An Animated History of Poland

"The Animated History of Poland" an 8 minute video, depicting the history of Poland through animation, prepared by Tomasz Bagiński for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai.

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Posted on You Tube by PolishEmbassyCA 25.04.2012

Museum of the History of Polish Jews

Museum of the History of Polish Jews

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Posted on You Tube by Taube Philanthropies 07.09.2012

The Museum of the History of Polish Jews, built on the site of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, will honor and celebrate 1000 years of Jewish life and culture in Poland. This film documents the Museum's development from its groundbreaking in 2007 and includes footage of volunteers building the replica of the 17th-century Gwoździec Synagogue, a keystone of the Core Exhibition. The film is a succinct and engaging portrait of an enormous work in progress, including breathtaking helicam views of the building exterior. In the film, Dr Elie Wiesel explains why the Museum, opening in 2013, is so important: "The Museum is a geographical place of memory, and you cannot be in the place of the Ghetto Uprising and not feel something very deep. There were 1,000 years of Jewish history in Poland; 1,000 years of activity, of extraordinary aspirations and endeavors and dreams and metamorphoses; 1,000 years, which must be studied and communicated and shared."

Vistula in Warsaw reveals sunk loot from the seventeenth century

                                                                     PAP © 2012 / Tomasz Gzell

The low level of water in the Vistula River in Warsaw facilitates the work of archaeologists, who have extracted from the river bed the loot sunk during the Swedish invasion in the seventeenth century, including marble floors, stairs, railings. Dr. Hubert Kowalski of the Institute of Archaeology, Faculty of History, University of Warsaw told PAP that the researchers extract mainly pieces of architecture and sculptural decorations from the seventeenth century."Until now, we knew about the Swedes looting archives, works of art, paintings, sculptures. No one thought that they were also taking pieces such as floors, stairs, railings, even an entire staircase" - said Kowalski. "We have a part of a fountain, huge lintels weighting kundreds of kilograms, pieces decorated with Vasa coat of arms" - he added.

He believes that the finds are invaluable. "These is quality marble, also taking into account the class of art" - he said. He emphasised that water, sand and mud quite preserved the pieces, which have rested at the bottom of the river for more than 350 years. 

The finds come from the sunken Swedish boats. "We know from archival records that several Swedish boats, at least one of them in 1655 or in 1656, sunk at this spot" - said Kowalski. He added that the boats could hit the shallows, or a stone, or be sunken by the Swedes themselves, who knew that the low water level would not let them transport the stolen items.

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