Before 1986, no American historian had written a systematic account of the Polish people under the German occupation. Prior to that time, the story of ethnic Poles had been subsumed by the Holocaust of the Jews. Jewish historians, American and Israeli were and still are the

On August 26, 1938, Teodor Axentowicz passed away in Krakow, Poland. He was a Polish-Armenian painter and university professor. A renowned artist of his time, he was also the rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. As an artist, Axentowicz was famous for his portraits

August 23 marks the 85th anniversary of the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a Treaty of Non-Aggression between the Soviet Union and Germany that aimed to divide Central and Eastern Europe between their two totalitarian regimes.

Fifty-eight years ago, on August 24, 1966, Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski passed away. He served as the Commander-in-Chief of the National Army, the Chief Commander of the Polish Armed Forces, and was the Prime Minister of Poland in exile from 1947 to 1949.

Today, we honor Henryk Sławik. He saved thousands of Polish citizens, including many with Jewish backgrounds. Although many Poles were involved in rescuing Jews during the Holocaust—often with little recognition—Henryk Sławik stands out. He was executed along with other

On August 24, 1942, Czesław Jóźwiak, Edward Kaźmierski, Franciszek Kęse, Edward Klinik and Jarogniew Wojciechowski were guillotined in Dresden. During the German occupation, they were active in the National Combat Organization, distributing leaflets, blotters, and making lists

Radgoszcz, Dąbrowa Tarnowska County, Kraków Voivodeship. August 25, 1942: German military police executed Zofia Wójcik, her two young children, aged 2 and 3, and a Jewish person she was sheltering. All four were buried at the site of the murder. B.- L. p. 836. S.D. p. 88,

On August 28, 1946, Danuta Siedzikówna "Inka" and Feliks Selmanowicz "Zagończyk" were executed in Gdańsk. Siedzikówna was a Polish medical orderly, and Selmanowicz was a fighter, both active in the anti-communist resistance movement. They were captured, tortured, and sentenced

On August 28, 1610, the Great Crown Hetman Stanisław Zolkiewski entered Moscow, where he signed an agreement with Russian boyars, under which fifteen-year-old king Wladyslaw Waza, son of Zygmunt III Waza was declared Emperor of Russia.

Pilot Franciszek Żwirko and designer Stanisław Wigura achieved national hero status after winning the 1932 Challenge in Berlin, the world’s most prestigious sports aviation competition. Tragically, just a few weeks after their victory, both men died in a plane crash on

On August 29, 1756, Jan Śniadecki was born. He was a distinguished mathematician, philosopher, and astronomer, and served as a member of the Commission of National Education. Śniadecki also directed the astronomical observatories in Kraków and Wilno. He authored numerous

On August 30, 1999, Julia, Józef, and Janina Bars from Markowa were honored as Righteous Among the Nations. Despite the severe risk, the Bars family hid the Reisenbach family, knowing that discovery would mean death for their entire household. Many Poles took similar risks to

Furthermore, had the Poles not been at Jamestown, Smith may not have lived to tell his tale. He recounted an event where he was attacked by a Powhatan Indian in the shallow, swampy waters near the Jamestown colony one day, and was rescued in his struggles by the Poles. 11/13

Richard Lukas is one of the most objective and well informed Polish-Jewish historians. His interest in the plight of Jewish and Polish children during the German occupation of Poland led to the publication of “Did the Children Cry?: Hitler’s War against Jewish and Polish

When Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, the Poles became the first people in Europe to experience the Holocaust, as this marked the start of the German policies of systematic terror, enslavement, and mass extermination of civilians on an unprecedented scale. From the

The Ravensbrück Rabbits On September 3, 1939, just two days after the invasion of Poland, the first female Polish prisoners were transported to Ravensbrück concentration camp. By the end, 40,000 Polish women would be imprisoned there, but only 8,000 would survive. Polish

Mieczysław Fogg was a Polish singer renowned for his baritone voice. Fogg's career spanned sixty years, performing until he was eighty-six. Born on May 30, 1901, in Warsaw, he passed away in the same city on September 3, 1990. He served in the Polish-Bolshevik War and after

On September 3, 1928, Danuta Siedzikówna aka "Inka" was born in Guszczewin. Paramedic of the 4th squadron of the 5th Vilnius Brigade of the Home Army. Murdered by the communists on August 28, 1946.

On September 4, 1939, in Sosnowiec, Poland, German forces went door-to-door, forcibly removing residents and selecting 30 Polish citizens to execute, leaving their bodies in the town square.

Marian Smoluchowski, a brilliant Polish physicist and a pioneer in statistical physics, passed away on September 5, 1917. He was considered a strong candidate for the Nobel Prize. Albert Einstein wrote a memoir in his honor, lamenting the loss of his remarkable talent.