Polish Heritage in the US Capital: 9 Important Sites in Washington, D.C.
Statues, shrines and… an extremely famous lunar dune buggy? This list of significant Polish heritage sites in Washington, D.C. will make anyone’s trip to the United States capital impossible to forget.
Cześć – nice to see you there! My name is Brooke, and I’m a student at the University of Michigan working virtually with Culture.pl’s English section this summer. Although the pandemic has certainly made these working circumstances unusual (think: working from my bedroom in Ann Arbor rather than in Warsaw), I’m having a great time learning about the Polish culture all around me here in the United States! Stay tuned for more articles on Polish American culture and heritage – from myself and my wonderful co-intern Claire – through our ‘My Virtual Summer in Poland’ series.
As someone from the greater Washington, D.C. area, it was always clear that some of America’s most important historical sites were only a short Metro train ride away. But I only recently learned that I’ve been living in proximity to some of the most significant markers of Polish American heritage nearly all my life! Below are nine notable sites around the United States capital that symbolise the wide-ranging impact of Poles on American history.
Statue of General Tadeusz Kościuszko in Lafayette Park
One cultural site in particular stuck out to me when compiling research for this piece – the monument to the Polish engineer and military leader General Tadeusz Kościuszko in Lafayette Park. Why? Because like anyone who’s ever visited the White House, I’ve passed by it a million times before!
Situated on the edge of Lafayette Square, a public park located directly north of the White House, this granite-and-bronze statue of General Kościuszko is positioned in one of the most heavily trafficked locations in all of Washington, D.C. As one of the square’s four monuments commemorating foreign Revolutionary War heroes, the statue occupies the northeast corner of the park – where it’s accompanied by other monuments of the Marquis de Lafayette, Comte Jean de Rochembeau and Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. The piece was created by the Polish sculptor Antoni Popiel in 1907 as part of an international design competition and unveiled at the park in May of 1910.
The statue itself bears much to admire – the bronze embodiment of Poland’s most famous military leader is flanked by intricate figures symbolising his contributions in the American Revolutionary War. But I find it especially interesting that an exact copy of this memorial stands in the heart of Warsaw. Nearly 100 years after the original statue was unveiled, a copy of the monument designed by the sculptors Wojciech and Anna Siek was presented in Poland’s capital in November 2010 (only three kilometres from Culture.pl’s office!). Needless to say, I made it my top priority to visit the site on my last trip home, as evidenced by this picture of me at the monument during a thunderstorm.
Picture display
standardowy (864px desktop)
Author Brooke Weichel at the statue of General Tadeusz Kościuszko in Lafayette Park, Washington, D.C., photo: courtesy of the author
Picture image
img_2791.jpg
Statue of General Casimir Pulaski in Freedom Plaza
Picture display
standardowy (864px desktop)
Equestrian statue of Casimir Pulaski in Freedom Plaza, Washington, D.C., photo: APK / Wikipedia.org
Picture image
equestrian_statue_of_casimir_pulaski_9.jpg
Washington, D.C. is home to not one, but two notable monuments of Polish military heroes. This bronze equestrian statue of General Casimir Pulaski – born in Warsaw as Kazimierz Pułaski – is located at the east end of Freedom Plaza.
Designed by the sculptor Kazimierz Chodzinski and the architect Albert P. Ross, the monument was unveiled in May 1910 and presents General Pulaski on a horse wearing a Polish marshal’s uniform. Like the Kościuszko statue in Lafayette Square, this monument is constructed from bronze and granite. The pedestal bears the names of the Revolutionary War battles that Pulaski participated in.
Casimir Pulaski’s important role in American history continues to be celebrated in the US today, more than 200 years after his death. Known as ‘the Father of the American cavalry’, General Pulaski’s role in both the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the American Revolutionary War has resulted in lasting commemorations throughout the United States. In addition to the many American statues, bridges, streets, and even state counties named for Pulaski, the state of Illinois celebrates Casimir Pulaski day every year on the first Monday in March. President Barack Obama also signed a congressional resolution in 2009 that conferred honorary US citizenship to Pulaski, making him the seventh out of only eight people to ever receive this honour.
Grave of Matt Urban in Arlington National Cemetery
Picture display
standardowy (864px desktop)
Headstone of US Army Lt. Col. Matt Urban in Section 7A of Arlington National Cemetery, Oct. 28, 2019, photo: Elizabeth Fraser / Arlington National Cemetery / released to Wikipedia.org
Picture image
medal_of_honor_headstones_in_section_7a_48980846587.jpg
Did you know that one of the most decorated soldiers in US history was a Polish American? Born Matthew Louis Urbanowicz, Lieutenant Colonel Matt Urban of the United States Army was awarded 29 different medals and awards for his military service in Europe in World War II.
Urban’s enduring legacy stems from the many heroic actions he carried out in WWII, often while dealing with severe injuries. Nicknamed ‘the Ghost’ for his ability to continue fighting while wounded, Urban was bestowed the prestigious Medal of Honor by President Jimmy Carter in 1980. His grave, pictured above, is located in Section 7A (Grave 40) at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Embassy of the Republic of Poland
Picture display
standardowy (864px desktop)
Embassy of Poland at 2640 16th Street, NW in Washington, D.C., photo: Josh Carolina / Wikipedia.org
Picture image
embassy_of_poland_washington.jpg
Though Washington, D.C. is packed with over 170 embassies and consulates, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland shouldn’t be overlooked. The main chancery building, pictured in the above photograph, is located at 2640 16th St NW, while the Ambassador’s residence is located on Whitehaven Street, in Washington’s famous ‘Embassy Row’ neighbourhood.
