Piast Institute

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Piast Institute A national research and policy center. It is an official Census Information Center and one of two in Michigan.

WHO WE SERVE:

Governmental Agencies • Municipalities • Non-Profits
Religious Groups • Politicians • Political Analysts • Businesses
Researchers • Media • Government of the Republic of Poland

CAPABILITIES:

-Grants
-Data Analysis
-Evaluation and Policy Analysis
-GIS Mapping
-Facilitation
-Non-Profit Assistance
-Questionnaire Development
-Focus Groups
-Data Collection

Born in Berlin to Polish parents in 1829, Marie Elisabeth grew up in a world where opportunities for women in science ...
10/19/2026

Born in Berlin to Polish parents in 1829, Marie Elisabeth grew up in a world where opportunities for women in science and medicine were extremely limited. From an early age, she showed exceptional intelligence and determination, but she faced significant barriers simply because of her gender. Rather than accepting those limitations, she chose to challenge them—setting in motion a life dedicated to breaking down institutional barriers and expanding access to medical education.

Zakrzewska graduated from the midwifery program at Royal Charité Hospital in Berlin and moved to America with her sister Anna in 1853. After facing significant difficulties gaining work assisting and admittance to school, she obtained her medical degree in March 1856. She was one of only four women out of two hundred students to attend the medical school at Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, a school unique in that it would admit women to its medical program. She went on to open The for and Children to provide women with medical treatment from physicians of their own s*x, to provide women with the opportunity to experience the clinical application of medicine, and to train nurses. She stressed her intentions to prove that women were just as capable as men to run a hospital and practice medicine.

Zakrzewska lived a successful life, breaking barriers that hindered women in practicing in the United States, founded hospitals for women, and pioneered the movement that opened the nursing profession to black women with the first black nurse in America graduating from the school in 1879.

John Dingell served in the United States House of Representatives for an extraordinary span of time, becoming the longes...
10/18/2026

John Dingell served in the United States House of Representatives for an extraordinary span of time, becoming the longest-serving member in the history of Congress. Dingell was sworn in as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan on December 13, 1955. He was instrumental in the passage of the Medicare Act, the Water Quality Act of 1965, the Clean Water Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the Clean Air Act of 1990, and the Affordable Care Act, among others. He also consistently voted in favor of labor rights and civil rights and helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Dingell retired from Congress after a 60 year tenure in 2015. He served as the chairman for the House Energy and Commerce Committee for 16 years and is one of only two World War II veterans to serve as a member of Congress.

Did you know John Dingell Jr. won a special election to succeed his father John Dingell Sr. in Congress, and was succeeded by his wife, Debbie Dingell? In his career he served with 2,453 different U.S. Representatives.

Born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, to Polish immigrant parents, Stephanie embodied the determination, curiosity, an...
10/17/2026

Born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, to Polish immigrant parents, Stephanie embodied the determination, curiosity, and work ethic that have long been hallmarks of the Polish American experience. While working as a research chemist at DuPont in 1965, Stephanie Kwolek made a remarkable discovery that would change the world forever. She invented ®, an incredibly strong, lightweight synthetic fiber that is five times stronger than steel by weight. At first, her unusual experimental solution was met with skepticism, but Kwolek trusted her scientific instincts and pushed forward. Her perseverance paid off, resulting in one of the most important material science breakthroughs in modern history.

Today, Kevlar is used in bullet-resistant vests, helmets, military equipment, aerospace technology, emergency response gear, vehicles, cables, protective gloves, and countless other applications. Because of Stephanie Kwolek's innovation, officers, personnel, , , and civilians around the world have been given added protection and a better chance at survival in dangerous situations.

Over the course of her career, Stephanie Kwolek earned numerous awards and honors, including induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Yet beyond her scientific achievements, she remained a passionate advocate for education, particularly encouraging young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

10/16/2026

Born this day in Swoyersville, PA, Walt Michaels (Majka) would go on to outstanding football careers as both player and coach. As a player, the five-time Pro Bowler led the Cleveland Browns to 5 NFL Championship games, resulting in consecutive NFL Championships in 1954 and ’55. As head coach of the New York Jets, he piloted the team to the NFC Championship Game during the 1982- 83 season, before losing to the Miami Dolphins in the now famous “Mud Bowl”. Read about Walt and hear his thoughts on what it means to be “tough” at http://www.polishsportshof.com/portfolio_page/walt-michaels/

Today, we honor Dr. Francis E. , the first Polish American to earn a medical degree from the University of . He maint...
10/16/2026

Today, we honor Dr. Francis E. , the first Polish American to earn a medical degree from the University of . He maintained a private practice in Buffalo but also was known for his local charity work including at the local Polish Orphan Asylum. He went on to become the city’s Commissioner of .

