Stuart Dowell on Muck Rack

Stuart Dowell

Verified
Warsaw
Covers:  Poland, World War Two, concentration camps, the Holocaust, communist terror, Polish history, stolen art, Polish news, Polish culture, Polish art, Polish cinema, Polish business and economy
Political editor at TVP World. Polish and CEE politics. Commentary, analysis & opinion. Warsaw-based. Views strictly my own.

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'She escaped from a death camp by hiding under dead bodies:' UK newspaper readers uncover extraor...

'She escaped from a death camp by hiding under dead bodies:' UK newspaper readers uncover extraor...

The First News — The extraordinary life of a Polish women fondly known as 'Polish Anna' has been uncovered by readers in the UK after a local paper ran a series of photos of her found in an old skip. Publishing a feature inviting readers to share their memories, the Telegraph & Argus newspaper in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, was quickly inundated with fond reminiscences.

Specialists prepare biggest underwater WWII bomb detonation in Europe as over 750 locals evacuate...

Specialists prepare biggest underwater WWII bomb detonation in Europe as over 750 locals evacuate...

The First News — The biggest underwater bomb disposal operation ever to take place in Europe in which one of the largest bombs of WWII will be made safe starts today near Szczecin in northwest Poland.

Grandest slam: Świątek makes tennis history by becoming first Pole to win grand-slam singles titl...

Grandest slam: Świątek makes tennis history by becoming first Pole to win grand-slam singles titl...

The First News — Iga Świątek brushed aside her opponent Sofia Kenin in straight sets to become the first Pole to win one of the coveted grand slam titles, in a victory already being hailed as one of the greatest achievements in the history of Polish sport.

Knight without fear and conqueror of Moscow, today marks 400th anniversary of Stanisław Żółkiewsk...

Knight without fear and conqueror of Moscow, today marks 400th anniversary of Stanisław Żółkiewsk...

The First News — Four hundred years ago today, the head of Stanisław Żółkiewski, one of Poland's greatest ever military leaders, was chopped off by Ottoman Janissaries, placed on a spike and sent to the Sultan in Constantinople, where he used it to decorate the entrance to his palace.

'Art heist of the century' inspires new film - but the facts are far more compelling than the fic...

'Art heist of the century' inspires new film - but the facts are far more compelling than the fic...

The First News — Gallery attendants at Poznań's National Museum are strictly forbidden from wearing high-heeled shoes. This unusual regulation has been in place ever since a quiet Sunday afternoon in 2000 when a young art student sat quietly sketching a painting alongside the gallery's pride and joy, Monet's Beach in Pourville.

Rare 'Caterpillar Club' pin awarded to Spitfire Ace who helped pioneer The Great Escape up for au...

Rare 'Caterpillar Club' pin awarded to Spitfire Ace who helped pioneer The Great Escape up for au...

The First News — A gold pin awarded to a Polish pilot who was one of the heroes of the Great Escape is being sold at auction in the United Kingdom. Spitfire ace Stanisław Król was awarded the badge when he joined the ranks of the unofficial Caterpillar Club for RAF pilots who successfully bailed out of their damaged aircraft by parachute.

Long-forgotten document found by retired carpenter reveals extraordinary tale of WWII heroism

Long-forgotten document found by retired carpenter reveals extraordinary tale of WWII heroism

The First News — The chance finding of a WWII German labour camp document issued to one of its Jewish slave workers has revealed the astonishing story of how four separate groups of Holocaust rescuers helped a family of Polish Jews during the war and allowed three of them avoid annihilation.

Missing artwork thought looted during WWII returned to Kraków after being found in Warsaw

Missing artwork thought looted during WWII returned to Kraków after being found in Warsaw

The First News — A prized Polish painting stolen by Nazi Germany's head of occupied Poland Hans Frank has been returned to the National Museum in Kraków after 80 years - after being found in Warsaw.

Cops seize 300 Nazi-German documents put online for sale

Cops seize 300 Nazi-German documents put online for sale

The First News — Nearly 300 Nazi-German documents have been seized by Polish cops after being illegally put online for sale. The documents from the Gestapo, Hitler Youth and the Nazi Party were recovered in the Polish capital Warsaw where they were being sold for 59,000 PLN.

German ambassador "can neither justify nor condemn" father who served Hitler in Berlin bunker

German ambassador "can neither justify nor condemn" father who served Hitler in Berlin bunker

The First News — Germany's new ambassador to Poland has refused to condemn the role his father played in World War Two as an adjutant in Adolf Hitler's bunker under the Reich Chancellery in Berlin where he served the Führer by preparing intelligence reports that helped him run the Third Reich in the last days of the war.

Five European museum directors explain their reopening strategies

Five European museum directors explain their reopening strategies

The Art Newspaper — The closure of Europe's museums was swift. Three months on, their reawakening is a slower, more anxious transition, dictated by government orders and public health guidance. Preventing museum-goers from touching the art suddenly pales next to the challenges of welcoming them back during a pandemic-ensuring they keep a safe distance from staff, each other and common surfaces.

28 tonnes of Nazi gold could be hidden under a palace in Poland

28 tonnes of Nazi gold could be hidden under a palace in Poland

Daily Mail — Researchers claim to have uncovered a diary written by an SS officer involved in hiding Nazi treasures They say it names 11 locations where billions in plundered wealth was stashed at the end of Second World War One is at the bottom of a destroyed well shaft at Hochberg Palace,

Europe's OLDEST time capsule is discovered in a Polish church spire

Europe's OLDEST time capsule is discovered in a Polish church spire

Daily Mail — The capsule was discovered hidden in a church spire during renovation on the building in Ziebice, Poland Documents within refer to the construction of the 18th century church, written in German and dated 1797 A time capsule found in Boston from 1795 is believed to be the oldest ever found The oldest time capsule in Europe, and the second oldest in the world, has been found hidden inside a church spire.

