X-Nico

37 unusual facts about Poland


Bolesław Skarżyński

Bolesław Skarżyński (1901-1963) was a renowned Polish biologist.

Bukowo, Szczecin

Bukowo is a municipal neighbourhood of the city of Szczecin, Poland situated on the left bank of Oder river, north of the Szczecin Old Town and Middle Town, south of the town of Police.

Częstochowa Voivodeship

Though most of the current territory of the former Częstochowa Voivodeship belongs to the Silesian Voivodeship, it historically is part of Lesser Poland, apart from western areas, around Lubliniec and Olesno.

Elections in Poland

Poland has a long history of elections dating several centuries, including the elections to Sejm from 1182 and the elective monarchy from 1569 to 1795.

The Senate (Senat) has 100 members elected for a four-year term via the first past-the-post system, with 100 single member constituencies.

The remaining one-third of the seats in the Sejm and all those in the Senate were freely contested; the majority of these were by candidates supported by Solidarity.

Franek

Franek is the oldest oil shaft in the world, located in the village of Bóbrka Poland.

Frank Walus

Frank Walus (July 29, 1922 – August 17, 1994) was born in Poland, worked in Germany during World War II and emigrated to the USA in the mid-1940s.

Gdańsk Voivodeship

Gdansk Voivodeship (2) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1945–1975, superseded by the voivodeships of Gdansk (1), Elbląg and Słupsk (area of Lębork).

Gdańsk Voivodeship (1) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1975–98, superseded by Pomeranian Voivodeship.

Gerard Antoni Ciołek

He was a member of the State Council for the Nature Conservation ('Panstwowa Rada Ochrony Przyrody', PROP), as well as served on the Boards of Directors of the Tatra National Park and the Pieniny National Park.

IS-5 Kaczka

The IS-5 Kaczka (Instytut Szybownictwa – gliding institute) was a single-seat canard research glider designed and built in Poland from 1948.

Isidor Barndt

Archpriest Isidor Barndt (1816-1891), a poet and world traveler from Neisse, Germany, a town in the former state of Silesia, now Nysa, Poland, promoted reunionism and wrote about similarities in faiths in order to overcome splits between Protestants and Catholics in late 19th century Germany.

Jadwiga Zlotorzycka

Jadwiga Zlotorzycka (1926-2002) was a Polish entomologist.

John Mojecki

Born in Kożuszkowo, Poland, his first place of residence was Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania (now known as Jim Thorpe).

Kazimierz Pietkiewicz

Kazimierz Pietkiewicz (born 1861 - October 30, 1934 in Anin) was a Polish socialist and independence activist.

Klemzig

Klępsk in Poland was previously a Prussian village known by the German name, Klemzig

Kokot

Kokot, Poland, a village in Gmina Kije, Pińczów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland

Left and Democrats

LiD did not manage to elect any of its members to the upper house Senate.

M. Wolf

Marek Wolf, a Polish physicist, currently with the Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Wrocław.

Mil Mi-3

It is also a Russian designation for the Polish-Soviet co-operation on larger helicopters based on the Mi-2 that could replace the Mi-4 from 1971.

Mosna

Mosna, Poland, a village in Pomeranian Voivodeship in northern Poland

Nestlé Waters North America

Poland Spring water is derived from multiple sources in the state of Maine, including Poland Spring and Garden Spring in Poland, Clear Spring in Hollis, Evergreen Spring in Fryeburg, Spruce Spring in Pierce Pond Township, and White Cedar Spring in Dallas Plantation.

Pinhas Kopel

Koppel was born on January 15, 1918 (2 Shvat 5678 on the Hebrew calendar) in the town of Turek in central Poland.

Polish Solidarity Campaign

Britain's Polish Solidarity Campaign (PSC) was a campaign in solidarity with Solidarity (the Solidarność trade union) and other democratic forces in Poland.

Politics of Poland

Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament (known together by the very same name as the lower house "Sejm"), the Sejm and the Senate.

Executive power is exercised by the government, which consists of a council of ministers led by the Prime Minister.

Robert P. Pula

He was a polymathic poet, painter, pianistic composer, Polka historian, Polish culturalist, cartoonist, writer, editor, and teacher.

