As early as the 18th century, there were Poles active in Berlin who left their mark on German culture and economy. Teodor Lubieniecki became rector of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, and Daniel Chodowiecki became vice-rector of this institution and a leading book illustrator. Julian Fałat and Wojciech Kossak were imperial painters. Jan Gockowski, an industrialist and philanthropist, developed the production of silk and porcelain, and his art collections found their way to the Hermitage. The Polish aristocracy also played a role in the life of Berlin: Antoni Radziwill was governor of the Grand Duchy of Posen and a composer, while his son Frederick was a general. Bogdan Hutten-Czapski, burgrave of the castle in Poznan, was an adviser to Emperor William II.

In the 19th century, Berlin was already a centre of science and politics. Polish youths came to Berlin; Alexander Brückner, among others, studied here and taught here for 40 years. Berlin also became the scene of Polish political life. From 1848 onwards, Poles had representatives in the Prussian parliament, and after 1871 also in the Reichstag. With the development of industry, especially after 1870, there was a massive influx of Polish workers from Greater Poland, Pomerania and Silesia. Berlin and its suburbs (Charlottenburg, Moabit, Neukölln, etc.) were becoming places of work and residence for thousands of Poles. According to the "Deutsche Zeitung" of 1905. Berlin was "the second Polish city after Warsaw".

Hundreds of organisations were formed: religious, professional, women's, educational. In 1891, the Polish-Catholic Workers' Society was founded, in 1896 the "Skarbona" bank, and in 1897 the "Dziennik Berlinski" started to come out. Poles fought for Polish services, schools and youth organisations. Before the First World War, Poles in Berlin felt themselves to be loyal citizens of Prussia without rejecting their Polish identity.

After 1918, Berlin's Polish community did not disappear, but grew stronger. The National Committee of Poles was established (1919), social and cultural organisations were reactivated, scouting developed, and schools were founded. In 1922 two central institutions were established: The Union of Poles in Germany and the Union of Polish School Societies. Their leader was Jan Baczewski, who led the issuing of the 1928 School Ordinance allowing the opening of private Polish schools.

The Polish House at Dresdener Str. 52 became the centre of national life and the "Unia" bank supported education, among other things. In 1938, there were plans to establish a six-classroom school at Marianenplatz, but the project was interrupted by the political situation. After Hitler came to power, Poles were systematically repressed: organisations were closed down, property seized and leaders sent to concentration camps. As early as 17 August 1939, the Gestapo seized the building of the Union of Poles and its activists were deported. During the war, Poles acted in conspiracy, organised masses and helped each other.

The 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin were a unique event, both sporting and political. For Poland, it was one of the most numerous and ambitious performances of the interwar period. The Polish team comprised 144 athletes (133 men and 11 women), who took part in a fairly wide range of disciplines - from athletics, boxing, fencing, equestrianism to rowing and sailing. The Poles won 1 silver and 5 bronze medals ( read an article about the participation of Polish athletes )

After 1945, Berlin's Polish community was divided by the Cold War. In East Berlin there were structures controlled by the Polish People's Republic, and in West Berlin there were independent initiatives: The Polish Catholic Mission, the Polish House on Lilienthalstraße, the scouting movement.

Since the 1990s, and especially after 2004, a new chapter has taken place: an influx of emigrants from Poland, artists, students, professionals. Berlin became an artistic centre, where artists such as Karol Radziszewski, Adam Szymczyk and Jagna Anderson were active. Initiatives such as the "Polenbegeisterungswelle", the Żak | Branicka galleries, the Queer Archives Institute or Polish festivals and urban projects were important.

Today, Polish culture in Berlin is not limited to the walls of institutions. It is present in street art, the Internet, podcasts and artist residencies. The place of Polishness in Berlin has gone from silence to a visible presence in the cityscape.

The contemporary Polish community in Berlin is a multi-layered diaspora: from the descendants of pre-war workers, to post-war emigrants, to contemporary professionals. The history of Poles in Berlin is at the same time the history of Central and Eastern Europe, which has changed its centre of gravity over more than two centuries - but has always found a place for the Polish voice there. Spaces such as the former Żak | Branicka gallery or the Polish Institute in Berlin were and remain important points. A phenomenon worth highlighting in particular is the musical presence - especially represented by artists such as Toony, whose rap combines German rhythms with Polish phrases and nostalgia for his parents' homeland
.

Old Polish traces in Berlin
St Jadwiga Cathedral
Bebelplatz
This is not only Berlin's central Catholic church, but also a place marked by Polish history. Its patron saint, St. Hedwig, was a Piast, and the church was consecrated in 1773 by Bishop Ignacy Krasicki. John Paul II donated a symbolic statue of St Peter here. After renovation of the interior, it will once again be possible to admire this temple, which combines the spirit of Catholic Berlin with the Polish presence in Prussia.

2. Daniel Chodowiecki's grave in the French cemetery (Französischer Friedhof) -
. Chausseestraße 127

This is the resting place of Daniel Chodowiecki, an artist with Danzig roots who spent his entire adult life in Berlin. His contribution to the Berlin Academy of Arts and book illustration was enormous. Chodowiecki's works can be found in the Stadtmuseum and Kupferstichkabinett, among others.
Berlin is also home to Chodowiecki Street
.

