Student Scientific Circle "Nawigator" Investigates in Search of Traces of "Dar Pomorza" in Sweden
Students of the GMU Faculty of Navigation recently travelled to Sweden on a mission to find traces of the "Dar Pomorza" in Stockholm, where the ship was interned from 1939 until 1945. Following the trip, the students put together a report on their findings to date.
The "Dar Pomorza" waited out the Second World War in Stockholm in neutral Sweden, but the sources available on the topic are scarce. We are Karolina, Kinga, and Olaf, students of navigation, who were sent to find evidence of the events of 1939-1945. The project was the idea of and initiated by was the late Professor Bogumił Łączyński.
We began our visit with a meeting at the embassy where we were welcomed by the ambassador, who talked of her interest in the project and her desire to help. Already on the second day of our trip, we made what we believe to be a significant discovery, which puts in doubt the actual place where the "Dar Pomorza" was moored during this time.
We also received help to trace the "Dar's" movements from Mr and Mrs Andrzejewski and Elżbieta Szwejkowska-Olsson of the Congress of Poles in Sweden. During a meeting at the Polish Independence Organisation Centre, we saw the remains of the ship's library. These books were transferred to the Polish Library not only from the "Dar Pomorza" but also from submarines. The aim was to create a collection that Poles in Stockholm could use during the war. We also familiarised ourselves with the history of Polish organisations in Sweden and were given advice on which archives were worth visiting.
As part of the Polish Heritage Days event organised by the ambassador, we presented an open-air exhibition on the project and joined in with the organisation of a banquet on board the Dar Młodzieży.
After a mass for our homeland, we went to lay flowers on the grave of "Dar Pomorza" Bosman Jan "Waju" Leszczyński, which was a great relief as there was a serious concern that the grave had been removed.
During our second visit to the Polish Independence Organisation Centre, we met Jolanta Halkiewicz, who visited the "Dar Pomorza" during its wartime internment.
The trip was a success. As well as the discovery of unknown facts, we also made many contacts. Further research will include Swedish archive collections. In the future, we are planning to produce a publication explaining the inaccuracies in the literature concerning the mooring of the frigate. The ambassador has expressed her desire to continue our cooperation and organise meetings with the Polish community in Stockholm.
Karolina Miszke, Kinga Żochowska, Olaf Kocur
