It is a palimpsest composed of overlapping layers: material, institutional, relational and temporal. Only when read together do they reveal that Polish cultural sites in Denmark are not isolated exceptions, but elements of a dispersed yet coherent history of the Polish presence.

The material layer: when plaster proves more durable than bronze

The easiest place to start is with what is visible and what one can ‘touch’ with one’s eyes. In the left aisle of the church in Helsingør hangs a triptych depicting the scene ‘Jacob with Laban’s Flock’ ( 1705), signed by the Lida-born painter Jan Szymon Lobaczyński. The upper section features a medallion depicting Jacob’s struggle with the angel, whilst the sides are flanked by landscapes with inscriptions. Traces of cracks, repairs and subsequent reinforcements are visible on the reverse and along the edges. This is the oldest precisely dated ‘Polish’ reference point on the Danish art map.

In Copenhagen, plaster also serves as a medium of remembrance. The Thorvaldsen Museum houses the models for the Warsaw monuments to Nicolaus Copernicus and Prince Józef Poniatowski. It was this second ‘mould’ that made it possible, after the Second World War, to reconstruct the Poniatowski monument, which had been blown up by the Germans in 1944. Although seemingly fragile, plaster can sometimes be more durable than bronze – it retains a shape that can be restored.

The material dimension of Polish cultural heritage extends even further. The Nationalmuseet houses medals by Adolf Ryszka ( ‘Happy Poland’), Bronisław Chromy ( “The Battle of Britain”), Józef Markiewicz ( “Chopin”), Ewa Olszewska-Borys ( “Bolesław Leśmian”) and Józef Stasiński ( “The Beautiful Gardener”), alongside Polish coins and other artefacts. At the Krigsmuseet ( formerly the Tøjhusmuseet), we find an infantry general’s shako from the first half of the 19th century, a private’s shako from the same period, eagles from 1918, several rifles identified as Polish, and a Polish -made submachine gun from 1963.

This category also includes architecture and glasswork: a ‘Polish-style’ coffered ceiling in St Brigid’s Church in Maribo, designed by Henrik Christopher Glahn, and the stained-glass window depicting St Hedwig of Silesia in Aakirkeby on Bornholm.

In this layer, the material – canvas, plaster, bronze, wood and glass – functions as a hard drive of memory.

The institutional layer: the museum and the church as memory machines

What objects tell us depends on the setting in which they are presented. The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek museum in Copenhagen places ‘Mother Denmark’ (1851), a painting by Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann ( 1819–1881), an artist born in Warsaw , at the centre of a narrative about 19th-century Danish identity. Displayed alongside it is her later work ‘The Mermaid’ ( 1873), whilst the biographical context rounds off the dialogue with sculptures by Jens Adolf Jerichau (1816–1883).

The Statens Museum for Kunst showcases other works by Jerichau-Baumann : ‘The Wounded Danish Warrior’ ( 1865), ‘The Valkyrie’ ( 1871), ‘The Greek Queen Olga’ (1868), ‘Egyptian Pottery Seller at Giza’ ( 1876–1878) – ranging from national history to Orientalism. The National Museum , meanwhile, organises three strands of this narrative: a collection of coins and medals (the aforementioned Polish works and coins), ethnography , featuring Krystyna Czyż’s Kraków nativity scene from 1964, and photographs documenting Polish-Danish experiences of the war and the post-war period.

Churches associated with the Polish diaspora also form part of the institutional landscape . In Nakskov , the Church of St Francis ( 1921, designed by H.C. Glahn) features Stations of the Cross by Karen Juncker (1924), a statue of St Francis by Aksel Theilmann and an altar dedicated to St Maximilian Kolbe. St Michael’s Church in Ringsø ( consecrated on 21 April 1930) was built by Polish volunteers, whilst in the aforementioned Maribo the architect designed a ‘Polish’-style coffered ceiling .

The museum explains, the church familiarises – both institutions shape memory.

Relational layer: a system of interconnected vessels

Knowledge, rituals and biographies circulate between Denmark and Poland. Thorvaldsen’s Copenhagen plaster models were used to create the post-war cast of the monument to Prince Józef Poniatowski in Warsaw – this is technology transfer in its purest form. The Kraków nativity scene finds its way into Danish visual education and begins to function within a different cultural calendar. The ‘Polish-style’ coffered ceiling in Maribo is not an exotic reference, but a means of recognition – a Polish migrant entering the church immediately ‘knows where they are’.

These connections also extend to work and the law . In Sakskøbing, the ‘Roepiger’ monument commemorates the ‘beet-picking Polish women’ , without whom the history of the Lolland-Falster islands would not exist. At the Mindelunden Cemetery in Ryvangen, near Copenhagen, the grave of Lucjan Masłoch and Lone Magensen-Masłoch ties together the themes of emigration, everyday life and the resistance movement. Contemporary photographs of same-sex Polish couples’ weddings at Copenhagen City Hall , meanwhile, add a new chapter: personal stories made possible by Danish law, when their home country says ‘no’.

