Gordon Swoger - The Strange Odyssey of Polands National Treasures, 1939-1961: A Polish-Canadian Story

Poland, 1939. Facing an imminent Nazi invasion, the decision is made to transport some of the countrys most ancient and valuable historical objects to prevent their plunder by the invading army. After a perilous journey that takes them through Romania, France, and England in search of a safe haven, the royal treasures arrive in Canada, where they are expected to remain for the duration of the war. However, the treasures odyssey has only begun. The wars end marks the beginning of a rivalry between Polands wartime government-in-exile, operating out of London, and a newly established Communist government in Warsaw. While both sides vie for control of the treasures, their custodians in Canada spirit them away. Over the next 16 years the struggle ensnares the Roman Catholic Church, the RCMP, the federal government, and the Quebec government, led by the strong-willed Maurice Duplessis. All the while, the outcry from the people of Poland, who believe the treasures have been stolen by the very country meant to protect them, grows louder. Canada, 1961. The release of the historic treasures is finally negotiated and they are returned to their native soil. The strange odyssey ends where it began, with the treasures returned to the very castle from which they were removed, after an absence of more than two decades.