WWII

Astonishing story of unsung WWII hero premieres in captivating new documentary

Tank commander General Stanisław Maczek’s life is portrayed in the first online screening of the film ‘Invincible. The story of General Stanisław Maczek’ and marks the 128th anniversary of the general’s birth earlier this week. Public domain

With his unconventional, intelligent command and axiom "A Polish soldier fights for the freedom of all nations, but dies only for Poland" General Stanisław Maczek’s soldiers spearheaded the Allied drive through Western Europe, playing a key role in the  liberation of France, Belgium and Holland. Using dramatized scenes, the new documentary follows his path through Ukraine, Poland, France, the Netherlands and finally Scotland, where after the war he ended up working as a hotel barman.

The incredible true story of the men who took on the Gestapo to save a friend

Operation Arsenal, which took place 77 years ago today, was to go down in history as one of the most daring prison breaks of the Second Word War. And yet few have ever heard of it. TFN's Joanna Jasińska looks back at the events surrounding one of WWII's lesser-known bitter-sweet triumphs.

Gone but not forgotten: Warsaw’s largest hiding place for WWII Jews remembered

The Krysia bunker, named after the Polish word for hideout ‘kryjówka’, was the largest hiding place for Jews outside the Warsaw Ghetto, the longest lasting and the largest rescue operation of its kind in occupied Warsaw. On the National Day of Poles Saving Jews, TFN’s Stuart Dowell looks back at the place now marked by only a small remembrance plaque. 

One man’s quest to uncover the human stories behind hidden WWII treasures

History sleuth Łukasz Kazek has spent years uncovering long-forgotten treasures and researching the histories of the people who hid them. The result is a fascinating new documentary called Powiernik (Confidant).

Looted 15th century art considered ‘one of the most valuable items stolen’ returned after nearly 80 years

The ‘Pietas Domini’ gothic altar painting from 1435, known as the Throne of Grace, hung in Gdańsk’s St. Mary's Basilica until May 1942, when German art conservators dismantled it and took it deep into Nazi Germany. 

Captivating new book takes refreshingly insightful look at the reconstruction of Warsaw through the eyes of those on the frontline

Three years in the making, the book by renowned architecture Grzegorz Piątek casts a new spin on the reconstruction of the capital whilst also seeking to celebrate the unsung heroes that helped mould the city we see today.

The man who dared enter the unknown: Henry N. Cobb, who has died at the age of 93, made history with his powerful photos of post-war Warsaw

“Cobb’s images are an illuminating glimpse into the past, and a credit to a man who captured for eternity this powerful crossroads in history,” says TFN’s Alex Webber as he looks back at the man dubbed the “premiere colour documentalist of the reconstruction of Warsaw”.  

Incredible true story of WWII teenager who risked everything to save the lives of 13 Jews retold in ‘harrowing’ new novel

Described by critics as “beautifully written and meticulously researched”, the Light in Hidden Places “captures the extraordinary story of one of history's hidden heroes.” TFN’s Stuart Dowell takes a closer look at the extraordinary story of Holocaust heroine Stefania Podgórska.

The invisible ink which revealed concentration camp horrors

In the darkest recesses of Hitler’s hellish concentration camp system, four young Polish Girl Guides were desperate for the world to know about the barbaric experiments that were being carried out on them.

The hero insurgent who interviewed a Nazi monster after they found themselves sharing a Stalinist cell

On the anniversary of resistance hero Kazimierz Moczarski being incarcerated with Jurgen Stroop, the man who hunted down and quashed the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, TFN’s Alex Webber looks back at the incredible story of their shared confinement and the book that emerged exploring what “led certain Germans to become genocidal killers.”

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