Web Resources - Print Resources - Media Resources |
| Recommended because it is a comprehensive introduction to the history, current political situation and culture of Poland. Start by downloading the Word document at the bottom of the page. Be aware of the fact that the lectures include photographs, recipes and basic language phrases. Produced by the Slavic Center at the U. of Pittsburgh. |
| History of East Central Europe |
| Recommended because this is the online version of the 1952 history text by Oscar Halecki. Halecki is one of the most authoritative figures in East European history. This volume covers the history of the Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, and Hungarians. Start by reading the thoughtful preface. Be aware of the fact that this online book is part of the Historical Text Archive. |
| Lech Walesa |
| Recommended because it was written by noted East European political analyst Timothy Garton Ash, this website provides the biography of the Polish trade union leader and President of Poland. Be aware of the fact that it is part of Time Magazine's 100 Most Important People of the Twentieth Century series. |
| Poland in the Classroom |
| Recommended because this is the single best Internet site for teachers and students interested in learning more about Poland. This is a terrific site with a tremendous amount of information about Poland: it's history, geography, and culture. Start by scrolling down the page and seeing for yourself the incredible number of topics covered here. Be aware of the fact that resources are divided into two sections, K-6 and Grades 7-12. Teachers are encouraged to look at the references to distinguished Poles--probably they will be surprised at number of great writers, scientists, soldiers, etc., who were Poles (including four Nobel Prize winners in literature). This site is tremendous! Produced by the University of Buffalo (where there is a large Polish-American population). |
| Polart |
| Recommended because Polart, based in Sarasota, Florida, specializes in all things Polish. It carries a large selection of books, maps, videos, music CDs, clothing, handicrafts, and many other Polish items. Start by looking at the numerous categories of items available in the "Product Directory" column at the left of the screen. Be aware of the fact that this is probably the single best place in the United States to find Polish-related items. Their catalogue is online. |
| Polish Nobel Laureates in Literature |
| Recommended because there are four Polish writers who have won the Nobel Prize for literature and this charming site offers biographical information on these four as well as many photographs. Start by reading the Overview for a good introduction to the website. Be aware of the fact that there is an extensive sampling of the poetry of Wislawa Szymborska and Czeslaw Milosz (who died in 2004). Built by Polish students new to the English language, this site is also available in Polish. | |||
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| Polish Resource Materials: Library of Congress |
| Recommended because this website provides a guide to a very thorough collection of sources for Polish study--that found at the United States Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Topics and materials include mostly print resources, several in other languages, (mostly in English with some Polish and French). |
| Radio Polonia |
| Recommended because this is the English language international broadcast of the official Polish state radio. Start by listening in on a Radio Polonia broadcast. Be aware of the fact Radio Polonia homepage also contains English language news articles, as well as number of other subjects like Polish history, Polish poetry, and the arts in Poland. |
| The Official Website of Poland |
| Recommended because this website has everything--sections on Polish government, history, culture, news, geography, etc., and all of it is in English from the Polish point of view. A beautiful and well-designed website. Start by scrolling down the page and getting a sense of how comprehensive this website is. Be aware of the fact that there is also a Polish language version of this site. | |||
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| Virtual Tour of Poland |
| Recommended because this is a superbly organized and beautifully composed introduction to Poland and the Poles. The site is divided into several sections including: Poland Today, Polish History, Polish Culture Today, The Poles and Their Religion, Outstanding Poles, Polish Science, etc. Start by going to the section Poland Today. Be aware of the fact that this is part of website of the Polish Embassy to the United States. |
| Warsaw Rising: The Forgotten Soldiers of World War II |
| Recommended because this site provides thoughtful lesson plan ideas about the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. Be aware of Although this site is meant as a supplement to a recently produced CNN documentary by the same name, there are terrific external links listed at the end of this lesson plan that could be used as source material in place of the documentary. Especially recommended is The Warsaw Uprising 1944. By the way, the 1944 Warsaw Uprising by the Polish Home Army against the Nazis (as Soviet forces had reached the outskirts of Warsaw) should not be confused the 1943 Warsaw Uprising in the city's Jewish Ghetto. Both uprisings were tragic events, as both were ruthlessly crushed by German forces. |
