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Appeal of the 1st National Congress of Delegates of Solidarity to the working people of Eastern Europe

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A wave of strikes washed through Poland in the summer of 1980. Among others, their participants demanded the establishment of labour unions independent of the communist authorities. The protest, which affected thousands of work places, forced the communist party to concessions and to sign an agreement with the workers, including the strongest of their organisations,…

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Founding Meeting of the Polish National Committee

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During the First World War, the Polish independence milieus disagreed on geopolitical choices and decided to support different European powers. Roman Dmowski, the leader of the National Democracy (Narodowa Demokracja, ND), wanted to strive for autonomy within the Russian Empire so before the outbreak of the war, he supported the Triple Entente that was the…

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The Constitution of the 3rd of May (the Government Statute)

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During the reign of the last king of Poland,  Stanisław August Poniatowski (Stanisław II Augustus), daring attempts at internal reform were carried out in order to avert disaster for the Rzeczpospolita (Commonwealth). A promising opportunity arose with the Sejm that deliberated between 1788 and 1792, as it was a “confederated Sejm”, meaning that unanimity was…

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To the Polish people. Manifesto of the Movement for Defence of Human and Citizen’s Rights

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A wave of protests swept over Poland in June 1976 after the announcement of an increase in groceries’ prices. The authorities eventually resigned from price changes but introduced repression against the protesting workers. This met with a quick response from the intelligentsia, who organised financial and legal support for the repressed and soon started forming…

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March Constitution

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11 November 1918 is considered the symbolic date on which Poland regained its independence. However, the process of laying down the legal foundations of the reborn state continued for a number of years. One of the main things was to draw up a constitution. As early as February 1919, the single-chamber Legislative Sejm (parliament) elected…

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Research Centre for Polish-Lithuanian Studies

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The Centre for Polish-Lithuanian Studies is a newly-established research centre at the University of Aberdeen. Inspired by the legacy of Jerzy Giedroyć, to whose memory the Centre is dedicated, it aims to restore consideration of Poland-Lithuania and its legacy to the mainstream of European history and culture. Its research and teaching agenda will encompass not…

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Henryk Dobrzański: A Crazy Major

The first partisan of World War II

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A centre of entertainment and a temple of culture

 An interview with Agata Łuksza about the beginnings of Warsaw’s theatre
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John III Sobieski and Marysieńka

Love letters of the Polish King to his beloved wife
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The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 1733–1795: Light and Flame

Review of the book by Richard Butterwick