Setnica

Setnica, Poland, a settlement in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland

Skolwin

Skolwin is a municipal neighbourhood of the city of Szczecin, Poland situated on the left bank of Oder river, north of the Szczecin Old Town, and Middle Town, south of the town of Police.

Smerd

Sources from the 11th and 12th centuries mention smerds’ presence in the Kievan Rus (e.g. Russkaya Pravda) and Poland.

SS-Oberabschnitt Weichsel

After 1940, Oberabschnitt Weichsel became heavily involved in commanding atrocity actions in Poland; as World War II progressed, the Oberabschnitt itself became nearly one and the same with the office of the SS and Police Leaders.

Stanisław Rehman

Stanisław Rehman (1838–1899), was a city councillor in Kraków, Poland.

Terrorfront

Terrorfront is the first and debut full-length album by Polish blackened death metal band Infernal War.

Urząd Ochrony Państwa

The UOP replaced the communist-era Służba Bezpieczeństwa (SB), I Departament People's Republic of Poland Ministry of Internal Affairs - intelligence, II Departament People's Republic of Poland Ministry of Internal Affairs - counter-intelligence, whose responsibilities had additionally included the suppression of opposition to the government prior to 1989.

W.W.S.2 Żaba

The WWS-2 Żaba (Frog) was a single-seat training glider designed and built in Poland from 1937.

Welfare in Poland

Constitution of Poland states that all citizens have the right to social security in case of being unable to find a job, reaching the retirement age, or suffering from inability to work due to illness or disability.


1928 Summer Olympics

Halina Konopacka of Poland became the first female Olympic track and field champion.

2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Women's omnium

The Women's Omnium was one of the 9 women's events at the 2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, held in Pruszków, Poland.

2012 Men's Junior European Volleyball Championship

The 2012 Men's Junior European Volleyball Championship is being held in Gdynia, Poland and Randers, Denmark from August 24 to September 2, 2012.

Ariel Jakubowski

Ariel Jakubowski (born September 7, 1977 in Człuchów) is a Polish footballer who currently plays for Polish side Wisła Płock.

Augustus III of Poland

He spent less than three years of his thirty-year reign in Poland, where political feuding between the House of Czartoryski and the Potocki paralysed the Sejm (Liberum Veto), fostering internal political anarchy and weakening the Commonwealth.

Austeria

Austeria (aka The Inn) is a Polish feature film directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz, produced by Zespół Filmowy "Kadr" and released in 1983.

Bogatynia

Today Bogatynia is one of the richest towns per capita in Poland, due to its two principal enterprises: the Turów Coal Mine, a large open-pit on the grounds of the former Rybarzowice village (Reibersdorf), and the associated thermal power station, Elektrownia Turów, operated by the Polska Grupa Energetyczna, the third-largest of the country.

Byszewo

Byszewo, Kołobrzeg County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-west Poland)

Celier Kiss

The Celier Kiss is a series of Polish autogyros that was designed by Frenchman Raphael Celier and produced by his company, Celier Aviation of Jaktorów-Kolonia, Poland.

Chraplewo

Chraplewo, Nowy Tomyśl County in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Christoph Hartknoch

Hartknoch's extensive scientific body of works contributed greatly to knowledge of Prussia, Pomerania, Samogitia, Courland, and Poland.

Cryptocephalus virens

These beetles can be found in Southern and Central Europe from Italian Alps and Bavaria to Southern Poland, Russia, Turkey, East Palearctic ecozone and the Near East.

Dupa Biskupa

In Polish adult animated comedy series Włatcy móch two recurring characters Marcel and The colonel (two zombies living on local graveyard) were seen playing dupa biskupa on a tombstone.

Ectaco

Within the next 2 years offices were opened in Germany (Berlin), Great Britain (London), the Czech Republic (Prague), Canada (Toronto), Poland (Warsaw) and Ukraine (Kiev).

Friedewald train collision

Repairs to the boiler were carried out by Interlok, Piła, Poland.

Gabriele Oriali

He was also part of the team that defeated the strong teams of Argentina and Brazil, and defeated Poland in the semi-final.

Jacek Rostowski

From 1989 to 1991 during Poland’s great economic transformation following the fall of communism, Vincent-Rostowski was an advisor to the Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Leszek Balcerowicz.

