A website is a modern tool for quickly and effectively obtaining information on Polish cultural heritage abroad. Currently, the portal contains more than 43,000 entries concerning objects in 58 countries, including illustrated and described material traces of Polish cultural heritage abroad. There is also documentation of civil and war cemeteries, as well as gravestone cards with information about the buried persons.
“Many countries around the world look with admiration at how Poland has been taking care of its heritage for years, how well-maintained its memorial sites are. This is what institutions such as the POLONIKA Institute and tools such as the portal inaugurated today serve. It’s useful for all those who travel around the world and come into contact with Polish heritage,”
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Culture and National Heritage Prof. Piotr Gliński said during a press conference inaugurating the new portal of the POLONIKA Institute – “Heritage Abroad. Database of Polonika.”
Moreover, the Deputy Prime Minister outlined activities showing how the state’s care for Polish heritage abroad is implemented.
“We have a network of Polish institutions in the West, which consists of associations, museums or archives taking care of Polish heritage abroad. We take numerous measures so that the Polish state can finance the existence of these institutions. In the east, we have been active for many years in Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania. Today, we are embarking on the next stage of development or institutionalization of our mission through the establishment of a portal, which is part of many years’ work,”
the Deputy Prime Minister stressed.
“I would like to thank all those who have contributed to the creation of the portal “Dziedzictwo za granicą. Baza poloników,” i.e., POLONIKA Institute, the Department of Cultural Heritage Abroad and Memorial Sites of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and experts. Facilitated access to information and knowledge, as well as the possibility to signal directly any changes noticed, will ensure that the portal continues to develop,”
Professor Piotr Gliński concluded.
“Dziedzictwo za granicą. Baza poloników”
The POLONIKA Institute‘s modern portal is a tool for quickly and effectively obtaining information on Polish cultural heritage abroad. In addition to the possibility of recording and disseminating knowledge about Polish cultural heritage, it also provides a source of knowledge both for researchers and history enthusiasts, as well as for those exploring family genealogies.
The database consists of three catalogues. The first catalogue is the documentation of gravestones and Polish cemeteries abroad. Next is Polonica, i.e., richly illustrated and described material traces of cultural heritage abroad of a widespread scientific nature, based on information from the borderland of history, art, and culture. The third is War Cemeteries Abroad. An additional catalogue element is a list of people buried in the cemeteries.
The database is constantly being supplemented with new material. Currently, objects located in 58 countries are available on the portal. What is more, there are 43,357 entries, including, among others, documentation of 168 civilian cemeteries (including 14,113 tombstone cards and 17,667 persons buried therein) and 246 war cemetery cards (including 9,100 persons buried therein).
You can visit the website here.