Nazi photo album made from HUMAN SKIN is discovered

Nazi photo album made from HUMAN SKIN is discovered

Daily Mail — Gruesome photo album made from skin of Nazi victims found at market in Poland It was handed over after buyer noticed cover had 'human hair' and 'a bad smell' Museum experts say skin came from inmate murdered at Buchenwald camp A gruesome WWII photo album made from the skin of Nazi death camp victims has been found at a bric-a-brac antiques market in Poland.

Remains of Polish women killed at Ravensbruck concentration camp found

Remains of Polish women killed at Ravensbruck concentration camp found

Daily Mail — Two metal plaques were also uncovered at the Furstenberg cemetery The plaques named Henryka and Małgorzata Dembowska as two of the victims It's thought they were executed at all-female concentration camp in Germany Remains of Polish women killed in the all-female Ravensbruck concentration camp have been discovered at a nearby cemetery in northern Germany.

Nazi diary 'reveals ELEVEN secret treasure hauls hidden in Poland'

Nazi diary 'reveals ELEVEN secret treasure hauls hidden in Poland'

Daily Mail — Diary of SS Officer Egon Ollenhauer unveiled by German Freemasons lodge It allegedly shows that Hitler ordered 260 trucks of 'treasures' to be hidden Diary reportedly reveals the 11 locations in Poland where they were taken One location 'contains 28 tonnes of gold from a Polish branch of the Reichsbank' The wartime diary of a Nazi officer which claims hundreds of trucks filled with gold, looted art and valuables are hidden across Poland has been unveiled.

Museum of Warsaw: Revisited | Warsaw Insider

Museum of Warsaw: Revisited | Warsaw Insider

warsawinsider.pl — Baffling, contradictory but also compelling, the Insider explores the new additions to the acclaimed Museum of Warsaw... BY STUART DOWELL | PHOTOS BY KEVIN DEMARIA The watercolor hawkers on the market square have been selling picturesque scenes of Old Town for years. In the future though, a typical scene might...

A daring escape from internment and a treacherous route through sea mines secured the Orzeł subma...

A daring escape from internment and a treacherous route through sea mines secured the Orzeł subma...

The First News — The wartime history of the Polish submarine the Orzeł is one of the most spectacular, daring and improbable stories from the high seas during the Second World War. Trapped in the port in Tallinn, the pride of the Polish underwater fleet made an audacious escape under fire, followed by a miraculous journey without navigational aids to Britain in waters infested with German vessels intent on sinking it.

UK honours daring Polish agent who became Churchill's favourite spy

UK honours daring Polish agent who became Churchill's favourite spy

The First News — Winston Churchill's favourite spy Krystyna Skarbek has finally been officially remembered in the United Kingdom by the unveiling of a commemorative Blue Plaque in her honour. She was the inspiration for James Bond femme Vespa Lynd, and was Britain's first female spy during World War Two as well as its longest-serving secret agent.

Remembering the Polish anti-Soviet independence movement founded 75 years ago

Remembering the Polish anti-Soviet independence movement founded 75 years ago

The First News — History | Podcasts JOHN BEAUCHAMP September 19, 2020 We take a look at the Freedom and Independence movement formed to combat Soviet terror in Poland following World War 2. In the show, host John Beauchamp talks to TFN history expert Stuart Dowell on an article he wrote about the Freedom and Independence movement formed of ex-Home Army members to help fight against Soviet control of Poland after World War 2.

Nazi horror camp for Polish children: new book reveals 'heart-breaking' accounts from survivors o...

Nazi horror camp for Polish children: new book reveals 'heart-breaking' accounts from survivors o...

The First News — Instead of cuddles and bedtime stories, Polish children as young as two would hear " Achtung! Raus! Polnische Schweine!" barked at them by degenerate German guards who treated them like animals.

Gunned down and buried alive. Polish body hunters find WWII boy hero

Gunned down and buried alive. Polish body hunters find WWII boy hero

The First News — The body of a seven-year-old boy who was buried alive by the Germans during WWII has been uncovered near Białystok. The boy was machine gunned as he raced to warn his parents about the approach of German soldiers. Now, after 77 years, he can be laid to rest alongside his mother and father.

UK memorial to Polish pilots gets upgrade to mark 80th anniversary of Battle of Britain

UK memorial to Polish pilots gets upgrade to mark 80th anniversary of Battle of Britain

The First News — The Polish Air Force Memorial in London has been boosted to Grade II* status making it one of Britain's most valued heritage sites. The announcement by Historic England, an independent body that champions the UK's historic sites, was made to coincide with Battle of Britain Day on September 15, which this year marks the 80th anniversary of the battle.

The systematic massacre of all children under 10 will forever be a stain on humanity, says TFN's ...

The systematic massacre of all children under 10 will forever be a stain on humanity, says TFN's ...

The First News — When men from the SS entered the Łódź Ghetto to take away all the young Jewish children, the effect on the parents was literally paralysing. In a state of overwhelming and total fear, many mothers were unable to move or lift a hand. Those who resisted were simply shot.
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