Jacob's Rescue

Jacob's Rescue is a 1994 children's book by Malka Drucker and Michael Halperin based on a true story that takes place in Warsaw, Poland during the holocaust.

Jan Breydel

Kuzma Minin, the Russian leader of a popular militia that drove the Poles out of Russia at the end of the Time of Troubles in 1612, also happened to be a butcher.

Jan Latosz

While most of the academy approved of the reform plan, Latosz presented a different solution through his old acquaintance Alberto Cardinal Bolognetti, former Papal nuncio to Poland in the times of king Stephen Bathory.

Jastrzębniki

Jastrzębniki, Kalisz County in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Jean de Reszke

He subsequently busied himself breeding racehorses in Poland and teaching singing in Paris and at Nice on the French Riviera.

Kazimierz Leski

Kazimierz Leski, nom de guerre Bradl (21 June 1912 — 27 May 2000), was a Polish engineer, co-designer of the Polish submarines ORP Sęp and ORP Orzeł, a fighter pilot, and an officer in World War II Home Army's intelligence and counter-intelligence.

Kaźmierzewo

Kaźmierzewo, Włocławek County in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-central Poland)

Koszanowo

Koszanowo, Szamotuły County in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Koziegłowy

Koziegłowy, Greater Poland Voivodeship, an urbanized village adjoining Poznań (west-central Poland)

La Caixa

At the end of 2007, La Caixa had 5,480 branches, of which 5,468 are located throughout Spain and two operating abroad (Warsaw, Poland and Bucharest, Romania), and 10 representative offices in Germany, Belgium, China, France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

Lomno

Łomno, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, a village in the Starachowice County in southeastern Poland

Łężek

Łężek, Sławno County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-west Poland)

Maciejowice

In September 1939, during the Invasion of Poland, two large units of the Polish Army (13th Infantry Division and Wilenska Cavalry Brigade) evacuated eastwards on a wooden bridge at Przewoz.

Magdalena Abakanowicz

Magdalena Abakanowicz (born June 20, 1930, in Falenty, Poland) is a Polish sculptor and fiber artist.

Marek Gazdzicki

Since 2003, he holds a professorship at the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland, and works as researcher and outside lecturer at the University of Frankfurt/Main.

Marina Shainova

At the 2006 European Championships in Władysławowo, Poland she won gold in the Women's 58 kg with 237 kg in total, breaking three European records.

Mariusz Lewandowski

After Franciszek Smuda took over the national team in 2009, he stopped playing for Poland.

Młynkowo

Młynkowo, Czarnków-Trzcianka County in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Owieczki

Owieczki, Oborniki County in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Piaskowo

Piaskowo, Gmina Szamotuły in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Prochy

Prochy, Wąbrzeźno County in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-central Poland)

Ramón Quiroga

Quiroga is perhaps best remembered for his appearance at the 1978 FIFA World Cup in a match against Poland, when he ran all the way to the opposition half and fouled Grzegorz Lato, receiving a yellow card in the process.

Raszyn radio transmitter

The longwave transmitter Raszyn is a longwave broadcasting transmitter near Raszyn, Poland.

Sękowo

Sękowo, Szamotuły County in Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Sokratis Papastathopoulos

He became the first player to be sent off at UEFA Euro 2012 during the opening game of the tournament against co-hosts Poland, after receiving two yellow cards, following what pundits decried as two poor decisions by the referee Carlos Velasco Carballo.

Stanowice

Stanowice, Góra County in Lower Silesian Voivodeship (south-west Poland)

Trzęsacz

Trzęsacz, Choszczno County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-west Poland)

West Belarus

The borders of the BSSR were again altered somewhat after the war (notably the area around the city of Białystok (Belastok Voblast was returned to Poland) but in general they coincide with the borders of the modern Republic of Belarus.

Wielkopolski

There is also another Polish warmblood breed, the Małopolski, bred in the region of Małopolska ("Little Poland") in the south of the country (around Kraków).

Wolkowo

Wolkowo, Grodzisk Wielkopolski County, Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)

Zgorzałe

In Zgorzałe there is the first street in Poland named Lech Wałęsa Street (2009).

Zielin

Zielin, Gryfino County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-west Poland)