In a powerful gesture of reconciliation, Germany has returned a collection of priceless historical artefacts to Poland — items that were looted during the brutal Nazi occupation of World War II. The handover took place in Berlin on the 35th anniversary of the Polish-German Treaty of Good Neighbourship and Friendly Cooperation, adding deep symbolic weight to the occasion.
Among the returned treasures: a 14th-century manuscript containing the medieval Polish hymn Gaude Mater Polonia (“Rejoice, Mother Poland”) and a ring that once belonged to 16th-century Polish King Sigismund I the Old. Also returned were 11 miniature railway exhibits stolen from the former Railway Museum in Warsaw.
Gaude Mater Polonia — A Medieval Masterpiece Returns
The Gaude Mater Polonia manuscript is one of the most significant pieces of Polish cultural heritage. Written in the 14th century, it contains both the text and musical notation of the medieval hymn that became a symbol of Polish identity and resilience. Before the war, it was held at the Płock Theological Seminary Library. After invading Germany took over the seminary in 1939, the holdings were transported to Germany.
The manuscript was only identified in 2023 by a Polish researcher working in the collections of the Berlin State Library — ending decades of uncertainty about its whereabouts.
The Ring of King Sigismund I
The ring belonging to King Sigismund I (1467–1548) was part of Poland’s famous Czartoryski collection before the war. It was looted by German forces in September 1939, shortly after the invasion of Poland. In 1963, it was acquired from a private collection by the Pforzheim Jewellery Museum in Germany, where it remained until now.
In May 2026, the city council of Pforzheim adopted a resolution to return the ring to Poland, where it will be handed over to the Czartoryski Museum in Kraków. The formal handover ceremony in Berlin was attended by Polish Culture Minister Marta Cienkowska.
A Long Road to Restitution
The Nazi-German occupation of Poland from 1939 to 1945 resulted in the deaths of millions of Polish citizens, the destruction of cities, and the looting of hundreds of thousands of artistic, historical, and scientific items. Many remain unaccounted for — the Polish culture ministry’s public database of missing works still contains tens of thousands of items.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski celebrated the returns on social media, calling it “a good day for Poland and Polish-German relations.” Culture Minister Cienkowska noted that the developments continue a “historic opening” from 2025 that saw Germany return dozens of other looted medieval documents.
Ongoing Efforts
Poland’s restitution efforts extend far beyond Germany. The culture ministry reports there are over 200 ongoing restitution proceedings in 18 countries. In recent years, Poland has secured the return of looted items from Japan, Denmark, and Spain. Last year, Poland also returned 91 Jewish religious objects to Greece that were stolen by the Germans from Greek Jews during the Holocaust — demonstrating Poland’s commitment to cultural justice on all sides.
Objects of Identity
“Objects of immense significance, priceless for Polish culture and Polish identity, looted during World War Two, are returning to Poland,” said Culture Minister Cienkowska. Each returned piece represents not just an artefact, but a fragment of national memory restored.
As Poland continues to seek the return of its lost cultural treasures, moments like these serve as a reminder that history, no matter how painful, can move toward healing.
Source: Notes from Poland, June 17, 2026