Polish History
Poland’s got a lot of history in its over 1000 years of existence. Check out what you didn’t already know in the posts below.
More history blogs
Unlike your history lessons in school, these posts won't bore you.
Zofia Stryjeńska: Polish Art Deco's Most-Known Unknown
Zofia Stryjeńska's life was marked by extreme highs and lows but her devotion to art never wavered. Her Art Deco works were everywhere in interwar Poland but, despite her popularity, she struggled both professionally and personally.
Fit for the Nation: Polish Sportswomen of the Interwar Period
New rhetoric about the human body emerged after the First World War. The body became a central focus, becoming a metaphor for the strength of a nation. Polish women were encouraged to become strong and fit, their excellence being a positive reflection on the young Polish nation.
The Moral Cleanup of the Nation
During the interwar period, the Polish government established the women’s police force dedicated to combating the moral degradation of the country. These women worked tirelessly, fulfilling a role they believed would help strengthen the nation by curtailing the spread of prostitution and human trafficking.
Preserving a Polish Past: Izabela Czartoryska and the First National Museum
A prominent figure during the Polish Enlightenment, Izabela Czartoryska founded the first national museum in Poland in the early 19th century, quite literally in her own back garden.
The Sweetest Day of the Year: Tłusty Czwartek
Late winter signals the arrival of… the best holiday in the Polish calendar! Moreso than Valentine’s Day, Tłusty Czwartek is the sweetest day of the year. The holiday celebrates the end of Carnival and the beginning of the Lenten season.
Polish Sweet Tooth:
A Broad History of Sugar, Chocolate, and Confections in Poland
It was during the mid 19th century when the most famous and still well-known today Polish confectioners – Blikle, Wedel, and Wawel (originally Piasecki) – first opened their doors.
Kulig: A Sleigh Ride as Protest?
Winter is known for its festive activities – baking cookies, decorating the Christmas tree, stringing lights, and… attending a sleigh ride party as a form of civil resistance against the partitioning powers of your country.
Protestant Poland: Wrocław's Bridge with Two Names
In the heart of the city, near the market square, lies a cathedral with a long Protestant history as well as two legends that draw the eyes of passerby up to its two towers and the bridge connecting them.
The Famous and Infamous Guests of the Hotel Monopol
This turn-of-the-century hotel on Świdnica Street had a cast of characters checking out and checking in.