This relational dimension is also evident in modern art . In Aalborg there is a spatial installation by Jerzy Jarnuszkiewicz ( 1919–2005) and a sculpture by Marian Bogusz ( 1920–1980). These are examples of Polish modernism embedded in the Danish landscape. In Hillerød, at Frederiksborg Castle , next to a miniature of Frederick Augustus I hangs a portrait of Stefan Czarniecki – yet another trace of the iconographic links between Polish and Danish historical memory.

The temporal dimension: a spring, not a line

The timeline runs from 1705 – that is, from Lobaczyński’s triptych in Helsingør – to the present day. The first climax is labour migration from around 1910–1930: Nakskov, Ringsø, Maribo – that is, parishes, rituals, and material signs of settling into a new place. The second high point is the post-war reconstructions: plaster models, measurements and know-how flow from the Thorvaldsen Museum to Warsaw, whilst gratitude and symbolic capital flow in the opposite direction. The 1960s and 1970s brought medals, a nativity scene and photo albums ; whilst the 21st century has seen weddings at Copenhagen City Hall and church restoration work .

There are also unresolved issues . The bronze bust of Hans Christian Andersen by Adolf Ryszka , added to the Copenhagen collection in the late 1960s, still does not appear in publicly accessible inventories. A single missing link can set off a whole chain of archival investigations.

Conclusion: a map that only works as a whole

Material without an institution would be a mute object; an institution without context – a warehouse; and context without time – a mere curiosity. It is only by bringing all these layers together that it becomes clear that Polish cultural heritage in Denmark is not merely a footnote to art history, but a living network of memory : Lobaczyński’s triptych in Helsingør, Jerichau-Baumann’s ‘Mother Denmark’ and ‘The Mermaid’ in Copenhagen, the plaster models of the Copernicus and Poniatowski monuments at the Thorvaldsen Museum, the medals by Ryszka, Chromy, Markiewicz, Olszewska-Borys and Stasiński, as well as Polish coins at the National Museum; the shako, the eagles from 1918, the rifles and the submachine gun from 1963 at the War Museum; a ‘Polish-style’ coffered ceiling in Maribo, the stained-glass window of St Hedwig of Silesia in Aakirkeby, the ‘Roepiger’ in Sakskøbing, the Masłoch family grave in Ryvangen, Jarnuszkiewicz’s structure and Bogusz’s sculpture in Aalborg, a miniature of Frederick Augustus I and a portrait of Czarniecki in Hillerød, and finally weddings at Copenhagen City Hall. From these scattered points, an atlas of connections across the Baltic Sea takes shape, one that remains open to new places, objects and stories.

Catalogue of Polish artefacts in Denmark

Paintings

Jan Szymon Lobaczyński
Triptych ‘Jacob with Laban’s Flock’
1705
Oil on canvas
192 x 104 cm
Signature: Johan Simon Lobaczynskj
Church in Helsingør, Helsingør (Denmark)

The three paintings forming the triptych are currently hung in the left aisle of the church, on the wall of the gallery which was altered during conservation work in the early 20th century. The central painting, depicting Jacob and Laban’s flocks gathered around a well, is dated 19 February 1705. The upper part features a banner bearing the name of the patron and a medallion depicting the scene of Jacob’s struggle with the angel. The biblical themes likely refer to the founder of the original gallery, Jakob Arentzen. The inscriptions on the banner and on the landscape paintings on either side are in German. The state of preservation is very poor; the boards are cracked vertically. Jan Szymon Lobaczyński came from Lida; he held citizenship of Helsingør from 1699, where he married and died in 1707.

Compiled by Andrzej Pieńkos

Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann
‘Mother of Denmark’
1851
Oil on canvas
149 x 119 cm
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen (Denmark)

This painting is one of the most important works by the artist, who was born in Warsaw and worked in Denmark. The allegorical figure holding the Dannebrog flag against a seascape backdrop combines Romantic pathos with a modern conception of national community. The work is one of the emblems of the museum’s collection and serves as a key element in the narrative of 19th-century Danish identity. The painting is signed and on display in the permanent gallery of Danish art.

Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann
‘The Mermaid’
1873
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen (Denmark)

A late work by the artist, representing a darker variation on one of her favourite motifs. The painting is part of a group of Jerichau-Baumann’s works on display at the Glyptotek in Copenhagen, alongside pieces relating to her biography and family background (including a portrait of her husband, the sculptor Jens Adolf Jerichau, juxtaposed with his sculptures).

