We Recommend
A secret life : the Polish officer, his covert mission, and the price he paid to save his country
Weiser, Benjamin.
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Biography in Context » teen pick
Find biographies of famous Polish Americans from a variety of sources. Search on a name you already know or try one of these examples:
- Stanislaw Baranczak
- Zbigniew Brzezinski
- Casimir Funk
- Janusz Glowacki
- Mieczyslaw Horszowski
- Janusz Kaminski
- Bronislau Kaper
- Jan Kiepura
- Tadeusz Kosciuszko
- Czeslaw Milosz
- Helena Modjeska
- Ralph Modjeski
- Pola Negri
- Jan Nowak
- Casimir Pulaski
- Theodore Roszak
- Jan Sawka
- Florian Znaniecki
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Related Databases
Unless otherwise noted, these online research tools are available at all Chicago Public Library locations and from home, school, or work with a Chicago Public Library card.
Gale Virtual Reference Library »
This collection of encyclopedias and other reference works is a great place to start your exploration of the experiences and contributions of Polish Americans. Read a short overview of Polish American history, learn about Pulaski Day, or discover why Poles came to the U.S. and what they found here in an article on eastern European immigration.
JSTOR »
Search older issues of journals such as Polish American Studies and the Journal of American Ethnic History.
Available at Chicago Public Library locations only.
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Featured CPL Collections and Programs
- Celebrating Diversity: Polish American Heritage Month »
Every October, the Chicago Public Library celebrates the achievements and contributions of Polish Americans through events and exhibits and by highlighting selected library resources.
Helpful Websites
- Encyclopedia of Chicago »
Find articles on Poles, Polonia, the Polish National Alliance, the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America and the Dziennik Zwizkowy in this unique resource sponsored by the Chicago History Museum, the Newberry Library and Northwestern University.
- National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame and Museum »
This site recognizes many individuals of Polish heritage with achievements in sports and offers a short biography and photograph for each inductee.
- Immigration...: The Changing Face of America
This site for students from the Library of Congress explores the immigration of many groups to the Unites States including Poles.
- A Family Corresponds: Polish Immigrants in the Early 20th century »
What was life like for people immigrating to the U.S. a hundred years ago? Find out firsthand through these excerpts from the letters of immigrants Adam and Helena Raczkowski to their sister back in Poland.
- Ethnic Women of Cleveland: An Oral History Project »
In 1986, Jeanette Tuve of Cleveland State University conducted interviews with women of eastern European birth or heritage. Read or listen to 11 of those interviews, in which the women reflect on their experiences of building homes and communities in America while retaining their ethnic traditions.
- The Polish Community in Metro Chicago »
This report, based on Census 2000 statistics and published by the Polish American Association, gives a snapshot of today's Polish American community in Chicago along with historical information about its development.