The Polish Heritage Society

I for one had no idea that Polish culture and heritage was abused so much under the Russians, and I just hope that you'll be able to recover some more of the stolen art, etc. 

On the flip side though, I suppose articles like these do raise the interesting point about when (and if) pillaged culture should be returned. If that was the case, then I'm afraid the BM would be rather empty!

I recall that there has been debate about treasure removed by both the British - especially from Egypt and Greece - as well as huge treasures removed by the French, particularly during the time of Napoleon. Indeed a large proportion of the treasure held by the British Museum and the Louvre were results of forced removal.

I am surprised that the Polish authorities have not made noisier representations about this. It is always sad to see how little there is in Polish museums today. Is there any more details of what precisely was stolen ?

However it brings to mind what the Brits have in their museums which they "borrowed" from their Empire - when they had one! Indeed the Greeks are still wanting their Marbles back.

It is also imperative that the Brits are made aware that we have contributed both in War and in  Peace.Hopefully this will be food for another article. Congratulations on getting your letter printed.

Secondly, I thought your note was useful in highlighting the existence of a Polish Heritage Trust, that there is an organisation out there fighting for the cause! Well Done Marek!

Congratulations once again and please continue to keep up the good work.

The past cannot be re-written and our expectations of resolution should be tempered with a measure of realism. This in no part takes away from a wish to see artefacts returned to their rightful "ownership".

I also listened to a lecture by a Russian historian on a river/canal cruise bewailing how the Russian people suffered at the hands of Poles over many centuries and of the many treasures we had stolen! I was gobsmacked, to say the least.

The Russki's are a law unto themselves and will not return these treasures in the foreseable future, if ever. It will be interesting to see the response to this issue and to your letter.

Actually such contributions "in kind" like your letter to The Times, on behalf of the PHS, are just as valuableas raw cash (also most welcome of course) in the overall scheme of things.

As you say, the Russians (as well as the Germans / Prussians) have been plundering Polish art and literature over the centuries in their attempt to destroy the Polish Nation. Their exploitation reached new heights in 1939, when following the occupation of Poland, the two hostile regimes set about the systematic extermination of the Polish upper classes and intelligentsia, including its culture and traditions. Museums were destroyed and hundreds of thousands of items of historical or artistic value, looted or destroyed. 

I know that the Polish Underground tried to keep dossiers on the plundered material, which were relayed to the Government in exile, but following the division of Europe post WWII and Poland's placement in the Soviet sphere of influence, obtaining their return, especially from the Soviets, has proved extremely difficult if not futile.

I believe that, post 1990, the MSZ (Polish Foreign Ministry) has a dedicated department working for the repatriation  of looted property. However, the difficulty seems to be in proving the provenance of artefacts, as inventories of the items stolen were often not made and those catalogues which were available, were themselves either looted or destroyed by the occupying forces.

Still, we must seek to mobilise public opinion, much as the Jewish "Project Heart" has done, to persuade the Russians to return their plunder (although I don't hold my breath!) and I commend you and the PHS for giving the matter a high profile.

This also opens up the can of worms relating to the Elgin Marbles. And closer to home, what about the library and articles bequeathed to the Marian Fathers in Fawley Court, which were without reference to the Polish community in the UK sent to Lichen.

This involvement contributes to increasing awareness of British Society about issues of importance for the whole Polish community, regardless of their place of residence. Taking this opportuniy, I wish you every  success in your future endeavours.

They also stole stuff just after the Second World War when everyone was pretending Poland was an ally, but was really an occupied country.

Is there an ongoing dialogue with the Russiand about this? If so, tell them that the Brits will hand over the Elgin Marbles to them in exchange.

Add to that the losses in Warsaw during the uprising in 1944 (again the greater destruction of the City resulting from Russian lack of support with its troops halted in East Warsaw (Praga) and we see a picture of both War propagonists not deserving any sympathy.

Again, Well Done and Thank You. This also brings kudos to the PHS.

Today Germany and Poland have taken huge strides in reconciling past history leading to the forging of new cultural links between the two, and Marek Rencki's letter in The Times is a poignant reminder that it is long overdue that Russia and Poland should be on the same path of mutual understanding and reconciliation.