Other works by Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann in Copenhagen

Jerichau-Baumann’s oeuvre is primarily showcased at the Statens Museum for Kunst ; its collection includes, amongst others, the paintings: ‘The Wounded Danish Warrior’ (1865), ‘The Valkyrie’ (1871), ‘The Greek Queen Olga’ (1868), and ‘An Egyptian Pottery Seller in Giza’ (1876–1878). These paintings demonstrate the breadth of the artist’s interests – ranging from historical and patriotic subjects to Orientalist works inspired by her travels to Turkey, Greece and Egypt.

Unknown artist
Miniature of Frederick Augustus I
Frederiksborg Castle, Hillerød (Denmark)

A miniature portrait of Frederick Augustus I is held in the collection of Frederiksborg Castle.

Further information: Frederick Augustus I – Frederiksborg

Sculpture

Bertel Thorvaldsen
A model of the Nicolaus Copernicus monument and a model of the Prince Józef Poniatowski monument
Plaster
Thorvaldsen Museum, Copenhagen (Denmark)

The Polish collection at the Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen consists primarily of original plaster models of Warsaw monuments by Bertel Thorvaldsen: Nicolaus Copernicus (model A113 and an earlier study, A858) and Prince Józef Poniatowski (model A123). It was on the basis of the model preserved in Copenhagen that the Poniatowski monument was recast after 1945 and presented to Poland as a gift from Denmark. It was first erected next to the Orangery in Łazienki Park, and since 1964 it has stood in front of the Presidential Palace. These objects are an important testament to the reconstruction of Warsaw’s monuments following the destruction of the war. The museum’s collection also includes documentation and correspondence relating to the Warsaw commissions, including letters from Stanisław Grabowski and Jakub Tatarkiewicz, which allow us to trace the process of the works’ creation and their subsequent fate.

Adolf Ryszka
Bust of Hans Christian Andersen
1968
Bronze

It was brought to Denmark in 1968 and added to the Brøste Collection. The bust is one of four studies of Hans Christian Andersen created by Adolf Ryszka. It does not currently appear in any Danish museum catalogues, and its current location remains unknown.

Church architecture and furnishings

St Francis’ Church
Architect: Henrik Christopher Glahn
1921
Nakskov (Denmark)

Designed by Henrik Christopher Glahn, built in 1921. The church houses paintings of the Stations of the Cross by Karen Juncker from 1924, a statue of St Francis of Assisi by Aksel Theilmann, and an altar dedicated to St Maximilian Kolbe.

Further information: St Francis’ Church in Nakskov

St Michael’s Church
Late 1920s and early 1930s
Ringsø near Pindstrup (Denmark)

The church was built thanks to Polish volunteers. It is one of the most significant reminders of the presence of Polish economic migrants in Denmark during the interwar period.

Further information: St Michael’s Church in Ringsø near Pindstrup

The coffered ceiling in St Brigid’s Church
Architect: Henrik Christopher Glahn
Maribo (Denmark)

Henrik Christopher Glahn designed the coffered ceiling, probably commissioned by Father Edward Ortved, modelled on the ceilings of Polish churches, including those in Nowy Sącz and Krużlowa Wyżna. This feature was intended to help Polish immigrants feel a sense of their home churches.

Further information: St Brigid’s Church in Maribo

Museum and archival collections

Polish collections at the National Museum of Denmark
Nationalmuseet, Copenhagen (Denmark)

The collection relating to Poland consists primarily of photographs and selected artefacts. The digital collection ( available online ) includes materials relating to material culture, ethnography, numismatics and medallic art, as well as photographs documenting migration, the memory of the Second World War and the post-war period.

The core of the collection consists of the holdings of the Den Kongelige Mønt- og Medaillesamling ( KMM), archival and ethnographic materials (DNT), and items from the Museum of the Resistance Movement (FHM). The medal section features both Polish coins and works by Polish artists, including Adolf Ryszka and Bronisław Chromy.

The ‘Modern Times in Denmark’ collection comprises several dozen photographs, postcards, maps and other items showcasing Polish folk culture and views of Poland. Information on the items is available online.

The collection of Polish coins – ranging from early modern denominations, such as the 3 grosz coin from 1586, to finds recorded in Denmark, for example a solidus minted in Poland, and discovered in Øster Sundby, is housed in the Royal Coin and Medal Collection (Den Kongelige Mønt- og Medaillesamling) . It comprises over 600 items.

The same museum also houses contemporary medals:

• Adolf Ryszka, ‘Happy Poland’ ,
• Józef Markiewicz, ‘Chopin’ ,
• Bronisław Chromy, ‘The Battle of Britain’ ,
• Ewa Olszewska-Borys, ‘Bolesław Leśmian’ ,
• Józef Stasiński, ‘The Beautiful Gardener’ .

The collection of Polish artefacts at the Nationalmuseet lacks a cohesive character. In the ethnographic section, a special place is occupied by the Kraków nativity scene – a work by Krystyna Czyż from 1964.