| Warsaw Voice |
| Recommended because this is a weekly newspaper reporting from the Polish capital. A wide variety of news stories is provided but most articles are relatively brief. Start by reading the news in the Politics, Culture, and Business sections. Be aware of the fact that the paper also has an excellent coverage of cultural and entertainment news, as well as fine guides for travellers to Warsaw in particular and Poland in general. |
| Heart of Europe: A Short History of Poland Author: Norman Davies, Oxford University Press, 1986. |
| Recommended because Recommended because Davies' books on Polish history are the best in the English language. In addition to his "Short History," he wrote a more comprehensive two volume work called "God's Playground: A History of Poland," (Columbia University Press, 1982) which is also highly recommended, but may be too detailed for many. For those more interested in current events in Poland, but want those events informed by a historical perspective, Davies' "Heart of Europe: The Past In Poland's Present" (Oxford University Press, 2001) is recommended. Available used from Amazon.com for various prices. |
| Life in the Warsaw Ghetto Author: Gail B. Stewart, Lucent Books (1995) 112 pages |
| Recommended because Recommended because this book examines how people lived under the government of the Third Reich in German-occupied Poland. Establishing the historical background, the book depicts the lives of Jews in Warsaw with the aid of photographs and selections from memoir accounts. Apparently out of print, but available used from Amazon.com for various prices. | |||
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| New and Collected Poems: 1931-2001 Author: Czeslaw Milosz, Ecco Press (2001) |
| Recommended because Recommended as a volume of poems, from his earliest to most recent, of one of the world's greatest poets -- Nobel Prize winner Czeslaw Milosz. All poems are in English translation from the original Polish. Available from Amazon.com for $14. |
| Our Global Village: Poland Author: Don McKay and illustrated by Kathy Mitter, Milliken Publishing Company (1994) |
| Recommended because Elementary school level. Recommended as an introduction to Polish history and culture including daily life, holidays, foods, stories, games, and basic language expressions. Reviewed by and available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute, updated September 2003. |
| Pan Tadeusz Author: Adam Mickiewicz, translated by Kenneth R. Mackenzie |
| Recommended because Recommended as an epic tale of country life among the Polish and Lithuanian gentry in the years 1811 and 1812. Pan Tadeusz is Poland's best known literary work and has been translated into every European language. Of the three English versions, Kenneth R. Mackenzie's is considered the best. Available from Polart for $35. |
| With the Fire and Sword Author: Henryk Sienkiewicz, translated by W.S. Kuniczak. |
| Recommended because Recommended as the first volume of the epic trilogy by the Nobel Prize winner, this sweeping saga of love, adventure, war and rebelion is set in Poland and Ukraine during the 17th century. Engrossing reading. Available from Polart for $35. |
| A Force More Powerful: Poland |
| Recommended because this program tells the story of how nonviolent power overcame oppression and authoritarian rule in Poland. In August 1980, workers at the Gdansk shipyard went on strike. Their main demand, free trade unions, was unprecedented in a country where communist party supremacy did not allow the existence of any independent organizations. Lech Walesa, a wily 37 year-old electrician, was the chief negotiator for the workers, who avoided the mistakes of earlier strikes by maintaining strict nonviolent discipline -- and by occupying their shipyard, to deter a violent crackdown by authorities. The strike quickly spread to factories and workers throughout the country, magnifying their leverage. Their persistence paid off as government granted most of their demands. A new union was born named "Solidarity" (31 minutes). Available for free loan from Indiana University's Russian and East European Studies Institute. | |||
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| All Friends Here (Sami Swoi) (1967) |
| Recommended because this is the first in the trilogy of the most popular Polish film comedies: the adventures of two families, the Pawlaks and the Karguls (the other two films are Take It Easy and Big Deal). This film is set just after World War Two when the Pawlaks and the Karguls have moved from their poor little village in the eastern borderland of Poland to the Western Regained Territories. There they settle as neighbors, only to carry on the longstanding dispute they had while living in eastern Poland. The controversy had begun 40 years earlier when Kargul's cow strayed into Pawlak's field. Although they could make peace and work together in moments of common danger, these reconciliations never could be sustained -- until their children grew up and fell in love with each other. Directed by Sylwester Checinski (78 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail) or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $40. |