3rd Cemetery of the Victims of the March Revolution
Ernst-Zinna-Weg 1
Gustaw L ensky, a Pole who took part in the March Revolution in Berlin, is buried in this historic cemetery and has found his eternal rest here.

4. Friedrichstraße - Memorial plaques to Lensky and Bojanowski
Friedrichstraße 62 and 114
These memorial plaques commemorate two Poles, Gustav Lensky and Eugen Bojanowski , who took part in the Berlin March Revolution of 1848. Lensky was mortally wounded on Friedrichstraße 62. The plaques were unveiled in 1998 as a symbol of German-Polish revolutionary solidarity.

5. the Rosa Luxemburg Memorial on the Landwehrkanal
. Katharina-Heinroth-Ufer, at the Lichtensteinbrücke bridge

Walking along the Landwehrkanal, you will come across a symbolic place - the inscription "Rosa Luxemburg" blended into the paving of the promenade. It was here that the body of Rosa Luxemburg, a revolutionary and thinker with Polish-Jewish roots born in Zamość, who was murdered by the Freikorps, was dumped in January 1919.

6th Gravestone of Rosa Luxemburg in the Friedrichsfelde cemetery
Gudrunstraße 20
Friedrichsfelde Cemetery, and within it the "Sozialistenfriedhof" - Socialist Cemetery. Here, alongside Karl Liebknecht and Wilhelm Pieck, lies Rosa Luxemburg. Her grave is a simple stone block with an inscription. A walk through the necropolis gives an insight into the history of the German left, but also the role that Polish activists played in it.

Read also a note about Berlin polonics related to Rosa Luxemburg in the catalogue of polonics -.

7th Gravestone of Alexander Brückner at Tempelhofer Parkfriedhof
Location: Gottlieb-Dunkel-Straße 26,
Aleksander Brückner (1856-1939) - an eminent Slavist, historian of literature, professor at the University of Berlin - taught for decades in the German capital, researching the roots of Polish language and culture. His original grave was located in this very cemetery, which will soon cease to exist as a necropolis and be transformed into a park.
In 2023, Professor Brückner's remains were brought back to Poland and laid to rest in the Alley of the Deserving at the Rakowicki Cemetery in Krakow - thanks to the commitment of the Berlin Polish community and Polish institutions. Although the grave has been exhumed, it is worth remembering this place as a point of remembrance and a symbol of the long-standing presence of Polish science in Berlin.

Read also a note on Aleksander Brückner's Berlin tombstone

. 8. sculpture by Maciej Szankowski on Kranoldplatz
Kranoldplatz, Neukölln district
Years of construction: 1982-1986
The discreet composition in grey marble bardiglio by Maciej Szankowski is an example of a subtle dialogue between sculpture and urban space. The juxtaposed forms of varying heights (up to 180 cm) create a place for reflection and detention. The work is characterised by a play of textures and the rhythm of forms, which are the artist's trademark. It is one of the few lasting realisations by a Polish sculptor in Germany.
Read also the note about Maciej Szankowski's sculpture

9th Sculpture 'We of the 20th Century' by Zbigniew Frączkiewicz in Berlin
Zbigniew Frączkiewicz's sculpture 'We from the 20th century' is located in the inner courtyard of the Albert Einstein High School in Berlin's Neukölln district. The work is part of the famous 'Iron People' series, begun in 1984, and was originally made in 1999 for the town of Greiz in Thuringia. In Berlin, the sculpture was unveiled on 9 May 2001.

The composition depicts multiplied silhouettes of figures cast in metal and connected by an oppressive iron plate, which sets it apart from the artist's earlier works. Resembling mechanised cyborgs, the figures epitomise the dehumanisation of modern civilisation. Their rusting surfaces symbolise transience and at the same time bring them closer to the human experience. Consistently using repetition of form as a means of expression, Frączkiewicz has created in this work a poignant metaphor of the human condition at the end of the 20th century.
Read also a note about Zbigniew Frączkiewicz's sculpture

10th "Row of Columns" by Karol Broniatowski
Albert-Einstein-Oberschule, Berlin-Neukölln
Year of establishment: 1992
An installation consisting of nine concrete columns (0.8-6.5 m high), operating with an economical, monumental language. Karol Broniatowski, known for his figurative human silhouettes, here reaches for a symbolic form - columns as signs of duration and sustaining values - setting them in an educational space open to reflection on memory and community.
Read also a note on the sculpture by Karol Broniatowskig o

11. the former and new premises of the Polish Embassy at Unter den Linden 70
Unter den Linden 70, 10117 Berlin
In the inter-war period, the embassy of the Republic of Poland was located here. The building witnessed numerous diplomatic talks, including those with Hitler in the final months of peace. The building was destroyed during the war and is today replaced by modern buildings.

World War II cemeteries and memorials

World War II-related cemeteries
Friedhof In den Kisseln (Spandau) cemetery
Pionierstraße 82-90
The Friedhof In den Kisseln cemetery in Berlin contains 5899 graves of World War I and World War II victims, including 75 Poles known by name and an unknown number of unidentified victims. The Polish graves are mainly located in plots 105 (forced labourers), 143 (Poles, Soviet citizens and Germans from the Spandau camps) and IV (victims of air raids). Some of the graves are marked with concrete plaques, often with errors. On the left side of the alley are the graves of victims of Nazi repression.
More information.

