel: a bibliophile whom others followed to the barricades
(22 March 1786 – 29 May 1861)

Incredibly insightful as a historian, he wrote in a heavy-handed style. But for one sentence: ‘For our freedom and yours!’, he should have been named the first copyrighter among the revolutionaries. by Wojciech Stanisławski   Above-average ten-year-olds, collectors of maps and insects, incidentally mastering numerous languages, often become serious scientists. Their parents, and especially their...

March Constitution of 1921: The Crowning of Reborn Poland’s Ambitions
An interview with Prof. Janusz Odziemkowski

The March Constitution was the crowning of an important stage in the building of the Second Republic. It proved the maturity of the young state and strengthened Poland’s authority in the international arena. Its articles indicate a tendency to use solutions adopted in Western democracies as well as to draw on the legal traditions of...

The voices of the survivors are the most important
81st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau

Auschwitz-Birkenau is the world’s largest Jewish, Polish and Roma cemetery. This is neither rhetoric nor poetry. For centuries, the earth will continue to hide here the ashes from the crematoria and bits of unburnt bones. It will be saturated with human blood and fat. Literally. by Marek Zając   That’s how one should see it....

The message of Chopin's music transcends the boundaries of musical cultures
An interview with Zbigniew Skowron, professor at the Institute of Musicology, the University of Warsaw

polishhistory: Let us begin with the issue that raises disputes among historians. When should we really celebrate Fryderyk Chopin’s birthday? Zbigniew Skowron: This question remains unresolved to this day because two dates are at stake. In the light of the official document, which is Chopin’s birth certificate dated 22 February 1810, one should celebrate his...
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Magdalena Abakanowicz – Sculptor of Human Form and History

(20 June 1930 – 20 April 2017)

Magdalena Abakanowicz was an icon of global contemporary art — a sculptor whose work transcended the boundaries of form, material, and meaning. Known primarily for her monumental Abakans, she created works that explored the essence of humanity–its fragility, strength, and place in history. Her art — organic, moving, and deeply emotional — remains one of...
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General Maczek: Tenaciously, yet chivalrously

an interview with Jacques Wiacek

“Fight just like a Polish soldier has always done throughout history. Fight tenaciously, and yet chivalrously!” Thus, General Stanisław Maczek, the model of an indomitable soldier, encouraged his soldiers to fight. Jacques Wiacek, author of “Histoire de la 1re division blindée polonaise (1939-1945): L’odyssée du phénix”, first French-language monograph on the 1st Division of General...
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The Katyn Massacre: Its Chronology, Scale, Victims and Unpunished Perpetrators

The World’s Day of Remembrance for Victims of Katyn Massacre

The ordeal of Polish Army officers, policemen, prison and forest guards, intelligence and counter-intelligence agents as well as Polish administrative staff in the Easter Borderlands began on 17 September 1939. It was then that the Red Army invaded Poland, belatedly implementing the arrangements of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 23 August 1939. Soviet captivity awaited around...
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The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 1733–1795: Light and Flame

Review of the book by Richard Butterwick

The 18th century was a time of enormous cultural, political and societal upheaval for the West. In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, it was a period of decline that was completed by the partitions. However, reducing the 18th-century history of the Polish-Lithuanian state to a mere falling into political non-existence would be a simplified and thus false...

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The Battle of Warsaw 1920-2020

17 August 2020
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The Battle of Warsaw 1920-2020
The Second World War and its Consequences from the Perspective of 75 Years since its End. Panel 2
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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...
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