Illawarra Polish Museum

01/06/2026

It's dzień dziecka/children's day in Poland today. Here is a beautiful toy from 1925 made by Wojciech Jastrzębowski and painted by Józefa Kogut, which is in the etnomuzeum Kraków. Toys are not like they used to be in my opinion. Many these days are mass produced and made from inferior materials but this one is indicative of the fine workmanship and love, Polish artisans put into their craft.

31/05/2026

We will be open next Sunday the 7th June. Come and say hello. You are always welcome.

25/05/2026

Another inspirational Polish woman.

🇵🇱 On May 23, 1842, 184 years ago, Maria Konopnicka, one of the most prominent Polish poets and authors, was born in Suwałki. Through her literary works, she gave strength to the Poles at a time when our country was partitioned and the partitioning powers sought to completely erase the Polish national identity.

🪶 Konopnicka was also an advocate for the lowest social strata and championed women's rights. Her most significant work, Rota (The Oath), is a patriotic anthem that remains one of Poland’s most important national hymns to this day. Rota was published during a devastating period for Poles under the Prussian partition, a time when aggressive Germanization efforts aimed to systematically eradicate Polish culture.

🌹 Today, we honor Maria Konopnicka, whose enduring legacy helped keep Polish identity alive despite relentless persecution. Her literature instilled hope that independence would one day be restored, serving as a powerful reminder never to give up the fight. Tragically, Konopnicka did not live to see Poland return to the map of Europe.

22/05/2026

Very interesting piece of Polish history.

In 1573, Poland did something no country in the world had ever done. 📜

They signed the Warsaw Confederation — a legal document guaranteeing that people of all faiths could live and worship freely, without fear of persecution.

Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Jews — all protected by law.

When the rest of Europe was burning people at the stake for their beliefs, Poland said: not here.

UNESCO added the original document to the Memory of the World Register. It still exists today.

One of the first countries in the world to guarantee religious freedom.

20/05/2026

🇵🇱 General Tadeusz Rozwadowski was born 160 years ago, on May 19, 1866. He was a distinguished commander, inventor, and Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army during the Battle of Warsaw. The general was one of the principal architects of the 1920 Polish victory, which became a decisive turning point in the Polish-Bolshevik War.

⚔️ Rozwadowski came from a family with deep-rooted military and patriotic traditions. An ancestor of his fought at the Battle of Vienna in 1683 under King John III Sobieski; his great-grandfather took part in the Kościuszko Uprising, his grandfather in the November Uprising (1830), and his father in the January Uprising (1863). The multigenerational history of the Rozwadowski family perfectly mirrors the turbulent fate of Poland itself.

🛡️ As Poland was regaining its independence, Rozwadowski took command of the Polish Army during the Polish-Ukrainian War (1918–1919). Later, in the face of the Bolshevik threat, he devised the operational plan that led to the spectacular victory on the Vistula River. Today, we honor the memory of this great patriot and exceptional commander.

20/05/2026

Thanks again to Basia Wohlfarth for the interesting and informative links.

May 18 marks the 82nd anniversary of the moment Polish troops broke Germany’s grip on Monte Cassino to claim one of Poland’s most defining military victories of the 20th century.

Follow the link in the comments to read more about the Battle of Monte Cassino.

18/05/2026

Thanks to Basia Wohlfarth for sending me this very interesting post to share.

🇵🇱 According to various estimates, Polish is spoken by roughly 50 million people worldwide. The popularity of our language is growing year by year, thanks to the many foreigners taking on the tough challenge of learning the language of Adam Mickiewicz. Everyone knows that there are foreign loanwords in Polish, but did you know that there are words in several foreign languages, including English, that actually have Polish roots?

🌲 In English, one such word is "spruce." This is a fascinating Polish loanword whose history dates back to the Middle Ages, when luxury goods were imported to England from Royal Prussia, a region of the Kingdom of Poland. To indicate that a tree or timber simply came "from Prussia," the Polish phrase "z Prus" was used. Over time, the phonetic pronunciation of "z Prus" morphed into the English word "spruce."

🌍 There are also plenty of Polish loanwords in German, such as "Grenze" (border) from the Polish word "granica", or "Gurke" (cucumber) from "ogórek". In Czech, we see "příroda" (nature) stemming from "przyroda", or "lidový" (folk) from "ludowy". What about you? Do you know of any other Polish words hiding in foreign languages?

14/05/2026

Today marks 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑫𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒔 and reminds us of the importance of sharing stories and preserving the history that connects us 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦.

Between 1947 and 1971, countless families arrived at Bonegilla with different languages, traditions and hopes, all with a shared experience of beginning a new life in an unfamiliar place.

Upon arrival, incoming family groups were registered at the centre, often on one identity card, which recorded dates of arrival and departure, the ship or flight they came on, the block they lived in and more 📝.

Today, one in 20 Australian’s have a connection to Bonegilla through parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts or grandparents.

Take a moment to connect with your history this 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐷𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝐹𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠 by exploring the 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐮𝐩 🔎 and delve into the records that preserved each family's beginnings at Bonegilla.

If you’re having trouble finding an ID card, try typing in common mispellings or the first three letters of the family name.

Visit the database and discover your family’s history 👉 https://idcards.bonegilla.org.au/

📷 Migrants and families queue for identity card registration after their arrival at Bonegilla, Border Morning Mail, October 22, 1959

13/05/2026

This is so beautiful. The painted village, Zalipie, Poland.

*Thanks to may queen crafts UK