Pankow Cemetery XII
Heinrich-Mann-Straße 29
The cemetery contains about 1,600 graves of victims of World War I and World War II, including one mass grave. The quarters of the victims of the Second War (Nos. 1 and 3) are located near the entrance, to the left of the main avenue.

More than 140 Polish citizens are buried here - soldiers who died in lazarettes until 1946, forced labourers, civilian victims of bombing and members of the anti-aircraft defence. The graves are marked with slanted slabs with name, surname, dates of birth and death and duration of the war.

3rd Berlin Altglienicke City Cemetery (Treptow-Köpenick)\n
Schönefelder Chaussee 100
In the cemetery, in the U2 section, there is a mass grave with the ashes of more than 1,300 Nazi victims, mainly from 1940-1943. Those murdered in concentration camps (KL Sachsenhausen, KL Buchenwald, KL Dachau), victims of executions in the Berlin-Plötzensee prison and people killed in Nazi extermination centres (Hartheim, Bernburg, Grafeneck, Brandenburg, Hadamar) were buried here.
More than 440 of the victims were Polish citizens, including 18 Polish Catholic priests. Initially, the site was marked with a modest stone from the 1970s. In 2018 it was decided to commemorate the victims with dignity, and on 27 September 2021 a new memorial site was opened with a monument by Katharina Struber and Klaus Gruber. Its centrepiece is a green glass wall with the handwritten names of the victims.
Read more

4th Marzahn Cemetery
Wiesenburger Weg 10
Thousands of victims of Nazism and the Second World War are buried in Berlin's Marzahn municipal cemetery. Since the 1950s, a number of memorials to different groups of victims have been erected here. These include a memorial to the victims of bombing (3330 people), a Memorial Stone to the victims of fascism (in memory of those executed in Plötzensee prison), a sculpture dedicated to the forced labourers and a plaque commemorating 20 young Polish women from Lodz who died in an air raid in 1943. At least 1400 forced labourers are buried in the cemetery, including more than 370 Poles and about 100 children. German Sinti and Roma, Soviet soldiers and victims of Stalinism are also commemorated here.

Other cemeteries with Polish graves in and around Berlin
Cemeteries in Berlin
1. Alter Berliner Friedhof der Garnisonkirche 1722 (Old Berlin Cemetery of the Garrison Church 1722)
Kleine Rosenthaler Straße 3, Berlin
- Grave of Sonia Horn (AK) and NN soldier of the Polish Army
2. Alter Friedhof der Sankt Michael Gemeinde (Old Cemetery of St. Michael Parish)
Hermannstraße 191, Berlin
- 26 Polish war graves (quaternary IV)
- grave of Karl Loeckell
3. Berlin War Cemetery (British War Cemetery 1939-1945)
Heerstraße 139, Berlin
- 5 graves of Polish airmen of the Polish Air Force (quarters J)
4. Evangelische Friedhof Nikolassee (Evangelical Nikolassee Cemetery)
Kirchweg 18-20, Berlin
- 1 grave of an unknown war victim
5. Evangelischer Kirchhof St. Andreas/St. Markus (Evangelical Cemetery of St. Andreas and St. Mark)
Konrad-Wolf-Straße 33-34, Berlin
- 13 Polish war graves
Friedhof Baumschulenweg (Trzebiatow Cemetery)
Kiefholzstraße 221-222, Berlin
- 145 forced labourer graves (53 marked)
- 372 graves of Sachsenhausen concentration camp prisoners
7. Friedhof Biesdorf (Bisonice Cemetery)
Biesdorfer Friedhofsweg 10, Berlin
- 4 graves of victims of war and tyranny
8. Friedhof Buch XII (Book Cemetery XII)
Schwanebecker Chaussee 54, Berlin
- 139 graves of forced labourers
9. Friedhof der Evangelische Sankt Laurentius Stadtkirchengemeinde Köpenick
Rudower Straße 23, Berlin
- 17 graves of war victims (K2 quarters)
10. Friedhof der Sankt Thomas Gemeinde (Cemetery of St. Thomas Parish)
Hermannstraße 179-185, Berlin
- 37 Polish war graves
11. Friedhof Pankow V (Cemetery of Pankow V)
Germanenstraße 1, Berlin
- 2 undiscovered graves of Polish heroes
12. Friedhof Rummelsburg (Miastko cemetery)
Rummelsburger Straße 71-73, Berlin
- 31 graves of victims of war and tyranny
13. Friedhof Sankt Hedwig (St. Hedwig's 4th Catholic Cemetery)
Konrad-Wolf-Straße 30-31, Berlin
- 243 graves of forced labourers (including 57 children)
14. Jüdischer Friedhof Weißensee (White Lake Jewish Cemetery)
Herbert-Baum-Straße 31, Berlin
- 3 undiscovered graves of civilian victims
15. Sankt Sebastian Friedhof (St. Sebastian Cemetery)
Humboldtstraße 68-73, Berlin
- 33 graves of forced labourers
16 Tempelhofer Parkfriedhof (Tempelhofer Manor Park Cemetery)
Gottlieb-Dunkel-Straße 26, Berlin
- 58 war graves (q.v. 36, 37)
- grave of Alexander Brückner
17. Waldfriedhof Grünau (Błonie Zielona Forest Cemetery)
Rabindranath-Tagore-Straße 18-20, Berlin
- 1 grave of a war victim
18. Waldfriedhof Oberschöneweide (Forest Cemetery Upper Büneweide)
Verlängerte Rathenaustraße 131a, Berlin
- 6 graves of Polish victims of war and tyranny