| Big Deal (Kochaj Albo Rzuc) (1978) |
| Recommended because this is the third in the comedy trilogy of the Pawlak and Kargul families' saga (the other two films are All Friends Here and Take It Easy). In this film, Pawlak and Kargul travel to the United States on the invitation of Pawlak's brother. Many humorous situations develop as the Polish pair encounters the strange customs of life in America (great for seeing how Poles view the US!). Directed by Sylwester Checinski (112 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail) or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $40. |
| Communism: Legacy of Pollution (1997, 25 minutes) |
| Recommended because in the wake of communism's decline in Eastern Europe, the environmental legacy of communism has been revealed. The Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany form a black triangle of aggressive air pollution with which these newly democratic states must now contend. This film outlines the work of the European Union to help these countries moderate their industrial pollution. Available for free loan from Indiana University's Russian and East European Studies Institute, but apparently out of print. |
| Dateline 1980: Gdansk (1991) |
| Recommended because it shows how anti-Communism was very strong in Poland almost a decade before the fall of the Berlin Fall. The focus in this video is the early 1980s strike at the Lenin Shipyard to protest Communist rule and the deteriorating Polish economy. The growth of Solidarity under Lech Walesa is described (23 minutes). In English. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail), but apparently not available commercially. |
| Highlands & Highlanders (Gory i Gorale) (1990) |
| Recommended because this is a Polish-produced film of the southern Polish Tatra Mountains and the people who live in this region (60 minutes). In English. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail) or may be purchased from Polart for $25. | |||
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| Kanal (1957) |
| Recommended because this is masterful director Andrej Wajda's hallucinatory portrait of a group of Polish patriots who flee the Nazis through the sewer system of a war-devastated Warsaw. No country suffered more than Poland in the Second World War and this film captures both the great heroism of the Poles in that struggle as well as the tremendous human cost of the war for Poland (96 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail) or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $25. |
| Korczak (1990) |
| Recommended because this film chronicles the extraordinary efforts of Dr. Janusz Korczak, pediatrician and author, to protect a group of abandoned Jewish children in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Second World War when the Nazis occupied Poland (black & white, 118 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail) or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $30. |
| Lodz Ghetto (1992, 120 minutes) |
| Recommended because this film chronicles the besieged and doomed city in Poland during World War Two which held the second largest concentration of Jews in Nazi Europe. The lives and stories of the 200,000 Jews who were trapped in the Ghetto are told solely with authentic writings from secret journals, archival photographs and footage shot by German soldiers. Available for free loan from Indiana University's Russian and East European Studies Institute, or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $40. |
| Man of Iron (1981) |
| Recommended because this film was made in the center of political events surrounding it and it merges documentary footage of the Solidarity strike into a fictionalized drama of a disillusioned radio producer (Marian Opania) who is ordered to Gdansk to undermine the reputation of one of the leaders of the worker revolt. Directed by Andrzej Wajda (152 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail) or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $20. |
| Pan Tadeusz (1999) |
| Recommended because it is based on the 19th century epic poem by Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz--probably the single greatest work of Polish literature. Written in 1834, while Mickiewicz was living in exile in Paris, the poem is still considered the greatest epic of Polish literature. Set in the picturesque landscape of Lithuania, the film depicts the region during the Napoleonic era. The film conveys the poem's political tone as well as its derisive irony. The lavish costume drama features an all-star cast. The plot revolves around a feud between two Polish gentry families living under Russian rule. Vengeance, thwarted love, trysts, mind-boggling secrets, feasts, hunts, balls, and battles enliven the action, which unfolds amidst the Poles' hope that Napoleon's invasion of Russia will lead to the restoration of Polish statehood. This film was a blockbuster in Poland, but is more difficult for non-Polish audiences to appreciate. Still, it is highly recommended. In Polish with English subtitles. Directed by Andrzej Wajda (157 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail) or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $40. | |||