Russia could enable a giant leap forward in facilitating this process with a meaningful commitment to return to Poland its historic library collection that is some 220 years overdue.

Presumably significant and very valuable items of art also made their way from Poland to Germany during this time and are now effectively impounded in Russia? Highlighting the thefts that occurred during the late 18th and 19th centuries is most revealing and very effectively depicted in your succinct letter to the Editor.

The "Winning" side steals what it can. So it has been everywhere - the world's museums and libraries are littered with the spoils of war. Napoleon himself, so idolised by the Poles who believed all his lies, can be cited as one of the "Modern" examples. 

This problem with the human race as a whole - a nasty, greedy race of primitive creatures, whose main preoccupation throughout the centuries has been to covet land, power and worship bits of metal - whilst systematically destroying itself over and over again.

You are a true and loyal son of Poland and I hope you get the acknowledgement for this that you deserve.

I did not know you were a leading light in Poland's heritage - I am very impressed and admiring!

I am sure your effort to keep this topic alive is greatly appreciated by the Polish people. After all, 350,000 books is an enormous amount and they no doubt have many of our valuable manuscripts. I even remember my Mother telling me that my grandfather had once written a letter to Lenin asking for payment. This letter too is stuck in some Russian museum. It does, in fact, beg the question whether the Russians have anything in their museums that they haven't acquired by theft ?

On my recent trip to Berlin, I was at the Pergamon Museum and although there is of course controversyover the legitimacy of how the Pergamon Altar ended up in Berlin in the first place, I was interested to read that in 1945, the Russians looted all the loose museum items they could. Only under pressure in 1958 were someof the objects returned to East Germany but  a significant amount still remains at the Hermitage Museum.

But back to Poland. Well done Marek. I'm sure all Poles hugely appreciate your efforts to have Poland's cultural heritage returned, it will definitively make the museum experience in Poland a more worthwhile one! Onwards with your efforts, we're all behind you.

Moreover, while Putin reigns over Russia, I cannot foresse the situation changing and regrettably there is no global authority (with any real teeth) which has the power or the means to right this wrong. May be not in our lifetime anyway.

Well said Marek and I am so pleased you brought it to the attention of the British public. May I humbly suggest that the only way to achieve higher global traction would be through the media via BBC, 60 Minutes and similar programmes which reach a less enlightened or uneducated generation who need to be made aware.

Once again Marek, well done and keep spreading the word. It might eventually get the attention it deserves.

There is no chance Russia will return the stolen art. If the nice British Musem won't return the Elgin Marbles to Greece and the Rosetta Stone to Egypt, then the not so nice Putin won't return his loot. I think there is a strong moral case for the return of art stolen in World War 2 specifically or in living memory generally: in these cases, the victim or his/ her immediate heir is still alive.

There is also a legal case for returning recent thefts: the 1907 Hague Convention mentioned in The Times. But with stolen art prior to 1907 there is no legal case. Weaker because the victim is no longer alive and also because art looting was standard practice two or more centuries ago. So while I can't see art stolen more than 200 years agobeing returned to its owners, I think there is case for a "Truth and Reconciliation" approach to such stolen art.

The art remains where it is but is put on public display and a description is given as to how the art was acquired. So the Hermitage Museum would have a section "Seized from the Warsaw Library in 1793", for example. The British Museum does this already: a visitor there is no doubt as to how the Elgin Marbles or the Rosetta Stone were acquired.

Good luck with your Polish Heritage Work.

Well done you!!

I am just wondering if it might be worthwhile to involve the various Polish bodies that I am involved in to further publicise this. This may be possible to involve something like the American Congress of Poles in this activity.

One other thing I was very impressed with was the candles at North Sheen Cemetery labeled Polish Heritage Society on all Polish graves.

It is not often that attention is drawn to Poland's losses and hopefully pressure will continue to be put on the Russians to eventually relinquish at least some of its plundered loot. I visited the Hermitage, etc in late August. Apparently what is displayed accounts for about 10% of what lies in its vaults!