Cemeteries near Berlin
1. Friedhof Goethestraße in Potsdam
Goethestraße 12, Potsdam
- 28 graves of forced labourers
2. Friedhof in Velten (Feltym)
Kochstraße, Velten
- 100-150 graves (of various nationalities, including Poles)
3. Friedhof Königs Wusterhausen (Königs Wusterhausen)
Potsdamer Straße 8, Königs Wusterhausen
- 15 forced labourer graves (not found)
Friedhof Kremmener Straße in Falkensee (Sokolowo)
Kremmener Straße 18, Falkensee
- 19 graves, including 1 KL prisoner
Friedhof Mühlenbeck (Windmill District)
Schönfließer Straße 10, Mühlenbeck
- 9 graves of children and adult workers
Friedhof in Teltow (Tełtów)
Weinbergsweg 1, Teltow
- 14 graves of forced labourers
7. Hauptfriedhof Hennigsdorf (Henningcice Main Forest Cemetery)
Parkstraße 62A, Hennigsdorf
- 21 forced labourer graves (q.5)
8. Katholischer Friedhof Charlottenburg bei Staaken
Ausbau, Dallgow-Döberitz
- 2 forced labourer graves
9. Landeseigener Friedhof Güterfelde (Jutrogoszcz)
Potsdamer Damm 11a-c, Güterfelde
- 502 graves of Sachsenhausen concentration camp prisoners (including 109 Poles)
10. Neuer Friedhof in Bernau (New Cemetery in Bierniów)
Jahnstraße, Bernau
- 7 graves of war victims
11. Nauer Friedhof in Potsdam (New Cemetery in Potsdam)
Heinrich-Mann-Allee 25, Potsdam
- 21 graves of forced labourers, 13 bombing victims
12. Polnischer Ehrenfriedhof Hohen Neuendorf (Upper New Village)
Birkenwerder Straße, Hohen Neuendorf
- 11 LWP soldiers
13. Stadtfriedhof Oranienburg (Oranienburg Cemetery)
Dr.-Kurt-Schumacher-Straße 27, Oranienburg
- 36 Poles among 75 victims of KL Sachsenhausen
14. Südwestkirchhof Stahnsdorf
Bahnhofstraße 2, Stahnsdorf
- 20 graves of victims of war and tyranny
15. Wilmersdorfer Waldfriedhof Stahnsdorf
Alte Potsdamer Landstraße 96, Stahnsdorf
- 21 graves of Polish victims of war and tyranny
16. Waldfriedhof Wildau (Wilderness)
Am Friedhof 5, Wildau
- 44 graves (various nationalities, including Poles)

More detailed information can be found at www.polskiegroby.pl

1. memorial plaque to Polish women from Lodz
Grenzstraße 16
The plaque, founded by former forced labourer Bolesław Pajączkowski, commemorates the 20 Polish women killed in an air raid on 4 September 1943.

2nd Memorial to the Deported Jews of Berlin
Am Bahnhof Grunewald
The work of Karol Broniatowski - a wall with negatives of human silhouettes. A symbol of absence and deportation. Although dedicated to the Jews, among the victims were also Poles - deported, imprisoned, murdered.
Read the note about the Monument to the Deported Jews of Berlin in the catalogue of polonics

3rd Polish Soldier and German Antifascist Monument
Location: Volkspark Friedrichshain, Friedenstraße / Am Friedrichshain
. Unveiled in 1972, the monument commemorates soldiers of the Polish Army, German anti-fascists, forced labourers and victims of the occupation. An important point of symbolic presence of Poland in Berlin's memory.
Read a note about the Monument to Polish Soldiers and German Antifascists

4th Monument to the Polish Liberators of Berlin (TU Berlin)
. Location: Straße des 17. Juni 135, at the Technical University of Berlin
. Monument in the form of a banner from 2020, dedicated to the 1st Polish Army and the 1st Warsaw Infantry Division. A testimony to the Polish contribution to the conquest of Berlin.

5th Wismarer Straße - Column of Prisoners of the Berlin-Lichterfelde Sub-Camp
. Location: Wismarer Straße
Column and plaque from 2000-2001, commemorating the victims of the concentration sub-camp - including Poles.

6th Plötzensee Memorial (Gedenkstätte Plötzensee)
Location: Hüttigpfad 41
Execution site for more than 250 Poles. Exhibition documenting the fate of political prisoners from all over Europe.

7th Memorial in Hohen Neuendorf
Location: Karl-Marx-Straße 40, Hohen Neuendorf (north of Berlin)
Monument from 1978 commemorates the 1st Polish Army and the liberation of the area in 1945. Place of annual celebrations.