As Buffalo's Health Commissioner, Dr. Fronczak became a pioneering force in public health. During an era when infectious diseases posed significant threats to cities across America, he championed sanitation improvements, disease prevention initiatives, vaccination programs, public education campaigns, and health regulations that helped save countless lives. His efforts helped transform Buffalo into a healthier and safer city, setting an example for communities throughout the nation.

At the same time, he wrote extensively on Polish and other issues in local newspapers. He was an important and committed for independence and WWI war relief. He worked with internationally known leaders such as Ignacy Jan in the Polish Central Relief Committee of America for Polish victims of WWI. Dr. Fronczak’s efforts at home and abroad improved the lives of countless individuals.

and have a rich history of Americans whose work made a huge impact for their communities. Today we want to honor ...
10/15/2026

and have a rich history of Americans whose work made a huge impact for their communities. Today we want to honor Clara , widely regarded as Detroit’s first Polish social worker.

Clara was born to Polish immigrants in Detroit in 1892 and grew up on the city’s east side. She was instrumental in founding the Polish Activities League in the early 1920's,which sponsored St. Ann's (Hamtramck) and St. Elizabeth (Delray) Community Houses. She carried out relief activities in aid of Poland during both World Wars, and in 1934 she received a Papal medal for her career of service.

Miss Clara Swieczkowska is one of the Polish Americans honored in the Polish American Heritage Mural, which is located at St. Parish, painted by Dennis in 2001 in celebration of Detroit’s Tricentennial.

Max Factor (founded in 1909 as Max Factor & Company by Maksymilian ) is widely regarded as one of the founding figures ...
10/14/2026

Max Factor (founded in 1909 as Max Factor & Company by Maksymilian ) is widely regarded as one of the founding figures of modern as we know them today. Before his innovations, stage and film makeup was often heavy, impractical, and unsuitable for the emerging world of motion pictures. Maksymilian changed that entirely. He introduced new formulations and techniques that allowed actors to appear natural on camera while still enhancing expression under bright studio lighting.

Born in , Faktorowicz began learning the trade of cosmetics and wig-making as an apprentice at age nine before opening his own shop with hand-made wigs, rouges, creams and fragrances. He immigrated to Los Angeles in 1904, creating custom formulations for many of the most famous actors of early .

He is responsible for iconic looks such as Clara Bow’s heart-shaped lips, and his son Frank Factor invented the Pan-Cake, a matte make-up developed for Technicolor films for which traditional grease-stick makeup was too reflective. Due to its popularity on-set, this was eventually released as a public product, and immediately became the fastest and largest selling single make-up item to date.

Some of the Max Factor brand’s other innovations include the original in 1954, the first smear-proof in 1940, and in 1930. Needless to say, Max Factor revolutionized the beauty industry as we know it, on-screen and in real life.

Can you even imagine life today without these makeup staples? Poles contributed so much to the world. We're so proud to showcase these examples during October Polish Heritage Month.

Upcoming Soup Festival at St. Florian Parish Hamtramck, Michigan.
10/14/2026

Upcoming Soup Festival at St. Florian Parish Hamtramck, Michigan.

10/13/2026

We really appreciate the Q of A Senior Group for getting together and donating several boxes of chips to the Piast Institute. We will be using them to pass them out at the City Trunk or Treat event in front of the City of Hamtramck City Hall on October 28th.

We can't wait to see you there! If you have bags of candy you'd like to donate to the event, drop it off at Piast Institute at 11633 Joseph Campau, Hamtramck. As a nonprofit, we appreciate any donation that we can use to give back to the community.

Christine , well known from her career in , television and in theatre, was born in Buffalo, New York. Her grandparent...
10/13/2026

Christine , well known from her career in , television and in theatre, was born in Buffalo, New York. Her grandparents were stage in Poland before immigrating to the United States, and her father edited the Polish Everybody’s Daily, a major Polish-language newspaper.

She studied drama at Juilliard in New York and made her off-Broadway debut in 1980. Baranski always knew she wanted to act. Her grandparents were actors in Buffalo, New York, at the Polish-American theater. Over 40 years later, Christine is still acting, most recently in Hay Fever, the new Big-Bang Theory spin-off Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, and upcoming film All That She Wants, all in 2026.

You likely know Christine Baranski from one of her many award-winning performances in Cybill, Mamma Mia!, The Real Thing, , Chicago, The Birdcage, or more recently from her popular roles in The Good Wife and as a recurring guest character on The Big Bang Theory.

What's your favorite role she played in?

Address

11633 Joseph Campau Street
Hamtramck, MI
48212

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+13137334535

Website

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