author: IRENA FRACZEK

Recent activites of our club:

The PHC booth at the International Festival on March 8, 2025.
For the second time in the row, Sue Janczak (first on the right) organizes our display at the festival held annually at the Madison's Overture Center for the Arts.

Allan Patek, the president of the Polish Heritage Club of Madison, gives a brief
history of the Polish pączki tradition on Fat Tuesday, March 4, 2025 .

The PHC members have fun at the Winter Fish Fry Friday on February 28, 2025.
For years now, Jane Dunn (first to the right) always remembers to assemble a group ready to enjoy this beloved Wisconsin tradition several times a year .

 

 On Tuesday, February 11 at 2 pm. the PHC Book Club met to discuss:
The Torpedo Season:
Growing Up During World War II
by Richard C. Lukas

From the Amazon review by Catherine A. Hamilton, author of Victoria's War: "This upbeat WWII memoir has a message for all of us! This enchanting collection of short stories by Dr. Richard Lukas — a renown Polish historian and author of countless nonfiction books about WWII Poland — is the most delightful of memoirs...Set in the Polish immigrant neighborhoods of New England at the onset of WWII, Lukas brings to life the heartwarming tales of a boy who grew up immersed in Polish-American culture...From the bombing of Pearl Harbor to visits from Polish RAF pilots on leave from fighting the Germans from England; from a beach combing trip that unearths an undetonated Torpedo washed up on America’s Eastern shores, to quintessential Polish Christmas Eve celebrations, to parochial school capers, all through the eyes of a child whose curiosity, wonder, and humor resound on every page."

Wawel Royal Castle (Zamek Królewski na Wawelu): As part of the Cracow's Historic Centre (the Old Town), the Wawel Royal Castle was among the very first sites inscribed on the UNESCO World's Heritage list in 1978. The castle is Poland's the most historically and culturally significant site, while the viewable online Lanckoroński Collection is one of its finest. Virtual tour link

Wieliczka Salt Mine (Kopalnia Soli w Wieliczce): Existing since the 13th century, the mine was placed on the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1978. Its tourist route is about 3 km long and includes 20 chambers at depths from 64 to 135 meters, an underground lake and numerous statutes carved in salt.  Virtual tour link

Royal Castle in Warsaw (Zamek Królewski w Warszawie): Placed on the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1980, along with the nearby Old Town, it receives about 500,000 visitors a year. Virtual tour link

Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum (Państwowe Muzeum Auschwitz-Birkenau): Placed on the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1979, the site's name was changed to "Auschwitz Birkenau: German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945)" in 2007. The museum preserves the memory of the 1.1 million people killed in the camp during German occupation of Poland. Virtual tour link

Warsaw Uprising Museum (Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego): Opened to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the uprising in 2004, the museum preserves its history and materials (artifacts, documents) related to the Polish Underground State. Virtual tour link

Malbork Castle (Zamek w Malborku): Placed on the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1997, this 13-th centuryTeutonic fortress is the largest castle in the world by land area and one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture. Virtual tour link

St. Michael Archangel's Church in Binarowa (Kościół św. Michała Archanioła w Binarowej): Built around 1500 in Gothic style, this is one of the group of six wooden churches inscribed on UNESCO World's Heritage list as Wooden Churches of Southern Lesser Poland. Virtual tour link

Old City of Zamość (Stare Miasto w Zamościu): Inscribed on the UNESCO World's Heritage list in 1992, Zamość is a unique example of the late 16th century Renaissance designs based on the Italian theories of the 'ideal city.' Its Old Town has many historic buildings - including the so-called "Armenian houses" that nowadays hold collections of the Zamoyjski Museum, named by the city founder, chancellor Jan Zamoysky. Virtual tour link

Zamoyski Museum in Kozłówka Palace (Muzeum Zamojskich w Kozłówce): Belonging to the Zamoyski family between 1799-1944, the palace's splendor reached its peak in early 20th century when owners aimed to turn it into the greatest aristocratic residence in Poland. Despite falling into the hands of Soviet Red Army in 1944, most artifacts survived untouched and the level of museum's authenticity is very rare by European standards. Interestingly, the carriage house of the palace hosts now a museum of socrealism art.  Virtual tour link