8. commemoration of Alfreda Markowska "Granny Nonci "
Location: Berlin-Mitte, vicinity of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (between the Brandenburg Gate and the Bundestag)
A plaque with a portrait of Alfreda Markowska, a Roma heroine from Poland, commemorates her heroic actions during World War II. "Grandmother Noncia" saved around 50 Roma and Jewish children from transports to the camps. In 2006, she was awarded the Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Rebirth of Poland. Her story was included in the commemoration of 20 prominent figures from around the world who defied the Holocaust and genocide.

Museums and galleries
The collections of Berlin's museums are a valuable source for research into the presence and reception of Polish art and culture in Germany. The extensive network of institutions grouped under the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (State Museums Berlin) collects not only works by outstanding Polish artists, but also numerous examples of Polish handicrafts, artefacts of popular culture, textiles or numismatic items. Much of these holdings can be found in the museum's digital catalogues, and their analysis makes it possible to reveal the multifaceted nature of cultural relations between Poland and Berlin over the centuries.

Although Polish art still does not occupy an exposed place in German museum collections, its traces are deeply rooted in the collections of Berlin's cultural institutions. From objects associated with the former monarchy and Sarmatian culture, through modern and avant-garde art to popular culture and the material heritage of the 20th century, the Polish presence in Germany's museums is diverse and significant.

Contemporary expression: Polish art after 1945
One of the most recognisable objects of Polish contemporary art in German collections is Magdalena Abakanowicz's sculpture from the 'Embryology' series (1980s). Her monumental fabric forms, confronting the viewer with corporeality and existential experience, continue to stir. This is an example of an innovative approach to sculpture, in which the medium becomes a tool for philosophical and biological reflection.

Standing out in modern art collections is a painting by Wojciech Fangor from 1964. - representing the Polish version of op-art, operating with light, colour and the illusion of movement. Next to it we can also find a work by Natalia LL , a precursor of feminist criticism in art, whose 'Consumer Art' ironically deconstructs the commercial and erotic image of the female body.

German collections also hold depictions of Polish monarchs. Noteworthy is a drawing by Johann Friedrich Bolt with a depiction of Stanisław August Poniatowski - the last king of Poland. There is also a rare wax portrait of Sigismund III Vasa , inspired by the Habsburg style and originating from the workshop of Antonio Abondio.

In the Museum of European Cultures we find a rich collection of artefacts related to everyday life in 20th-century Poland. Folk costume figurines, Cracovian nativity scenes , textiles and toys paint a picture of popular culture from the perspective of childhood, holidays and regional traditions. A peculiarity are the pharmacy bottles with Polish-Saxon heraldry , which come from the Royal Ironworks in Dresden - testimony to the personal union and economic integration between Poland and Saxony.

The Museum of Islamic Art houses the so-called "Polish carpets " , i.e. Persian carpets imported to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by the magnates of the 17th century. Although produced in Iran, they owe their name to their popularity at Polish courts and churches. Their presence in German collections is a testament to the historical contacts and oriental fascinations of the Polish nobility.

The Berlin Numismatic Cabinet has one of the largest collections of Polish coins outside Germany - comprising some 1,500 pieces from the time of Mieszko I to the 20th century. It includes denarii from the time of the first Piasts, thalers of Sigismund III, Saxon medal issues, as well as coins from the period of the Partitions.

In the field of 19th-century painting and printmaking, attention is drawn to Roman Kochanowski , a Polish landscape painter associated with the Munich School. His realistic and at the same time atmospheric depictions of nature are permeated with subtle national symbolism, fitting in with the romantic image of the homeland during the Partitions.

Some museum objects
1. Gemäldegalerie - Portrait of Barbara Jagiellonka
Location: Kulturforum, Matthäikirchplatz
At the heart of Berlin's Kulturforum awaits one of the most subtle, yet extremely important works for Polish-German dynastic relations: the portrait of Barbara Jagiellon , Duchess of Saxony, daughter of Casimir the Jagiellonian. Painted (or completed in the workshop) by Lucas Cranach the Elder, the posthumous portrait shows the duchess in elegant dress with fur trim and the characteristic mark of Cranach's workshop - a winged serpent. This painting was part of a series of portraits of princes, providing a visual testimony to the importance of the Jagiellonian dynasty in 16th century Europe.

2nd Bode-Museum - Representations of John III Sobieski
Location: Museumsinsel (Museum Island)
Just a few minutes' walk from the Gemäldegalerie, on the famous Museumsinsel, is the Bode-Museum - a mecca for sculpture and ancient art. This is where you will find the unique ivory bust of John III Sobieski , by Christoph Maucher. Shown wearing armour and a royal cloak, the king recalls the Polish victory at Vienna, which echoed throughout Europe. A surprising contrast to the Baroque bust is the colourful folk sculpture by Jan Madej (1978), showing King Sobieski defeating the Turks at Vienna. This work, from Mikluszowice, shows how the memory of the king has also survived in folk art of the 20th century.

