Safeguarding Poland’s Crown Jewels during a period of uncertainty

A journey from Wawel Castle to BMO vault

During a time of war and uncertainty, a quiet act of stewardship unfolded in the heart of Canada and linked the Bank of Montreal to a centuries-old legacy of Polish history, art, and resilience. One that will be re-explored this year, with help of the BMO Corporate Archives team, in an upcoming documentary produced by some of Poland’s most prominent cultural and academic institutions: the National Library of Poland, the Fryderyk Chopin Institute, and Polish Television.

But first… a lesson in history on the Polish Treasures

When Nazi forces invaded Poland in 1939, a priceless collection of cultural treasures were making their way out of the country for safekeeping, thanks to the efforts of a few brave individuals. Known as the Polish Treasures, the collection included royal regalia, sacred manuscripts, cultural heirlooms, and artistic masterpieces. They were first moved from Poland to Paris, then to London, England after Paris was invaded. Finally, they were shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to Canada to avoid the air raids across the U.K. and threat of German invasion.

Its guardians throughout were Dr. Stanislaw Swierz-Zaleski, Chief Curator of Wawel Castle where the treasures were originally kept in Poland, and Josef Polkowski, a devoted engineer who would spend 21 years protecting the treasures.  

With the help of Dr. Waclaw Babinski, the Polish Minister to Canada, arrangements were made to deposit two large steamer trunks at the Bank of Montreal’s Ottawa Main Branch under their names on March 2, 1945. Other trunks were sent to other locations for safekeeping in Canada. They  were deposited as personal belongings, but in reality, held some of Poland’s most treasured artefacts, including:  

• The Szczerbiec, the ceremonial sword used in the coronations of most Polish monarchs from 1320 to 1764 
• The sword and sceptre of King Stanislaw Augustus Poniatowski 
• Prayer book of Queen Bona, who reigned from 1518 to 1548 
• A two volume Gutenburg Bible, which is recognized as the first major book printed in Europe using movable type  
• A 12th-century Psalter from the Pelplin Seminary 
• A golden goblet, worked in enamel and encrusted with precious gems 
• 20 original manuscripts from Polish composer, Fryderyk Chopin, including several works entitled “Polonaise”  

Preservation, bank policy and diplomacy  

By the mid-1950s, concerns about deterioration prompted renewed efforts to return the treasures to Poland. Legal and diplomatic complexities arose, as BMO stood firm on its policy that both depositors’ signatures were required for release. With Zaleski deceased and Polkowski unwilling, negotiations stretched on until 1958, when the Polish government agreed to indemnify the bank of any loss or damage. 

Just before Christmas that year, the trunks were opened, photographed, and documented, and copies of Chopin’s manuscripts were made in case of disaster during transport. BMO released the trunks in January 1959 and under strict secrecy, the treasures were transported to New York then shipped across the ocean back to Warsaw, arriving safely on February 3. 

From vault to film: BMO Archives in action 

Today, this remarkable story is being revived through a documentary currently in production and slated to be released in 2026. It will, in part, tell the story of how the care and responsibility of institutions like BMO helped the cultural treasures survive the war, political disputes, and eventually saw them returned to Poland. The BMO Corporate Archives Team is actively supporting the filmmaker by providing historical records, correspondence, and inventories from the 1950s that detail BMO’s role in safeguarding the treasures. 

With facilities in Canada and the U.S., our Archives team preserves the banks history, tells the story of BMO’s evolution in communities, banking and technology, and powers our BMO History site and museum. They also act as the central repository for permanent legal records and sensitive documents, ensuring that stories like the safeguarding of the Polish Treasures are not only remembered, but can be shared with new generations.