History

In the Polish narrative about steadfast soldiers, we often forget that some of them continued their struggle for an independent and sovereign Poland in exile. The day of remembrance of the steadfast soldiers passed quietly this year and almost imperceptibly. And yet, especially now, it is possible to emphasize the merits in the activities of such steadfasts as Colonel Edmund Jerzy Banasikowski.

The challenge needs to be faced now. Ukraine is seeing its cities bombed and its nuclear reactors set on fire. At the very least, it’s incumbent upon NATO to offer President Zelensky both arms and air cover to overcome the obstacles his country is facing. To fail to do so is to make a mockery of our own democratic traditions and hopes.

We all in the West are playing a dangerous game with Russia. It doesn't matter that they are wrong on so many things, up to and including the current war (for which they cannot alone be blamed). What matters is where we are all going. We, in the West, seem to think that isolating Russia will work towards some goal that ultimately benefits us. It won't. Russia has a very long history of self-isolation, longer than any country other than China. It's even longer than that of Japan.

On January 25, 1988, the President of the Republic of Poland, Kazimierz Sabbat, on the basis of article 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of April 23, 1935, appointed him in an order "the successor of the President of the Republic of Poland in the event of the vacancy of the office of the President of the Republic." After the sudden death of Kazimierz Sabbat on July 19, 1989, on the same day in the evening, pursuant to Art. 19 of the Polish Constitution, he took the oath and took the office of the President of the Republic of Poland in Exile.

On September 17, 1939, after the aggression of the Soviet Union against Poland, the Polish government and the commander-in-chief, Edward Rydz Śmigły, evacuated to Romania, with which Poland had friendly relations, in order not to be captured and forced to sign the surrender. Unfortunately, the political circumstances changed and the Polish authorities, along with the president and the commander-in-chief, were interned there.

Poland’s rebirth as an independent nation in 1918 is one of the most remarkable events of modern history. One of the forgotten elements of Polish independence is the role played by Polish Americans in Poland’s restoration. Polonia’s contribution was overlooked due to the passage of time, interwar political divisions, and the impact of World War II and the subsequent communist takeover.

The "Riese" project is one of the greatest secrets in the Owl Mountains and Lower Silesia. To this day, the purpose of the construction is not entirely clear. The various theories surrounding this place only ignite the imagination.

The "Golden Train" is a famous story from a few years ago that reminded us of the German Nazis and their looted treasures from all over Europe. Apparently, it contained the inexhaustible riches of the inhabitants of Wrocław, which were to be taken away because of the Russians approaching Wrocław between November 1944 and the end of January 1945.

In today's interview Kuryer Polski hosts prof. Donald Pienkos. Donald Edward Pienkos is Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. He is a Polish American historian specializing in political science and the history of the Polish American community. He was a witness and the creator of history, especially involved in the cause of Poland's accession to NATO.

Kuryer Polski would like to present the history of Polish statehood, which often extended beyond the territory of the Republic of Poland and into the boundaries of the residence of the Polish diaspora, formerly known as Polish emigration. We start with the most important office in the Polish state — the office of the President of the Republic of Poland.

In the 1930s, the Warner Brothers film studio produced films in the spirit of social realism, covering less appealing themes in modern America, such as crime, poverty, and a clumsy legal system. In these films, Poles were presented as criminals and negative characters. In one of those films, The Life of Jimmy Dolan, the evil character was called Pulaski. In another film, How Many More Knights, a gangster and murderer was a man named Kościuszko.