3 Drawing "Funeral Ceremony of Maria Klementyna Sobieska "
. Located in the collection of the Art / Architecture Library of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin ,

4 Works by Józef Brandt in Kupferstichkabinett
Copperplate Cabinet (Kupferstichkabinett),
In the same complex as the Gemäldegalerie is the Copperplate Cabinet, with three works by Josef Brandt, the master of borderland painting, in its collection. The drawings and watercolours depict horsemen, borderlands and genre scenes from 17th-century Poland, in a characteristic style full of movement, drama and attention to detail.

Read also a note about Jozef Brandt's Berlin works in the catalogue of Polonica

. 5th German Historical Museum (Deutsches Historisches Museum)
Location: Unter den Linden 2
Here you can see as many as two Polonica :

• a painting from ca. 1700, depicting the relief of Vienna in 1683 with the participation of Jan III Sobieski,
• a work by Hans Mocznay (1977) commemorating the demonstration at Hambach Castle (1832) , which included slogans of solidarity with the Poles after the November Uprising.
• Graphics by Daniel Chodowiecki
• Numerous prints and documents including prints relating to the 1939 war effort and the occupation of Poland

6th Jewish Museum Berlin
Location: Lindenstraße 9-14
Lesser Ury, Portrait of Bronislaw Huberman, c. 1916
This pastel work depicts Bronislaw Huberman, a Polish violinist who gained worldwide fame as a child prodigy and became famous in the 1930s as the founder of the Palestine Symphony Orchestra. Thanks to his efforts, around a thousand Jewish musicians and their families were saved from the Holocaust.
Ury captures the artist in a poised pose - not just a portrait, but a testament to an era in which art and morality were becoming one.

7th Hamburger Bahnhof - Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart
Robert Kuśmirowski, 'Wagon' at As part of this installation Kuśmirowski created a replica of a freight wagon, reminiscent of those used to transport prisoners during World War II. Made of materials such as polystyrene foam and cardboard, the wagon was placed on a short stretch of track in the exhibition space, alluding to tragic historical events. Kuśmierowski's works have also been presented in temporary exhibitions: "Träumgutstrasse" at the Johnen Galerie (2015): the title of this installation is a fictional street name, which is a play on words combining, among others, "Traugutt" and the German "Träum gut" (sleep well). The work referred to the destroyed Czapski Palace in Warsaw, recreating in the gallery the atmosphere of a ruined aristocratic salon, full of details reminiscent of a bygone era, as well as " Bunker" at the Barbican Centre (2009). In this installation Kuśmirowski transformed the gallery into a concrete bunker from the Second World War. The interior contained flickering lights, handmade bolts and a working draisine, creating an evocative atmosphere reminiscent of a shelter from that era.

8 'Finis Poloniae 1831' by Dietrich Monten - a painting about the fall of the November Uprising
The oil painting 'Finis Poloniae 1831' was painted in 1832 by the German artist Dietrich Monten and is in the collection of the Old National Gallery in Berlin. It was painted one year after the defeat of the November Uprising and captures the atmosphere of the time. Its title, meaning 'The End of Poland 1831', refers to the attributed - though denied - words of Tadeusz Kościuszko after the Battle of Maciejowice in 1794.

The painting became a symbol of romantic sympathy and admiration for the Polish insurgents among the German intelligentsia. Many so-called Polenlieder - songs and poems by German-speaking poets that glorified the Poles' fight for freedom - were written at the time. "Finis Poloniae 1831" was widely distributed in reproductions and used as decoration on everyday objects, becoming one of the iconic representations of the Polish national tragedy in German culture of the 19th century.
Read a note about the painting "Finis Poloniae 1831" in the catalogue of polonica https://baza.polonika.pl/pl/obiekty/finis-poloniae-1831-obraz-w-zbiorach-starej-galerii-narodowej-w-berlinie

Works by Polish sculptors on the streets of Berlin
Sculpture by Maciej Szankowski on Kranoldplatz
Location: Kranoldplatz, district of Neukölln
Years of creation: 1982-1986
The discreet, untitled composition in grey marble bardiglio by Maciej Szankowski is an example of a subtle dialogue between sculpture and urban space. The juxtaposed forms of varying heights (up to 180 cm) create a place of reflection and detention. The work is characterised by a play of textures and the rhythm of forms, which are the artist's trademark. It is one of the few lasting realisations by a Polish sculptor in Germany.

"A row of columns" by Karol Broniatowski
Albert-Einstein-Oberschule, Berlin-Neukölln
Year of creation: 1992
An installation consisting of nine concrete columns (0.8-6.5 m high), operating with an economical, monumental language. Karol Broniatowski, known for his figurative human silhouettes, here reaches for a symbolic form - columns as signs of duration and sustaining values - setting them in an educational space open to reflection on memory and community.

Polish galleries and other institutions
Galeria ŻAK | BRANICKA
Lindenstraße 35
Operating from 2005 to 2019, it was a key venue for the presentation of Polish and Central European contemporary art. Works by artists such as Zbigniew Libera, Natalia LL, Agnieszka Polska, Paulina Ołowska, Katarzyna Kozyra and Karol Radziszewski were shown here. The gallery combined the professionalism of the art market with a deep intellectual commitment.

