The first years of the reign of Stanisław II Augustus, who was elected king in September 1764, abounded in events that polarized the political life of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Close to the king, the reformatory political faction called Familia was centered on representatives of the magnate families of Czartoryski and Poniatowski. The direction of the…
Three hundred years ago, a new political era began in Poland. A party was formed whose aim, apart from gaining and maintaining power, was to westernise the state. The Czartoryski family and its allies wanted to transform the consciousness of their compatriots, make radical changes in education, the judiciary, finance and the military, as well…
Appropriate behavior is required during various social and business meetings and those who lack good manners are perceived negatively. It was similar in old Polish times when it was believed that everyone should have proper manners. The expectation was thatpolan everyone should be treated with respect and courtesy, although each party must always bear in…
The Polish History Museum (PHM) has acquired an extraordinarily precious collection of 22 sashes worn around the waist over the kontush (an outer robe with its sleeves cut from the armhole to the elbow), a key element of the Polish nobility’s attire. The purchase has been funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage….
Casimir the Great, the last Polish ruler from the Piast dynasty, died on 5 November 1370. His death and the end of the dynasty opened the possibility of starting a dynamic process which, after 16 years, finally led to the election of Władysław Jagiełło to the Polish throne. Before that, however, Louis I of Hungary,…
