Let’s start, however, in a rather predictable way: following in the footsteps of Marshal Piłsudski’s journey, we’ll find ourselves in Madeira. Unwary tourists may be surprised to find a monument to Piłsudski in Funchal. And yet it was here, in December 1930, that the Marshal, struggling with health problems, began a recuperative stay and spent three months living at Villa Quinta Bettencourt.

He filled his time with walks, reading, playing chess and working on his *Historical Corrections*. He was accompanied by doctors, including the controversial Eugenia Lewicka (1896–1931), and his aide-de-camp, Captain Mieczysław Lepecki (1897–1969), who left behind colourful accounts of the stay.

Piłsudski’s stay on the island has been commemorated with plaques (1934, 1992), the naming of a roundabout and a bust erected in 2009. The villa itself, now privately owned, is not open to the public, as we discuss in a separate article.

Maurycy Beniowski in Madagascar

Madagascar is another ‘almost Polish’ island. This is all thanks to Maurycy Beniowski, a nobleman born in the mid-18th century in what is now Slovakia, the son of a Hungarian hussar, who tied his fate to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as a participant in the Bar Confederation.

Although today we remember him mainly thanks to the works of Juliusz Słowacki (1809–1849), Beniowski himself left behind memoirs in which, albeit with a great deal of imagination, he described his turbulent life. After being captured by the Russians, he is said to have escaped from exile, made his way to Japan, and then to France, where he was entrusted with a colonial mission in Madagascar.

In 1774, he landed on the island, founded the settlement of Louisbourg, developed the infrastructure and attempted to win over the local tribes. It was in this context that the most controversial episode of his life took place: his ‘coronation’ as King of Madagascar. Perhaps he was simply recognised as an ampansakebe, or charismatic leader.

Upon his return to Europe, he tried unsuccessfully to interest Austria and the United States in his project. In 1785, he returned to the island as a self-proclaimed ruler, but was killed a year later in a clash with French troops. Although some claimed he faked his death, most scholars regard it as genuine.

In Polish culture, Beniowski has gone down in history as a romantic rebel and the embodiment of the nation’s restless spirit. Juliusz Słowacki dedicated his play *Beniowski* to him, making the hero of the Confederation a symbol of the struggle for freedom, even at the ends of the earth. Today, his memory is honoured by a plaque in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.

Now it is time for an even further journey: Kiritimati Island, in the very heart of the Pacific Ocean in the Republic of Kiribati. There is a settlement here called Poland. The Polish legacy takes the form of a place name, a local legend and the Parish of St Stanislaus Kostka, which has existed since 1995.

Until the early 20th century, the island remained uninhabited and was under British protectorate. The situation changed with the establishment of a coconut plantation – hundreds of thousands of trees were planted, but a problem soon arose with their irrigation.

One local tale claims that Stanisław Pełczyński, a plumber from an American ship, helped to solve the irrigation problem. Is this story true? Dariusz Zdziech, a researcher into the island’s history, discovered that around 1915, the plantation manager was Charles Malinowski – and it was he who may have given one of the settlements the name ‘Poland’. Today, the village, with a population of several hundred, is home to the aforementioned parish, which is one of the most remote Polish communities in the world.

The Trobriand Islands and Bronisław Malinowski

The Polish site geographically closest to Kiribati is a memorial to Bronisław Malinowski (1884–1942), an eminent anthropologist and founder of modern social anthropology. Between 1914 and 1918, he conducted pioneering fieldwork amongst the inhabitants of the Trobriand Islands, particularly in the village of Omarakana on the island of Kiriwina. Although the village of Poland on Kiritimati and Omarakana are separated by over 5,500 km, they are linked by the presence of Polish traces. The similarity between the surnames Malinowski (Charles) and Bronisław is coincidental.

Bronisław Malinowski, the founder of the method of participant observation, revolutionised the social sciences by moving away from so-called ‘armchair anthropology’. He lived amongst the communities he studied, treating their culture with the same respect as he did European culture.

In 2007, in Omarakan, on the spot where his tent once stood, a commemorative plaque was unveiled. It bore the local title ‘Toboma Miskabati’ (‘an old man worthy of the highest respect’) and an inscription in Polish and English:

‘A great scholar, son of the Polish nation, founder of modern social anthropology, friend of the peoples of the Trobriand Islands and promoter of their culture’.

The plaque, which had been made in Poland, arrived at its destination after a journey lasting several years: it was transported by yacht, then by air and sea from New Zealand via Australia, and finally, thanks to sailors Monika Bronicka and Mariusz Delgas, it was installed in Omarakan. Only one representative of the authorities, the High Chief of the Trobriand Islands, took part in the unveiling ceremony, which symbolically underlined the local respect for Malinowski.

New Zealand

One of the most moving examples of Polish heritage on islands around the world is the legacy of ‘Little Poland’ in Pahiatua, New Zealand. During the Second World War, a settlement was established there for over 700 Polish children and 105 carers, evacuated from the Soviet Union via Iran as part of Anders’ Army.

Thanks to the efforts of the Polish consul Kazimierz Antoni Wodzicki (1900–1987) and his wife Maria (1901–1968), New Zealand took in the children, creating a safe and welcoming environment for them. The settlement had a Polish school, a scout group, a church, a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Częstochowa, and residential houses. The icon of the Black Madonna was painted by Feliks Krzewiński (1900–1981), a soldier and former prisoner of the labour camps.

Although plans were made for the children to return to Poland, after the war most of them remained in New Zealand. Today, in Pahiatua, one can still see reminders of that community: a shrine, a statue of a mother and child (1975), a local museum and a plaque in St Brigid’s Church. Every year, on 26 August, celebrations are held in honour of Our Lady of Częstochowa – the patron saint of this unique group of refugees.

Finally, we invite you to visit the ‘Polish island’ in Croatia – Šolta.