At the height of his career, Paganini was asked who was the best violin player of them all. “I don’t know who’s the best,” he answered…
How the Poles Fought for Their Country
80 years ago, our neighbors decided to change the course of Polish history. The Nazis invaded us from the West and the Soviets from the East….
Why the Poles are So Sensitive about World War II
The Poles lived through hell. WW ll started in our country. The hordes of invaders rolled over our land back and forth many times. Comparing them…
Dark times, Coming Home
Those were the dreadful times. They were trying times. Polish people were put in the positions, where there were no viable solutions. Any bad choice, and…
Dark times, Trip to Auschwitz
There were the worst of times for my family, my country and the world. Two terrible powers, on their insane way to dominate, crushed everything and…
Growing up under the Communism in Poland
In 1953, March 6th happened on Friday. When I came to the class in the morning, I saw my third-grade teacher sitting at her desk, head…
Why?
Czesława Kwoka was 14 years old. On the arrival, they tattooed number 26947 on her left forearm. Then they took her picture. Not before the guard…
Our Dreams after Fifty Years, A Reunion
I just came back from Warsaw. My old Alma Mater honored us with the repeat of our graduation ceremony, from fifty-years back. Fifty years! I could…
“Loss of Innocence,” new in my series of Polish War Stories
Let’s imagine. Imagine yourself as a sixteen-year-old girl coming from a small village on the outskirts of Warsaw to the big metropolis. You overflow with hope…