X-Nico

40 unusual facts about Poland


Alfred W. Benson

Born in Poland, Chautauqua County, New York, he moved to Jamestown, New York in 1860, and attended Jamestown and Randolph Academies.

Aniela Cukier

Her landscapes with views of Kazimierz Dolny, Wisniow, and Puck dominated her output and became popular, with some translated to woodcuts.

Bolesław Skarżyński

Bolesław Skarżyński (1901-1963) was a renowned Polish biologist.

Bukowo, Szczecin

Bukowo is a municipal neighbourhood of the city of Szczecin, Poland situated on the left bank of Oder river, north of the Szczecin Old Town and Middle Town, south of the town of Police.

Bydgoszcz Voivodeship

Bydgoszcz Voivodeship 1946-1975 was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1946–1975.

Campaign Against Homophobia

Campaign Against Homophobia (original name: Kampania Przeciw Homofobii, abbreviation: KPH) is a Polish LGBT organisation, which aims to promote legal and social equality for people outside the heteronorm.

Częstochowa Voivodeship

Though most of the current territory of the former Częstochowa Voivodeship belongs to the Silesian Voivodeship, it historically is part of Lesser Poland, apart from western areas, around Lubliniec and Olesno.

Elections in Poland

There were also elections in the Second Polish Republic (1918–1939), and the People's Republic of Poland, although most of the latter are considered to have been rigged.

The Senate (Senat) has 100 members elected for a four-year term via the first past-the-post system, with 100 single member constituencies.

Great Sejm – or the Four-Years Sejm of 1798–1792, which voted for the May Constitution of Poland;

He abdicated in 1795 after the partitions of Poland ended the existence of sovereign state of Poland for 123 years.

Frank Walus

Frank Walus (July 29, 1922 – August 17, 1994) was born in Poland, worked in Germany during World War II and emigrated to the USA in the mid-1940s.

Gerard Antoni Ciołek

He was a member of the State Council for the Nature Conservation ('Panstwowa Rada Ochrony Przyrody', PROP), as well as served on the Boards of Directors of the Tatra National Park and the Pieniny National Park.

IS-5 Kaczka

The IS-5 Kaczka (Instytut Szybownictwa – gliding institute) was a single-seat canard research glider designed and built in Poland from 1948.

Isidor Barndt

Archpriest Isidor Barndt (1816-1891), a poet and world traveler from Neisse, Germany, a town in the former state of Silesia, now Nysa, Poland, promoted reunionism and wrote about similarities in faiths in order to overcome splits between Protestants and Catholics in late 19th century Germany.

Jadwiga Zlotorzycka

Jadwiga Zlotorzycka (1926-2002) was a Polish entomologist.

Jan Pitass

Jan Pitass (July 3, 1844 - December 11, 1913) was a Polish priest who was the founder and first pastor of the oldest Polish parish (St. Stanislaus - Bishop & Martyr Church) in the diocese of Buffalo, New York.

Jim Parton

He now lives in Southern Poland where he is restoring a seventeenth-century former bishop's palace with his wife at Piotrowice Nyskie, near Nysa.

John Mojecki

Born in Kożuszkowo, Poland, his first place of residence was Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania (now known as Jim Thorpe).

Kazimierz Pietkiewicz

Kazimierz Pietkiewicz (born 1861 - October 30, 1934 in Anin) was a Polish socialist and independence activist.

Kokot

Kokot, Poland, a village in Gmina Kije, Pińczów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland

Kordon

Kordon, Poland, a village in Gmina Narewka of Hajnówka County of Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland

Lubusz Voivodeship

By conquest the first leaders of the Polans, Mieszko I and especially Boleslaw I added a number of surrounding territories to the newly established core Polish state, and Lebus Land or Lubusz in Lusatia came under Polish rule.

Mikhail Yuzefovich

In his report to the Russian Government "On the so-called Ukrainophile movement" in 1876 he characterised Ukrainian language societies as subversive and claimed they were organised by Polish and Austrian enemies of Russia.

Mil Mi-3

It is also a Russian designation for the Polish-Soviet co-operation on larger helicopters based on the Mi-2 that could replace the Mi-4 from 1971.

Nestlé Waters North America

Poland Spring water is derived from multiple sources in the state of Maine, including Poland Spring and Garden Spring in Poland, Clear Spring in Hollis, Evergreen Spring in Fryeburg, Spruce Spring in Pierce Pond Township, and White Cedar Spring in Dallas Plantation.