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| Pigs (Psy) (1992) |
| Recommended because this is an American-style crime/action film with lots of swearing, graphic violence, and some sex. The story of two Polish secret policemen under the communist system who are forced to adapt to the new reality of post-Communist Poland. One becomes an ordinary policeman, the other gets involved in a narcotics-trafficking gang. Despite their now radically different lifestyles, the two men remain friends--at least for a time. Directed by Wladyslaw Pasikowski (108 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail) or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $50. |
| Poland: 1000 Years of History and Culture (1986-89) |
| Recommended because this is a documentary series on Polish history and culture produced by Roger Conant at the University of Pittsburgh. In English. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail), but apparently not available commercially. Part One: Piast Poland (22 minutes) Part Two: Jagiellonian Poland (20 minutes) Part Three and Four: Gentry commonwealth (1573-1795) (36 minutes) Part Four: Romantic and Modern Poland (1796-1945) |
| Poland: A Proud Heritage (Video Visits) (1989) |
| Recommended because this is perhaps the finest one-hour travelogue video ever produced. The hospitable people of Poland welcome you to their friendly country. Journey to Warsaw, the capital, filled with newly restored historical buildings. In Castle Square, gaze at the Royal Castle and Sigmund's Column, the symbol of the city. Tour Cracow's Wawel Hill, the ancient seat of Polish kings, and enjoy Polish folklore in the Tatras Mountains. Bask in the sun at Gdansk and experience the splendid serenity of Bialowieza Forest -- Europe's last virgin woodland. Pause in commemoration at the Auschwitz memorial. Glide down the picturesque Dunajec River, then visit the monastery of Jasna Gora, where millions of Poles make an annual pilgrimage to see the famed Black Madonna (55 minutes). In English. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail) or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $25. |
| Poland: Land of the White Eagle (1987-89) |
| Recommended because this is a series of ten minute films highlighting Poland's history, traditions, cultural heritage, architecture, and landscape. Directed by Wojciech Sarnowicz. In English. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail), but apparently not available commercially. Part 1: visits Gniezno, Pszczyna, the Pieniny and Beskidy mountains and the Eagle Nest trail between Cracow and Czestochowa (95 minutes). Part 2: visits Warsaw, Cracow, the Wieliczka saltmine, Malbork, Torun, Wroclaw, Lodz and Szczecin (90 minutes). Part 3: visits Czestochowa, Zamosc, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Gdansk and Gdynia (90 minutes). |
| Polish Folk Dance and Songs (1994) |
| Recommended because this video features folk dances and songs from many different regions of Poland performed by authentic folk groups in national dress. Regions represented include Kaszuby, Warmia, Mazury, Kujawy, Lowicz, Kurpie, Podlasie, Podhale, Beskid, Cieszyn, and Przeworsk (68 minutes). Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail), but apparently not available commercially. | |||
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| Polish-Americans |
| Recommended because of its discussion of the lives of three generations of Polish-Americans represented by a single family, including how and why they immigrated to the US in the first place, the importance of their cultural identity, how it is maintained, and how it changes. From the "Multicultural Peoples of North America" series (30 minutes). Recommended for grades 4-10. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail). |
| Struggles for Poland (1988) |
| Recommended because This PBS production constitutes a history of Poland in the Twentieth Century. Narrated by Roger Mudd, it combines historical footage with interviews of people who participated in the described events. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail), but apparently not available commercially. Struggles for Poland, Vol. I: Once Upon a Time, 1900-1923 Documents through archival films, interviews and stills, how the vision of two Polish leaders, Josef Pilsudski and Roman Dmowski, along with a series of major events, provided the necessary catalysts for Poland to regain its sovereign status after years of domination by foreign powers (55 minutes). Struggles for Poland, Vols. II & III: False Dawn, 1921-1939; Different World: Poland's Jews, 1919-1943. Documents Poland's struggles to establish a government following the ratification of the new Polish constitution in 1921, and shows how political infighting led to the establishment of a military regime based on right-wing totalitarianism and officially sanctioned anti-Semitism. While workers and peasants struggled against this regime from within, Poland faced even greater threats from its aggressive neighbors, Stalin's Soviet Russia and Hitler's Nazi Germany. Struggles for Poland, Vols. IV & V: Occupation, 1939-1945; Friends and Neighbors, 1939-1945. Documents the atrocities perpetrated against the Polish people during WWII. Special segments of this episode also set in relief the role and activities of the Polish Underground; the creation of the Soviet-inspired Communist resistance; and the 280,000 members of the Home Army in Warsaw, which led to an ill-fated uprising against the Germans in 1944. Struggles for Poland, Vol. VI & VII: Bright Days of Tomorrow, 1945-1956; Sweepers of Squares, 1956-1970. Describes Poland's first decades of Soviet domination, which began with the Soviet "liberation" of Poland from Nazi rule at the end of the Second World War. Struggles for Poland, Vols. VIII & IX: In This Life, 1900-1979; The Workers' State, 1970-Present. Chronicles the rise of Solidarity, the workers' movement that eventually led to the overthrow of the pro-Soviet socialist government. |
