Young Historians Honored at the “Collective Portrait of the Century” Competition Finale
Collective Portrait of the Century Competition
On June 22, 2026, the grand finale of the nationwide “Collective Portrait of the Century” competition took place at the historic Palace of the Commonwealth in Warsaw. Organized by the KARTA Center Foundation in partnership with several distinguished institutions, including the Kosciuszko Foundation, this remarkable event celebrated not only the achievements of young history researchers but also the enduring friendship between Poland and the United States.
The competition was inspired by the centennial of the Declaration of Admiration and Friendship for the United States, a unique document created in 1926. That year, approximately 1.3 million citizens of the newly independent Republic of Poland, including hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren, signed this extraordinary, multi-volume declaration. Through this unprecedented gesture, Poles expressed their gratitude to the American people for humanitarian assistance provided after World War I and for their support of Poland’s struggle to regain independence.
Participants in the competition, students aged 13 to 19, were challenged to identify individuals whose signatures appear in the Declaration and reconstruct their life stories through original research and creative presentation. The result was an impressive collection of projects demonstrating exceptional historical scholarship, ingenuity, and commitment.
The jury faced a difficult task, as contestants combined meticulous archival research with modern digital tools to uncover and tell compelling human stories hidden within the pages of history.
Grand Prize Winners
The competition’s top honor, a once-in-a-lifetime educational trip to Washington, D.C., was awarded to Filip Glanc, Julia Kandzia, and Paweł Strzelski of Primary School No. 4 in Lubliniec, named after the 74th Upper Silesian Infantry Regiment.
Under the guidance of their mentor, Ewa Brol, the students created the project “A Man of Many Talents: The Story of Józef Gorgosz.” Their work reconstructed the life of an extraordinary craftsman and self-taught artist, presenting his story through a film created with the support of artificial intelligence tools that brought original archival photographs to life.
As part of their award, the winners will travel to the United States, where they will have the opportunity to view the original 1926 Declaration at the Library of Congress. The Kosciuszko Foundation is proud to co-sponsor both this prestigious prize and the commemorative publication featuring selected excerpts from the Declaration.
Preserving History Through Scholarship
During the gala, Professor Grażyna Czetwertyńska, President of the Kosciuszko Foundation Poland, addressed the audience and underscored the vital role of rigorous, evidence-based historical research in shaping national identity and preserving collective memory.
“Each year, the Kosciuszko Foundation supports dozens of students, scholars, and researchers pursuing academic opportunities in the United States. We hope that among these passionate young historians are some of our future scholarship recipients. We would be delighted to see their academic journeys continue under the Foundation’s wing.”
Her remarks reflected the Foundation’s commitment to fostering intellectual curiosity, academic excellence, and international exchange between Poland and the United States.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the winners, all finalists, and their dedicated mentors. The Kosciuszko Foundation is honored to have supported an initiative that so beautifully bridges past and future, preserving historical memory while encouraging innovative approaches to research and storytelling.
Additional information about the project and the historical database of signatories is available at www.polska1926.pl.
Explore Kosciuszko Foundation competitions and festivals: https://thekf.org/competitions-festivals/
Photo: Witold Jarosław Szulecki / KARTA Center Foundation Archives