Pinhas Kopel

Koppel was born on January 15, 1918 (2 Shvat 5678 on the Hebrew calendar) in the town of Turek in central Poland.

Poland Spring

Despite the name, the water does not come from the country of Poland but from derived multiple sources in the state of Maine, including Poland Spring and Garden Spring in Poland, Clear Spring in Hollis, Evergreen Spring in Fryeburg, Spruce Spring in Pierce Pond Township, and White Cedar Spring in Dallas Plantation, Bradbury Spring in Kingfield.

Poland, Indiana

After completion, Tom and Marsha plan to launch the boat in Kentucky Lake, then take the Tombigbee waterway to the Gulf of Mexico, then on to see the world.

Polish Solidarity Campaign

Britain's Polish Solidarity Campaign (PSC) was a campaign in solidarity with Solidarity (the Solidarność trade union) and other democratic forces in Poland.

Politics of Poland

Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament (known together by the very same name as the lower house "Sejm"), the Sejm and the Senate.

Executive power is exercised by the government, which consists of a council of ministers led by the Prime Minister.

Executive power is exercised by the Council of Ministers.

The politics of Poland take place in the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government of a multi-party system and the President is the head of state.

The Senate (Senat) has 100 members elected for a four-year term in 40 multi-seat constituencies under a rare plurality bloc voting method where several candidates with the highest support are elected from each electorate.

The president, as the head of state, is the supreme commander of the Armed Forces and has the power to veto legislation passed by parliament, but otherwise has a mostly representative role.

Rzhev

In the meantime, the town was occupied for a short space by Tver, Poland-Lithuania, and finally by the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

SS-Oberabschnitt Weichsel

After 1940, Oberabschnitt Weichsel became heavily involved in commanding atrocity actions in Poland; as World War II progressed, the Oberabschnitt itself became nearly one and the same with the office of the SS and Police Leaders.

Stanisław Biniecki

Stanisław Biniecki (July 29, 1907 in Sławno - May 3, 1999) was a Polish chemist.

Stanisław Rehman

Stanisław Rehman (1838–1899), was a city councillor in Kraków, Poland.


1928 Summer Olympics

Halina Konopacka of Poland became the first female Olympic track and field champion.

2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's omnium

The Women's Omnium was one of the 9 women's events at the 2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, held in Pruszków, Poland.

Antony Polonsky

The Neighbors Respond: The Controversy over the Jedwabne Massacre in Poland, co-editor with Joanna B. Michlic, (Princeton University Press, 2004) ISBN 978-0-691-11306-7

ASELSAN

After exportation of such a system to Oman in 2008 for the Qurayyat-Sur motorway, Aselsan won in 2010 a tender worth 5.4 million to develop an electronic toll collection system and implement at 51 toll booths in Poland.

Augustus III of Poland

He spent less than three years of his thirty-year reign in Poland, where political feuding between the House of Czartoryski and the Potocki paralysed the Sejm (Liberum Veto), fostering internal political anarchy and weakening the Commonwealth.

Bukownica

Bukownica, Gostyń County in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Christoph Hartknoch

Hartknoch's extensive scientific body of works contributed greatly to knowledge of Prussia, Pomerania, Samogitia, Courland, and Poland.

Czołowo

Czołowo, Poznań County in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

David Coffin

Coffin comes from a musical background: His father, Rev. William Sloane Coffin, studied to be a concert pianist with Nadia Boulanger in Paris, his grandfather was pianist Arthur Rubinstein, and his great-grandfather was Polish conductor Emil Mlynarski.

Ectaco

Within the next 2 years offices were opened in Germany (Berlin), Great Britain (London), the Czech Republic (Prague), Canada (Toronto), Poland (Warsaw) and Ukraine (Kiev).

Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus

Von Tschirnhaus was born in Kieslingswalde (now Sławnikowice in western Poland) and died in Dresden, Saxony.

Flight 16

LOT Polish Airlines Flight 16, a 2011 belly-landing of a Boeing 767-300ER in Warsaw, Poland

History of Poland in the Middle Ages

The first waves of Slavic migration settled the area of the upper Vistula River and elsewhere in the lands of present-day southeastern Poland and southern Masovia, coming from the upper and middle regions of the Dnieper River.

Interoute

Interoute's offices: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, plus a Network Operations Centre in Sofia and a Customer Service Centre in Prague and Luleå.

Jacek Rostowski

From 1989 to 1991 during Poland’s great economic transformation following the fall of communism, Vincent-Rostowski was an advisor to the Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Leszek Balcerowicz.

