"Stańcie do Apelu” - stand for the roll call always sends a shiver through my spine. The silence just before a soldier or scout reads this at 17.00 on the...
June 30, 2021
My Polish passport finally arrived last month! I've written previously about my identity as a Pole born abroad and my concerns that a Polish passport wasn't really for me -...
May 28, 2021
The portrait of Jan Matejko’s “Copernicus: Conversations with God” recently arrived at the National Gallery in London. It is the first work of a Polish artist to be on show there and...
April 20, 2021
It was moving to witness such an intimate family funeral of Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Much has been said about his Danish and German ancestry, yet even less about...
March 27, 2021
With Easter approaching, Palm Sunday for Poles, is as colourful as any feast due to the "palms"- bazie or palemki made from fresh branches of willow with catkins or "kotki" (little...
February 27, 2021
Recently I have been contacted by many of you interested in Polish citizenship. Although I’ve written about the process in my guide to citizenship, the paperwork is just the legal...
January 29, 2021
Do you recognise a cultural divide in your early life between the Polish and English languages?
December 19, 2020
This post is particularly poignant this year when our Christmases will be different, we may not sing carols but we can listen and our opłatek may not be shared in...
December 13, 2020
If like me, you’ve been thinking of confirming your Polish citizenship to to emphasise your heritage or to stay a European citizen, here is a quick guide based on my...
December 5, 2020
Are you thinking about buying new decorations? Think again. Our ancestors made their own and we all have memories of making them with our parents but homemade isn't just for...
November 10, 2020
For those of us brought up on 11 listopada (11 November) concerts in which we were often on stage and attending obligatory patriotic masses, this day linked to Poland's regaining of...
November 2, 2020
Saunter with me through some of the famous Polish cemeteries I've visited through the years, within and outside Poland's boundaries. Poland's All Saints Day on 1st November is a national...
October 10, 2020
The countryside of Poland is "like a ruffled patchwork quilt sewn from rich shades of colour and a variety of textures, from the lightest, yellowish brown to the darkest, velvety...
August 29, 2020
Do you know much about your family history at the time of World War I or just after? The last century was an incredibly traumatic one for our ancestors. The war front...
July 18, 2020
Let's raise a glass this weekend for Ognisko Polskie in Kensington, London, celebrating 80 years of serving the Polish community in exile. A success story which throughout the Second World...
About This Site
Polish identity, culture, history and heritage for those of us born around the world. For more click here.
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1.Tracing Family History pre-WW2
2. Tracing Family History WW2