Originally intended to be the home of a US Senator, the chancery building was completed in 1910 and purchased by the newly independent Polish state in 1919. As most of the chancery’s original elements have remained unchanged since its completion, the building boasts a unique array of French- and English-inspired architectural features. The chancery is also home to numerous pieces of Polish artwork from varying eras, as well as a Steinway piano belonging to the late Polish Prime Minister, musician, and patriot Ignacy Jan Paderewski.
Bench Statue of Jan Karski on Georgetown University’s Campus
Picture display
standardowy (864px desktop)
Jan Karski bench statue on the Georgetown University campus, photo: Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, D.C.
Picture image
laweczka_karskiego_fot.jpg
Amidst the sight of students studying, chatting, or throwing frisbees on Georgetown University’s Copley Lawn, you’ll find a life-sized bench statue of Jan Karski, the famous Polish diplomat and resistance-fighter.
Karski, who is widely known for his role reporting secret information about the atrocities of the Holocaust to the Polish government-in-exile and their Western allies, received his doctorate from the school’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, where he eventually took a position as a professor. He stayed on teaching at Georgetown for four decades until his retirement in 1984, continuing to speak out against antisemitism and advocating for democracy in Poland.
The statue was formally dedicated in September 2002 during a ceremony attended by the then-Minister of Foreign Affairs Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz. Karski’s legacy is also honoured in Washington, D.C. at the American Center of Polish Culture in their Jan Karski Room.
Lunar Roving Vehicle Qualification Test Unit – National Air and Space Museum
Picture display
standardowy (864px desktop)
Apollo 15 Lunar Roving Vehicle on the moon, 1971, photo: NASA
Picture image
lunar_roving_vehicleas_nasa_.jpg
Used in the final three missions of the Apollo program (15, 16, & 17), the famous American Lunar Roving Vehicle or, ‘moon buggy’, remains an iconic object from the era of the Space Race. Few know, however, that the rover is actually the brainchild of a Polish scientist!
After moving to the US from Poland, the engineer Mieczysław Bekker became involved in a 1961 NASA competition to design a vehicle to travel on the moon. Bekker’s idea (inspired by Jerzy Żuławski's moon rover from his 1903 novel On the Silver Globe), which he co-authored with fellow Warsaw University of Technology graduate Stanisław Rogalski, was eventually selected as the winning entry years later. Bekker went on to conceive the technological solutions that allowed the Lunar Roving Vehicle to travel on the moon’s surface and also assisted in the vehicle’s design and construction.
Even though the three units actually driven on the lunar surface were left on the moon, a close replica of the Lunar Roving Vehicle – the ‘Qualification Test Unit’ used to test the vehicle in extreme conditions – is on display in D.C.’s Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
‘Christ in Majesty’ Mural – Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Picture display
standardowy (864px desktop)
‘Christ Pantocrator’ by Jan Henryk de Rosen, National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C., photo: Denobili / Wikipedia.org
Picture image
jan_henryk_rosen_christ_pantocrator_washington_dc.jpg
A Polish painter whose long career led him to equate his number of works to ‘pebbles on the shore of the sea’, Jan Henryk de Rosen’s Christ in Majesty mural in the National Shrine’s North Apse is an unforgettable example of the artist’s many murals and mosaics located in churches around the globe.
De Rosen’s depiction of Jesus, pictured above, is a truly spectacular piece of art, with the length between each hand measuring 34 feet (10.36 metres). Along with this mural at the Roman Catholic National Shrine, more of de Rosen’s work can be viewed at the Washington National Cathedral in the Chapel of St. Joseph of Arimathea, an Episcopalian church.
The Polish Library in Washington
Picture display
standardowy (864px desktop)
The Polish Library in Washington, D.C., photo: http://polishlibrary.org
Picture image
polish_library_in_washington_.jpg
Looking to immerse yourself in Polish books, films and community events while in Washington D.C.? Look no further than the Polish Library in Washington (PLIW), located right next to D.C.’s famous Dupont Circle!
Established in 1991 by Tadeusz Walendowski and a group of volunteers, the PLIW’s mission is to promote Polish culture to a large audience while bringing together the Polish community in the Washington, D.C. area. On top of the library’s collection of more than 7,000 books and hundreds of films, the PLIW publishes the Polish-language newsletter, Polish Library News, and organises an annual picnic and Christmas-caroling event at the Polish Embassy.
The library is currently housed in the basement of the Embassy of Poland’s Economic and Commercial Section at 1503 21st St NW.
Saint John Paul II National Shrine
Picture display
standardowy (864px desktop)
Photo of the exterior of the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., photo: Saint John Paul II National Shrine
Picture image
exterior_of_the_saint_john_paul_ii_national_shrine_in_washington_dc.jpg
The legacy of Poland’s most famous religious figure lives on strongly in the nation’s capital, with an entire shrine built in 2011 to honour Saint John Paul II in the Brookland neighbourhood of Washington, D.C.
An initiative brought to life by the Knights of Columbus, the shrine serves as a ‘place of worship, religious formation, and cultural renewal’ for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. The original idea was conceived in a 1989 meeting between then-Bishop Adam Maida and the late Pope himself – where the Pope suggested that the shrine remain a place for visitors to explore the faith rather than take on a library-like setting.
The Saint John Paul II National Shrine is located near the Catholic University of America and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and offers various opportunities for pilgrims to ‘encounter Jesus Christ through the life and teachings of St. John Paul II’.
Written by Brooke Weichel, Jun 2021