Jadwiżyn

Jadwiżyn, Drawsko County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-west Poland)

Jan Breydel

Kuzma Minin, the Russian leader of a popular militia that drove the Poles out of Russia at the end of the Time of Troubles in 1612, also happened to be a butcher.

Jan Latosz

While most of the academy approved of the reform plan, Latosz presented a different solution through his old acquaintance Alberto Cardinal Bolognetti, former Papal nuncio to Poland in the times of king Stephen Bathory.

Jastrzębniki

Jastrzębniki, Kalisz County in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Jean de Reszke

He subsequently busied himself breeding racehorses in Poland and teaching singing in Paris and at Nice on the French Riviera.

Joanka

Joanka, Kalisz County in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Katarzynowo

Katarzynowo, Rawicz County in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Kaźmierzewo

Kaźmierzewo, Włocławek County in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-central Poland)

Kosobudy

Kosobudy, Szczecinek County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-west Poland)

Koziegłowy

Koziegłowy, Greater Poland Voivodeship, an urbanized village adjoining Poznań (west-central Poland)

Lomno

Łomno, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, a village in the Starachowice County in southeastern Poland

Mały Buczek

Mały Buczek, Złotów County, a village in the administrative district of Gmina Lipka, Złotów County, Poland

Marek Gazdzicki

Since 2003, he holds a professorship at the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland, and works as researcher and outside lecturer at the University of Frankfurt/Main.

Marina Shainova

At the 2006 European Championships in Władysławowo, Poland she won gold in the Women's 58 kg with 237 kg in total, breaking three European records.

Mariusz Lewandowski

After Franciszek Smuda took over the national team in 2009, he stopped playing for Poland.

Michał Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski

Two Canadians, who were aware of the unfortunate history of Poland during World War II, were successful in their bid and brought the items to Canada.

National Democracy

In 1928 the National Party (Stronnictwo Narodowe) was founded, as a successor party to the Popular National Union.

Owieczki

Owieczki, Oborniki County in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Piaskowo

Piaskowo, Gmina Szamotuły in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Podstolice

Podstolice, Chodzież County in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Prochy

Prochy, Wąbrzeźno County in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-central Poland)

Ramón Quiroga

Quiroga is perhaps best remembered for his appearance at the 1978 FIFA World Cup in a match against Poland, when he ran all the way to the opposition half and fouled Grzegorz Lato, receiving a yellow card in the process.

Rise of nationalism in Europe

The Polish attempts to win independence from Russia had previously proved to be unsuccessful, with Poland being the only country in Europe whose autonomy was gradually limited rather than expanded throughout the 19th century, as a punishment for the failed uprisings; in 1831 Poland lost its status as a formally independent state and was merged into Russia as a real union country and in 1867 she became nothing more than just another Russian province.

Rozniaty

Różniaty, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-central Poland)

Simon Schama's Power of Art

It aired in Poland on TVP2 in February and March 2008, on PBS in the US and re -broadcast in September 2008 on TVOntario in Canada, ABC1 in Australia, Australia Network in the Asia-Pacific region, TV ONE in New Zealand and on ET1 in Greece.

Śmiłowo

Śmiłowo, Piła County in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Smolary

Smolary, Gniezno County in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Sokratis Papastathopoulos

He became the first player to be sent off at UEFA Euro 2012 during the opening game of the tournament against co-hosts Poland, after receiving two yellow cards, following what pundits decried as two poor decisions by the referee Carlos Velasco Carballo.

Stanowice

Stanowice, Góra County in Lower Silesian Voivodeship (south-west Poland)

Stefan Constantinescu

The exhibition incorporates a cardboard installation with a series of video works by Hungarian artist Péter Forgács, Poland’s Zuzanna Janin, UK-based collaborators Karen Mirza and Brad Butler, Lithuanian Deimantas Narkevičius and Switzerland’sYves Netzhammer, sound-work by Liliana Moro, a sculpture by Via Lewandowski and Constantinescu's own film My Beautiful Dacia.

Trzęsacz

Trzęsacz, Choszczno County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-west Poland)

Witold Gerutto

Witold Gerutto (1 October 1912 in Harbin, China – 13 October 1973 in Konstancin) was a Polish shot putter and decathlete who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics.

Zbigniew Małkowski

He has since returned to Poland to continue playing his football at a lower level, with OKS 1945 Olsztyn, his first senior club.