May we celebrate Polish Constitution Day, 1791

Poland’s 3rd of May Constitution Day – A Celebration of Democracy and National Identity! On Wednesday, 30 April, the Polish Embassy in Wellington hosted a National Day reception at the New Zealand Parliament to celebrate 234 years of Poland’s Constitution of 3 May 1791, the first modern written constitution in Europe and the second in…

Emilia Hammerton, Sto Lat!

A sincere Sto Lat and congratulations to Pani Emilia née Szczecina Hammerton, whose family and friends never sang truer words at her 100th birthday party yesterday. She was born on 30 May 1924, in Sudół, Poland, and was 15 when occupying German soldiers captured her, and others – including her future first husband Józef Cyckoma…

Monte Cassino

Eighty years ago today, 18 May 1944, at 10.20am, the Polish flag flew over the ruins of the Benedictine monastery on top of Monte Cassino. The ruins had loomed over the soldiers of the Second Polish Corps in Italy, led by Lieutenant-General Władysław Anders, since they entered the fray surrounding Monte Cassino—the main stronghold of…

Malwina Zofia (Wisia) Schwieters (Polish)

(15 II 1931 – 6 II 2022) Historia życia – w skrócie Autor: Jacek Drecki Malwina Zofia (Wisia) Schwieters (z domu Rubisz), urodziła się 15 lutego 1931 roku w Sokołowie, w powiecie rzeszowskim, województwo lwowskie. Do wybuchu II Wojny Światowej, wraz z rodzicami, Zygmuntem i Anną oraz młodszym bratem Ignacym, mieszkała w Nisku, a następnie…

Malwina Zofia (Wisia) Schweiters (English)

(February 15, 1931 – February 6, 2022) An insight into the life of a proud Polish woman. by Jacek Drecki Malwina Zofia (Wisia) Schwieters (née Rubisz) was born on 15 February 1931 in Sokołów, Rzeszów county, Lwów province, in southern Poland. Prior to World War II, she lived with her parents, Zygmunt and Anna, and…

Anna Zazulak Aitken

SIBERIAN EXILES CROSS by Kelly Mills and Emma Conroy Our nana, Anna Aitken (nee Zazulak), one of the Polish children of Pahiatua and one of five sisters, came to New Zealand in 1944 and made New Zealand her home. Sadly, she had passed away before the Siberian Cross was made available and therefore could not…