PIGASUS Gallery - Polish Poster Gallery
Danziger Straße 52, Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg
Pigasus Polish Poster Gallery is a Berlin-based gallery and shop specialising in Polish art posters. Founded in the 2000s by a pair of Polish collectors, Joanna and Mariusz Bednarski, it is located in Danziger Straße in Prenzlauer Berg. The gallery has thousands of original Polish film, theatre, music and exhibition posters in its collection, encompassing the achievements of the famous Polish poster school. Through exhibitions and poster sales, Pigasus promotes Polish graphic art in Germany, providing an important focal point for Polish culture in Berlin and a meeting place for poster enthusiasts from both countries.

Polish Institute Berlin
Burgstraße 27
Since 1981, it has been the main institution promoting Polish culture in Berlin. It organises exhibitions, concerts, film reviews, literary meetings and debates. It cooperates with Germany's largest cultural institutions and participates in Berlin Art Week, Transmediale or Berlinale.

Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation (FWPN)
Schumannstraße 2
One of the most important institutions supporting Polish-German dialogue. It co-organises hundreds of events a year - from educational to artistic projects. Its Berlin office is a venue for debates, presentations and meetings between Polish-German partners.

Centre for Historical Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Berlin (CBH PAN)
Mayakowskiring 47
Conducts interdisciplinary research on Polish and German history, focusing especially on the 20th century and the politics of memory. It organises conferences, workshops, exhibitions and publishes scientific publications in German.

The Janusz Korczak Library
Berliner Straße 120
A unique facility specialising in children's and educational literature. Commemorates the legacy of Janusz Korczak and promotes his humanist ideas through educational programmes and cultural events.

Buch|Bund
Sanderstraße 8
A bookshop, café and literary salon in one. It offers Polish publishing novelties, organises author meetings, exhibitions and debates. It is an important place for contemporary Polish culture in exile.

Klub Polskich Nieudaczników (Club der Polnischen Versager)
. Ackerstraße 168
Scene of independent and alternative culture. Venue for concerts, exhibitions, cabarets and performances. It tackles the themes of identity, migration and art in contemporary Europe with a wink.

Polish-German Club at VHS Wedding
Antonstraße 37
Has been active since the 1980s as a platform for intercultural dialogue and education. It organises literary meetings, workshops and lectures, promoting cooperation and understanding between Poles and Germans.

Studio Theatre in Berlin
Salzufer 13-14, Charlottenburg
Polish-German theatre stage presenting plays in two languages. The repertoire includes contemporary dramas, literary classics and plays for children. The theatre promotes Polish theatrical tradition and contemporary artists.

Other objects
Zbigniew Herbert plaque on the Visionary Path
Friedrichstraße (Visionaries' Path),
At the beginning of the pedestrianised part of Friedrichstraße in Berlin there is a "Path of Visionaries" - a series of illuminated plaques with quotations from prominent Europeans. Poland is represented by a quote by the poet Zbigniew Herbert: "A nation that loses its memory loses its conscience", embedded in the pavement as a permanent memorial plaque. Commemorating Herbert in the heart of Berlin emphasises the contribution of Polish thought and culture to European heritage and symbolises Polish-German dialogue within a united Europe.

Chodowiecki Street
Chodowieckistraße
The street bears the name of Daniel Chodowiecki (1726-1801), a Danzig-born painter and graphic artist who spent most of his life in Berlin. Chodowiecki, who is regarded as an artist of the Polish-German cultural borderland, became famous, among other things, for his illustrations and genre scenes of the life of the 18th century bourgeoisie. The naming of a Berlin street after him commemorates this outstanding figure and accentuates the common historical heritage of Poland and Germany present in the urban space of the German capital.

Polska Księgarnia in West Berlin
Richard-Wagner-Straße 39
The first post-war Polish bookshop in Germany opened in 1979 in Berlin's Charlottenburg district. Its activities went far beyond simply selling books - it soon became an informal centre of Polish culture in exile. The bookshop was a place where the Polish intelligentsia in exile would gather, where authors' meetings and discussions would take place, and where publications subject to censorship in the Polish People's Republic were distributed. The place played an important role in integrating the Polish diaspora and supporting the Polish anti-communist opposition, and was an important part of the Polish cultural presence in divided Berlin.

Warschauer Straße underground station
Location: Warschauer Straße
Warschauer Straße (literally: Warsaw Street) is the name of a street and a large railway junction in eastern Berlin, including a U1 underground station and an S-Bahn station. The street was laid out in the 19th century and named after the direction to Warsaw - it was the beginning of a route leading east towards the Polish capital. The presence of the name Warsaw in Berlin's topography is symbolic of the geographical proximity and historical links between Berlin and Poland. The Warschauer Straße station itself, as a transport hub, reminds Berliners of the Polish capital and is an everyday part of the Polish-German urban mosaic.

Fragment of the wall of the Gdansk shipyard at the Reichstag
. Location: East side of the Reichstag Building, Platz der Republik
In front of the Reichstag building in Berlin, an authentic fragment of the brick wall of the Gdansk Shipyard - the same wall that Lech Wałęsa jumped over in August 1980 to join the striking shipyard workers. The monument was ceremonially unveiled in 2009, on the 20th anniversary of the fall of communism, as a gift from the Polish people to Germany. A bronze plaque attached to the wall proclaims: "To commemorate the Solidarity struggle for freedom and democracy and Poland's contribution to the reunification of Germany and the political unity of Europe". This symbolic piece of Polish history in the heart of the German capital is a reminder of the key role of the Solidarity movement in the overthrow of communism and underlines the idea of Polish-German solidarity in the pursuit of freedom.

