Minister Sikorski on the Polish diplomatic corps in 1939-1945

7 May 2014

Minister Sikorski on the Polish diplomatic corps in 1939-1945

"The Polish state did not disappear with the loss of its territory. Polish diplomats remained fast in their mission to represent Poland during the occupation," said minister Radosław Sikorski about the activities of the Polish diplomatic and consular corps in the years 1939-1945. Mr. Sikorski was joined by Deputy Marshal of the Polish Sejm, Cezary Grabarczyk, at the May 7 opening of an exhibition dedicated to the activities of the MFA and leading figures in the Polish diplomatic and consular service during that period.
During the ceremony the newly-published album "Polish diplomacy during World War II" was presented. In the Sejm, the chief of Poland's foreign affairs gave a presentation on the MFA's activities in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II.

The richly-illustrated publication and the exhibition prepared by the MFA's Department of Historical Knowledge demonstrate how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs functioned in difficult wartime circumstances. While the Polish state was under occupation, the government continued operating in exile while hundreds of thousands of Polish citizens abroad sought assistance and aid from the country's diplomatic outposts. Both projects contain profiles of diplomats active during the war, as well as of the seats of Polish diplomatic missions on every continent in the world.

Recalling the anniversary of the war's eruption, Mr. Sikorski emphasized the exceptional challenge facing Polish diplomacy in 1939. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its leadership and employees worked to represent the Polish national interest before the international community. They continued a public mission that transformed in a time of war into an exceptional testament to their patriotism and sense of civic duty.

The album is available in a dual-language edition from Wydawnictwo Sejmowe, the publishing wing of the Polish parliament. The exhibition will be open to parliamentarians and guests of the Sejm until May 9.