11th June 2:30pm (Corner of Broad Street & Newmarket Avenue) + Exhibition & Talk

The Polish Cultural Institute in London were pleased to be able to support an initiative of the Anglo-Polish Society in Bristol and the South West for the installation of a plaque commemorating the stay of freedom fighter, abolitionist and Polish national hero, Tadeusz Kosciuszko in the city of Bristol in 1797.

Funded by the Polish Cultural Institute London, the plaque will be unveiled on the 11th June at 2:30pm on a building on the corner of Broad Street and Newmarket Avenue which was the site of the former White Lion Inn where Tadeusz Kościuszko stayed on his way back to America.

Kosciuszko was one of the most famous men in the world at the time of his Bristol visit, following his earlier role in the American War of Independence and his role in movements against serfdom and slavery. He was also highly admired by Romantic poets of the time, among them Lord Byron.

The unveiling will take place in the company of VIP guests including The Lord Lieutenant of Bristol, High Sheriff of Bristol, The Lord Mayor of Bristol, the Director of the Polish Cultural Institute in London and the President of The Anglo Polish Society Bristol and the South West, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland for Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset, Bristol.

Accompanying the unveiling, from Saturday 8 June to Sunday 23 June, the Anglo Polish Society Bristol and the South West is organising an exhibition in the exhibition space on the first floor of Bristol Central Library about the relevance of Tadeusz Kościuszko’s visit to Bristol, and how he was celebrated by the abolitionists and romantics.

In addition, on Saturday, June 15, at 3 p.m. at the Bristol M Shed museum, Dr. Stefan Cembrowicz from the Anglo-Polish Society Bristol and the South West, will give a lecture about Tadeusz Kościuszko and his rapturously celebrated visit to Bristol. 

Tickets to the 15th June talk are free of charge but must be reserved using this link:

Anglo Polish Society talk: Andrzej Tadeusz Kościuszko | Bristol Museums