| Take it Easy (Nie Ma Mocnych) (1973) |
| Recommended because this film is the second in a comedy trilogy (also All Friends Here and Big Deal) about two quarreling peasant families, the Karguls and the Pawlaks, who after being left homeless by the Second World War settle, by accident, on neighboring farms. The quarrel, however, ends with the happy marriage of their children. This film begins eighteen years later when the old quarrels have been forgotten and both farmers work peacefully. But a new problem keeps them awake at night -- they have no successors to inherit their farms. Finally they invent a clever plan -- their grand daughter, Ann, now eighteen, will take over both farms after her marriage. But neither Kargul nor Pawlak can rest until their plan is realized. Directed by Sylwester Checinski (89 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail) or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $40. |
| The Departure (Odjazd) (1992) |
| Recommended because this is the story of a woman and her mother who are ethnic Germans from the Masurian Lakes region in what was Germany (East Prussia) before 1945, but what became Poland after the war ended. The film portrays ethnic tensions between Germans and Poles, and also gives insight into the history of the Masurian Lakes region from just prior to the outbreak of the Second World War to just before the collapse of communism in Poland in the late 1980s. Clearly the prime purpose of the film is to show that Germans, along with Poles, were victims of World War II. Directed by Magdalena and Piotr Kazarkiewiczowie (115 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail) or may be purchased from Polart for $40. |
| The Doll (Lalka) (1969) |
| Recommended because this is a historical film set in Warsaw in 1872. Based on the novel by Boleslaw Prus. Story of love and the tragedy of unfulfilled desire and ambition. Wealthy, ambitious middle-aged merchant is overwhelmed by obsessive and destructive passion for Izabela Lecka, who is intrigued by his strong personality but cannot fully appreciate him. Directed by Wojciech Has (159 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail) or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $50. | |||
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| The Roman Catholic Church in Poland |
| Recommended because arguably, no European country has suffered more throughout its history than Poland. This program captures some of the intensity behind Catholic worship in Poland, where the Church has been one of the main factors in preserving a sense of Polish identity. Interviews with Solidarity activists recall the Church's struggle in the 1980s, in particular the martyrdom of the young Father Popielsku. The program also looks at the role of the Church in the political life of post-Communist Poland. (30 minutes, color). Available for purchase from Films for the Humanities for $90. |
| The Wedding (1973) |
| Recommended because it is based on a popular nationalistic play (one of the best known literary works in Poland) by Stanislaw Wyspianski about the wedding of a peasant's daughter to a poet around 1900. This movie is one of director A. Wajda's most important films where he was able to express all the ideas and emotions, judgement and love, hate and pride he felt about his country, Poland. A landmark in the Polish cinema (103 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail) or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $50. |
| With Fire and Sword (1999) |
| Recommended because this is a well-made historical drama which provides great insight into Polish history. With Fire and Sword is a film about great passions: love, hate, envy, and lust for power, shown against the backdrop of momentous historical events. In the mid-17th century, at the start of the film's action, Poland was arguably the largest, most democratic, most tolerant country in Europe. However, the tragic civil war brought about the gradual decline of the once glorious republic. Based on the trilogy by Nobel Prize winner Henryk Sienkiewicz (also in the same trilogy are Colonel Wolodyovsky and The Deluge. Directed by Jerzy Hoffman, this is a powerful movie and is highly recommended (182 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for free loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or order it by e-mail) or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $60. |
Last updated: 10 February 2007
| The Center for Slavic and East European Studies The Ohio State University 1712 Neil Ave. 303 Oxley Hall Columbus, OH 43210 Phone: (614) 292-8770 Fax: (614) 292-4273 Email: csees@osu.edu |