Poland

  • Hürrem Sultan- From slave to queen

    Born Aleksandra Ruslana Lisowska around 1502, little Nastia as she was known would never have dreamed she would rise to become a queen.  She was born in the town of Rohatyn in Polish Ruthenia, which is now in Western Ukraine.   Legend has it her father was an Orthodox priest.  Some time in the 1520’s, Nastia’s world turned upside down when she was captured by the Crimean Tartars at the tender age of 12.  Raids by the Tartars into this region were not uncommon, and Nastia was soon taken to the slave markets of Kaffa.  From there she went on to Istanbul, where she was selected for the sultan’s harem.  The…

  • Bona Sforza

    One would generally think the Queen of Poland would be….well….Polish.  In this case, she was not.  Bona Sforza, as her name would indicate, was Italian.  However, as the wife of King Sigismund I she exercised great power over the country. A member of the powerful Sforza family of Milan, Bona was born on February 2, 1494 the second child of Gian Galeazzo Sforza, sixth Duke of Milan and his wife Isabella of Naples.  Fun fact, Isabella is thought be some to be the inspiration for the Mona Lisa.  Raised in Bari and Milan, she was educated by the imminent Italian humanists Antonio de Ferraris and Crisotomo Colonna.  From them she…

  • Nazi Gold Train – Fact or Fiction?

    It’s well known that during WWII, agents from the Third Reich acting on behalf of the ruling Nazi Party of Germany plundered many cities. Most notably by military units known as the Kunstschutz. In addition to gold, silver and currency, cultural items of great significance were stolen, including paintings, ceramics, books, and religious treasures. Most of these items were recovered by agents of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program (MFAA)(Monuments Men), on behalf of the Allies. Thousands of items remain missing. One of the most popular legends where the treasures ended up are The Nazi Gold Trains. If the legends are true, it would be one of the greatest…

  • Stanisław Warszycki and the Faustian Bargain

    Loyal castellian, able military commander and patriot. These are all things that have been said about Stanisław Warszycki. However, a few others have been attributed to him as well- heretic, sadist and murderer. Where does the truth lie? Let us examine Warszycki’s life and see if we can find a glimmer of it. Born around 1600, Stanisław Warszycki was from a noble family and was educated at the University of Padua. In 1632, he married Helena Wiśniowiecka, and the couple had one son and two daughters. Warszycki kept his estates in good order and he encouraged the immigration of foreign craftsmen to his estates, which had cloth, pottery and brick…

  • Princess Wanda

    Wanda lived in 8th century Poland and was the daughter of Krakus, legendary founder of Kraków. Krakus had three children, two sons and a daughter. His eldest son was killed by his younger brother, who wanted the power for himself. This act of evil greatly angered the people Krakow and they banished the murderer from their country forever. So the beautiful Wanda became the ruler of the country. She ruled wisely and justly over the people who looked upon her with the greatest of love and respect. Many princes sought to marry her, but she would not accept any of them. She had not yet found someone who was pleasing…