Pilsudski Institute Blog

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Edward Rydz-Smigły an Artist

Few are aware that Edward Rydz-Smigly, the last Marshal of pre-war Poland, was also an artist. During his internment in Romania, following the outbreak of World War II, Rydz-Smigly created eight paintings that are now part of the Pilsudski Institute's collection. The paintings, generously donated by Mr. Stanisław Krzeczkowski, are a testament to the multifaceted nature of this complex historical figure.

Martwa Natura by Edward Rydz-Smigły, 1939r.

One of the paintings, a vibrant watercolor still life - "Martwa natura," captures the eye with its patterned and exotic fabric, a green vase resting on a chair, and a light glove negligently left on the same chair. The frames of other artworks, visible in the background, suggest that Rydz-Smigly painted his own artistic studio. Interestingly, artistic work proved to be the most effective psychological therapy for Rydz-Smigly during his internment, providing him with a sense of creative release in a time of turmoil.

Read more: Edward Rydz-Smigły an Artist

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Captain Tadeusz Terlecki

The Polish Legions, formed in August 1914, are inseparably associated with Józef Piłsudski and other notable commanders such as as Kazimierz Sosnkowski, Józef Haller, Bolesław Roja, and Zygmunt Zieliński. However, the Legions were not just those famous names, but also less well-known soldiers who, through their actions, contributed equally honorably to our homeland. Memorabilia from some of the soldiers are part of the Institute’s collection.

Postal card written by captain Tadeusz Terlecki to his family

The collection of Captain Tadeusz Terlecki, a soldier of the Polish Legions, was donated to the Institute in 1989 by Maria Ustrzycka-Sikorska. Beautiful and moving postcards written by Captain Terlecki from the Legions to his wife (Helena Sikorska) and children are part of the collection. As Captain Terlecki wrote, there was no letter paper in the Legions, so his military colleague, Jan Burlas, decorated plain paper with picturesque plant motifs - sketches of flowering holly, thyme, and iris. Interestingly, a portrait of Captain Terlecki himself by one of his fellow soldiers has also been preserved.

Polish secret intelligence unit in New York during the WWII

The archives of the Józef Piłsudski Institute hide many secrets, and although all the collections are now widely available and anyone interested in history has access to the documents that was not always the case. In the past, some of the documents were secretly kept.

Marian Chodacki at the Polish Legions 1915, from the Pilsudski Institute Archives

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The founders of the Pilsudski Institute

The whirlwind of World War II displaced major Henryk Floyar-Rajchman, colonel Ignacy Matuszewski, Wacław Jędrzejewicz and swirled them around all the way to the New World. In the interwar Poland they were members of intellectual and political elite, holding ministerial positions in the government, their lives had changed after arrival in America. They shared the humble destinies of countless other immigrants, all striving to carve out new lives in a foreign land. After successfully completing a risky mission to transport Polish gold to the West and embarking on a two-year odyssey across Europe, they finally arrived in New York City in 1941.

The founders of the Pilsudski Institute of America is San Francisco 1945.

In an effort to safeguard valuable historical documents brought from Poland and tirelessly seek American support and interest in Polish affairs, in 1943, they established the Józef Piłsudski Institute in America.

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Marshal Pilsudski's Collection

A large painting by Wojciech Kossak (1856-1942) - Pilsudski on Horseback, is one of the most recognized artpieces of the Institute's collection. Kossak is a leading representative of the historical style in art. One of the most famous portraits of Józef Piłsudski was painted in 1928. It depicts Marshal on his famous horse - Chestnut. Piłsudski is located centrally, in the foreground, there are three officers of the cavalry corps in caps, with symbolic colors of the rims: magenta, white and yellow. The scene takes place at the edge of a pine forest. The artist painted several very similar portraits of Piłsudski on horseback. One of them from 1928 can be seen at the National Museum in Warsaw, while another from 1933, is kept at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the Vatican. thumb 800 Pilsudski on Horseback, Wojciech Kossak

Kossak wanted to pay tribute to Marshal Pilsudski, one of the most influential persons in the history of Poland, the one who changed the future of the nation in 1918. At that time, Piłsudski was already 61 and was already seriously ill. It was a time when Pilsudski could be proud of himself - after a long battle, Poland regained its independence.

At the Institute's online collection, one can research documents about the life, military and political activity of Marshal Pilsudski. Additionally, documents about the fight for Polish borders 1919-1921, are also availiable. From the completely digitized collection of the Adjutantura General of the Commander-in-Chief (1918-1922), as well as from the files of the Chief of General Staff of the Polish Army, Gen. Tadeusz Rozwadowski, the researchers can learn more about the of Battle of Warsaw of 1920.

Gen. Ander's Army

thumb Gen Anders w szpitalu Iran 1942 Gen. Anders in hospital in Teheran 1942

The Polish Armed Forces in the USSR, known as the Anders Army, was established in Soviet Russia in 1941. The Army struggled from the very beginning with many organizational difficulties: insufficient supplies, lack of uniforms and hostility of the Soviet authorities. Gen. Anders made every effort to save as many Polish citizens as possible, not only the soldiers from the NKVD's investigative prisons and Gulag camps in Soviet Russia, but also Polish civilians, including orphans. The Army took care of the children, who lost their parents in that troubled time in Soviet Russia. In March 1942, the General obtained permission from Stalin to evacuate the Army from the USSR - 77,000 soldiers and 43,000 civilians left the country.

The collection of the Pilsudski Institute in America contains many interesting materials about General Władysław Anders himself (collection no.113) and the Army. The collection includes recordings of people deported to the USSR in 1940/41, saved thanks to joining the Army (collection no.29). The archives of Jan Erdman, an employee of the Polish embassy in Kujbyshev, contain letters and poetry from Siberians. On the Institute's YouTube channel you can see 12 recorded memories of Siberians who settled in the USA after World War II.

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The story of Capitan William Gawroński

thumb Gawronski800 Capital William Gawronski In 1928, William Gawroński, a 17-year-old boy from New York’s East Side, swam the Hudson river to stowaway on a ship departing for the South Pole. That was a period of fascinating geographic expeditions, and the whole of America was watching Richard Byrd’s first American expedition to Antarctica.

Bill Gawroński and his parents were Polish-Americans, the parishioners of the oldest Polish Parish in New York - Saint Stanislaus the Martyr. Bill was a fabulous swimmer, part of the group called the Polish Falcons. His dream was to become an explorer and when it was announced Byrd was going to be leading the first American expedition to Antarctica, he became obsessed with the idea to join. Due to his extranoriday swimming abilities he was able to swim through the Hudson to board The City of New York docked in New Jersey. Bill always wore a golden medallion of the Immaculate Conception, given by his grandmother. He had the medallion during his famous swim of the Hudson River and the Antarctic expedition.

What was the fate of our hero after the expedition? Billy wanted to be an explorer, but due to the economic crisis in America and then the outbreak of World War II, he had to look for permanent employment. During the war he was the captain of the so-called Liberty Ships, American cargo transporters, crossing the Atlantic under the constant threat of German submarines. After the war, he worked for the American navy.When he retired, he settled in Maine, where he ran an antiques shop with his wife, Gizela. After Bill's death, Gizela donated his documents, including a telegram from the Antarctic expedition, photos and the Immaculate Conception medallion to the Institute: Collection No. 76.

We also recommend a book by an American journalist: Laurie Gwen Shapiro: The Stowaway: A Young Man's Extraordinary Adventure to Antarctica (Simon & Schuster), 2018.