On June 18 in Warsaw, the History Meeting House (Dom Spotkan z Historia) opened the captivating exhibit “Americans in Poland 1919-1947” that vividly documents the contributions of an eclectic mix of unassuming Americans – officials, volunteers, and unsung heroes – who lived and served in Poland during the interwar period, World War II, and its immediate aftermath. Stunningly curated by the History Meeting House, the Polish entrepreneur Jan-Roman Potocki (whose family was close to the first American ministers and ambassadors to Poland), and the American historian and author Vivian Hux Reed, the exhibit displays never-before-seen photos and materials from Americans who lived and worked in interwar Poland during the beginning of the Second Polish Republic and who were inspired to give back to Poland what Generals Kosciuszko and Pulaski had given to America – help to a freedom-loving nation struggling for its self-determination from imperial control. One of the objects on display is the actual seal from the United States Embassy that the then-U.S. Ambassador to Poland Anthony Drexel Biddle Jr. took with him when he fled Poland after the invasion by Nazi Germany and he continued as U.S. Ambassador to the Polish government-in-exile that had fled to France in 1940. Appearing and speaking at the exhibit’s opening was his son, Anthony Drexel Biddle III. “My father loved Poland, the Polish people, and their indomitable spirit of freedom” Biddle stated, highlight that “the bonds that united our countries, which go back several centuries, are as alive as ever.” The exhibit is located at the History Meeting House, address ul. Karowa 20, runs through October 6th 2019, and admission is free. The exhibit was prepared in cooperation with and sponsored by the American Center Warsaw. You don’t want to miss it! For more information click here.