Planned sites
Monument to the Polish Victims of the German Occupation 1939-1945 at Askanischer Platz -
Location: Near the ruins of the Anhalter Bahnhof (Anhalter Station)
Design of the central memorial to the Polish victims of World War II in Berlin.

Objects not preserved
1. Josef Brandt, "Rest at the Well" (Rast am Brunnen)
Once found in private collections in Berlin and Cologne. The painting was sold at auction in the 19th and 20th centuries. Current location unknown.

2nd Radziwill Palace in Berlin - from aristocratic residence to the Old Reich Chancellery
. Located on Wilhelmstraße 77, the palace was built between 1737 and 1739 to a design by Carl Friedrich Richter. Modelled on the French type entre cour et jardin , it was one of Berlin's most representative residences of the 18th century. From 1795, it belonged to the Radziwill princes and served as the Polish residence in the Prussian capital. Prince Antoni Henryk Radziwill turned it into an artistic and musical salon visited by Goethe, Chopin and Hegel, among others.
In 1875, the palace was purchased by the German state and transformed into the residence of the Reich Chancellor. It served this function until the end of the Third Reich. In the 1930s, a bunker (Vorbunker) was added to it, which became part of the famous Führerbunker . The palace was destroyed during the Second World War and was demolished in 1949. Today there is no trace of it - the site is located within Wilhelmstraße 93.

3. Raczynski Palace - a Polish trace in the birth of German parliamentarism
In the area of today's Platz der Republik , where the Bundestag building stands, in the mid-19th century stood the classicist Raczyński Palace - the seat of Athanasius Raczyński, diplomat, collector and pioneer of art history. Built in 1842-1844 to a design by Heinrich Strack, the palace housed a public art gallery, considered one of the best in Prussia.

Raczynski repeatedly rejected proposals to sell the property to the Reichstag, which delayed the construction of the new parliamentary seat. Only after his death in 1874 did his heirs agree to the sale. The palace was demolished in 1884 and the Reichstag, designed by Paul Wallot, was erected in its place. The greater part of the Raczyński collection later found its way to Poznan, forming the nucleus of the collection of today's National Museum .

4. the Polish Pharmacy (Polnische Apotheke) - symbol of multicultural Berlin
. Founded in 1682 on Friedrichstraße, at the corner of Mittelstraße, as the "Ratsapotheke", it had been known as the Polnische Apotheke since 1706. This name, although not fully explained in the sources, survived in the minds of the inhabitants for centuries. The pharmacy was rebuilt in the 19th century and for a time even Theodor Fontane worked there.

During the National Socialist era, the pharmacy's name was changed to "Dorotheenstädtische Apotheke" in 1933, removing references to Polishness. After the war, the building came under Soviet administration and the pharmacy ceased to operate. In 1998, its façade was restored and the historical inscription restored. Today, it houses, among others, the Finnish Institute in Germany , and the building itself is regarded as an important example of 19th-century architecture and a testimony to the Polish presence in the heart of Berlin.

4 Joachim Gotzkowsky Porcelain Factory in Berlin (KPM)
. In the second half of the 18th century, Joachim Gotzkowsky, a Berlin merchant and patron of the arts, played a key role in the establishment of one of Germany's most important porcelain manufactories, the Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur in Berlin (KPM). In 1761 Gotzkowsky took over the indebted private porcelain factory that had been operating in Berlin since 1751, with the intention of turning it into a thriving centre for the production of luxury ceramics that could compete with the renowned Meissen porcelain.

Initially Gotzkowsky operated as a private entrepreneur, but due to financial difficulties, he sold the manufactory to King Frederick II of Prussia in 1763. From then on, the factory operated as the Royal Porcelain Manufactory and was given the status of a state institution. The manufactory's quality mark - the cobalt blue sceptre - was approved during this period.

The KPM quickly gained recognition in Europe, and its products - elegant services, sculptures and decorative dishes - were ordered by European courts and aristocracy. The manufactory is still in continuous operation today and is one of the oldest of its kind in Europe.
Preserved buildings:

The main building of the KPM manufactory at Wegelystraße 1 in the Tiergarten district, built in 1871, has survived to this day. Although not the original location from Gotzkowsky's time, the modern premises continue the traditions of the factory he founded. Today, the building houses both a production facility and a museum and visitor centre. Historic moulds, tools and past and present porcelain products signed with the sceptre mark can be seen there.
Also read the note in the polonica catalogue https://baza.polonika.pl/pl/obiekty/fabryka-porcelany-w-berlinie

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Information on more than just material Polish-German ties can be found on the Porta Polonica portal - the Digital Documentation Centre for Polish Culture and History in Germany is dedicated to researching, documenting and providing access to manifestations of Polish life in Germany. The portal was created in 2013 as part of the Documentation Centre and operates with the support of the German government and the LWL in Bochum. Its headquarters are now located in historic houses on the site of the former "Hannover" mine, and the historic "Polish House" on Am Kortländer Street remains an important place of remembrance and part of the institution's research activities.