Hilary Koprowski: the man who overcame polio

An effective polio vaccine, discovered in 1950, saved the health and lives of hundreds of thousands of children around the world. Born in 1916, the Polish doctor, virologist and immunologist Hilary Koprowski belonged to the elite “Pasteur club”, as the group of eminent vaccinologists working on new vaccines was called. by Piotr Bejrowski   Despite…


A forgotten knightly skill: fencing in Poland in the 19th century

Fighting with the sabre and bayonet was still part of military training in the 19th century. On the other hand, experienced soldiers were eager to pass on their skills to civilians in schools and private lessons. Fencing became a fashionable physical recreation, referring to the colourful history of Old Polish arms. by Antoni Olbrychski  …


Fortune-telling séances on St. Andrew's Day in Old Poland

St. Andrew’s Day falls on November 30, but in Old Poland the night before (St. Andrew’s Night) was considered a time of magic and fortune telling. In this period, it was believed that everything predicted on this night would come true. As a result, in nearly every noble manor and peasant cottage, fortune-telling sessions were…


Paweł Edmund Strzelecki: The discoverer of Australia’s highest peak

He carried out the first measurements in Australia, discovered the Snowy Mountains, the highest range of the Great Dividing Range, and named the highest peak in Australia Mount Kosciuszko in honour of the Polish general. Meet Count Paweł Edmund Strzelecki. by Piotr Bejrowski   On 15 February 1840, Paweł Edmund Strzelecki became the first person…



Statement from the Polish government

The Interim People’s Government of the Polish Republic run by Jędrzej Moraczewski, was established by Józef Piłsudski on 18th November 1918. In political terms, it partly continued the policies of the Lublin-based government led by the Prime Minister Ignacy Daszyński. Moraczewski’s Government declared the establishment of a Legislative Sejm, to be elected through a secret,…


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