The image of Poland from the interwar and post-war years is captured in hand-coloured slides from the V. Richter – ranging from a map of the Second Polish Republic featuring the ‘Polish Corridor’ to views of Wawel and cities such as Gdańsk, Toruń and Kraków. This is a set of slides (circa 1920s–1930s to 1950).

Material culture is also represented by postcards depicting Toruń gingerbread, i.e. miniature ‘catalogues of forms’ from the mid-1960s, which introduce the Polish theme of confectionery craftsmanship into the Danish collection (including a carriage, trumpeters). These are small but significant carriers of iconography and the memory of place.

Of particular importance to the history of emigration is the photographic record of the Polish community in Denmark: a scene from a celebration organised by the Union of Polish Workers in Denmark in front of St Brigid’s Church in Maribo (1926) documents the institutionalisation of the Polish presence and its symbolism (banners of local branches). This is one of the key testimonies to the Polish diaspora on the Danish islands.

The narrative is rounded off by a layer focusing on post-war memory and Polish-Danish relations: a photo album from a ‘memory journey’ to Poland (wreath-laying in Warsaw, a visit to Auschwitz) brings together images featuring the then director of the Frihedsmuseet, Aage Roussel, linking Polish sites of remembrance with Danish culture of commemoration.

Together, these collections present Poland as a close neighbour in memory: a country present in Danish visual education, festive traditions, crafts, currency circulation and medal art, as well as in the history of migration and practices of war remembrance.

Polish Collection at Tøjhusmuseet ( formerly the Danish War Museum – Krigsmuseet)
Tøjhusmuseet, Copenhagen (Denmark)

Tøjhusmuseet is also a branch of the Nationalmuseet in Copenhagen. It is housed in King Christian IV’s Renaissance arsenal on Slotsholmen (Tøjhuset), built between 1593 and 1604.

• An infantry general’s shako (Poland), c. 1810–1840 – black silk plush; low-crowned. The crown, peak and collar are made of black leather; the edges of the peak and collar are trimmed with dense silver embroidery. The cord is braided from silver and green cord, featuring rosettes and tassels. Around the crown is a wide black cloth band with oak leaf embroidery. On the front, a yellow metal plate featuring a crowned eagle in a wreath; floral ornamentation on the sides. Above, a brass ferrule for a plume (feathers missing).
• A private’s shako (country of origin unknown; possibly Poland/Italy/Switzerland), circa 1810–1830 – black felt; crown and visor made of leather. A scale-patterned chin strap of yellow metal. Red woollen pompom. At the front, a yellow sheet metal buckle securing a painted bow (dark blue with a black centre); below, a yellow metal plate with a motif of laurel leaves and volutes; in the centre, the number ‘1’ in white metal.
• Cap insignia (three examples), 1918 – the so-called ‘eagles’: a crowned Polish eagle in white metal, with a pin fastening on the reverse; attributed to the 1918 uprising formations.
• Four shotguns identified as originating from Poland ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 )
• Machine gun manufactured in Poland in 1963.

Photographic collection on Poland at the Frihedsmuseet
Frihedsmuseet (a branch of the Nationalmuseet), Copenhagen (Denmark)

The museum’s collection includes over 900 photographs relating to Poland, covering the period from the Second World War to the end of the 20th century. A significant part consists of materials documenting wartime memories and Polish-Danish relations.

Polish material in the collections of the Royal Danish Geographical Society
Det Kongelige Danske Geografiske Selskab (a branch of the Nationalmuseet), Copenhagen (Denmark)

The collection comprises over 600 photographs and postcards depicting views of Poland, dating from the interwar period to the 1970s. This material documents the Polish landscape, architecture and visual culture.

Photographs relating to Poland in the Copenhagen Archives
The Copenhagen Archives, Copenhagen (Denmark)

The Copenhagen Archives hold a collection of photographs related to Poland. The collection includes three photographs from 2021 depicting the wedding of Weronika and Agata . The photographs were donated as part of an archival collection of photographs and stories of LGBTI+ weddings dating from 1989.

Articles on other Polish cultural sites in Denmark

Jerzy Jarnuszkiewicz’s spatial installation in Aalborg

The gravestones of Anna and Lucjan Masłoch at Mindelunden and Ryvangen Cemeteries in Copenhagen

St Brigid’s Church in Maribo

The Church of the Holy Cross in Nykøbing Falster

Monument to Polish airmen in Slaglille

Monument to Polish airmen shot down in 1943

The Roepiger Monument – ‘the Polish beetroot women’ in Sakskøbing

Portrait of Father Ernest Ch. Boldich in Helsingør

Portrait of Stefan Czarniecki at Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød

Sculpture of Marian Bogusz in Aalborg

Stained-glass window depicting St Hedwig of Silesia in Aakirkeby