Polish diplomacy has sent out an unexpected signal regarding cultural artefacts exported from our country to Sweden in the 17th century. Deputy Foreign Minister Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski announced that talks between the two countries separated by the Baltic Sea had raised the possibility of returning some of the artefacts to Poland. The statement coincided with a visit by the Swedish royal couple, led by King Carl XVI Gustaf. Both the visit and the deputy minister’s words brought the Polish treasures looted during the Swedish Deluge back into the national debate on their restitution.
Polish-Swedish relations
In recent years, relations between Warsaw and Stockholm have clearly strengthened. This was prompted by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and Sweden’s accession to NATO. Common security interests and economic cooperation have increased the frequency of government meetings, and in the autumn of 2024, the prime ministers of both countries signed a strategic partnership agreement. During the royal visit to Poland, a large delegation of entrepreneurs representing over 60 Swedish companies also arrived. Cooperation covers many sectors of the economy, and recently there have also been arms deals. Poland chose the offer of the Swedish company Saab in the submarine programme, while the Swedish armed forces purchased portable anti-aircraft systems manufactured by the Polish company Mesko. It was against this backdrop that Bartoszewski made his statement about the monuments looted and taken across the Baltic Sea in the 17th century. The politician said that for the first time, the possibility of returning some of them to Poland had been raised in talks. However, this could involve a museum deposit rather than a formal return of ownership.
Polish treasures and looting on an unprecedented scale
The looting of Polish cultural property during the Swedish Deluge was one of the largest in European history. Between 1655 and 1660, the enemy army systematically transported the furnishings of palaces, monasteries and libraries. Priceless paintings, sculptures, valuables, military items, book collections and archives found their way to Scandinavia. Historians estimate that tens of thousands of works of art and thousands of manuscripts and books were taken from the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In Warsaw alone, around 200 paintings were taken from royal residences in 1656. In many cities, monastery and municipal libraries were also looted.
The scale of destruction was as enormous as that of theft. According to researchers, as a result of the invasion, approximately 40% of the buildings in the cities of the then Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were ruined or seriously damaged. In some regions, the population fell by a third. The looting of cultural property became part of this catastrophe. After the war ended in 1660, the Treaty of Oliva was signed. The document guaranteed the return of many of the items that had been taken, but in practice, only a small portion was returned. Today, Polish treasures adorn Swedish palaces, museums and other public buildings.
Five Polish monuments in Swedish collections
From among the looted works of Polish art, science and culture, we have selected five specific, very valuable objects related to the history of Poland, which are now located in Sweden.
Books from the library of Nicolaus Copernicus
Among the most valuable Polish artefacts across the Baltic Sea are books belonging to Nicolaus Copernicus. The astronomer had an extensive book collection covering mathematical, astronomical and philosophical works. It was built up throughout the scholar’s life, who studied in Krakow, Bologna and Padua.
During the Swedish Deluge, entire book collections were removed from church and municipal libraries. Chests containing manuscripts and old prints were taken to ports, from where they were transported by ship to Sweden. Among them were also books related to Copernicus, including those from Frombork. Today, part of these collections is stored in the University Library in Uppsala, in the Carolina Rediviva building.
Łaski’s Statute of 1506
Łaski’s Statute was created at the beginning of the 16th century as the first printed collection of laws of the Kingdom of Poland. It was developed on the initiative of Crown Chancellor Jan Łaski and published on the orders of King Alexander Jagiellon. The document contained a list of applicable laws, privileges and public law provisions. Today, it is considered one of the foundations of Polish legal tradition.
Today, the artefact is kept in Sweden along with other looted books. Currently, the document is in the collection of the University Library in Uppsala. The second surviving copy can be seen in the Central Archives of Historical Records in Warsaw.
The painting “The Librarian” by Giuseppe Arcimboldo
The work was created in the second half of the 16th century. Its author is the Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo, court artist to Emperor Rudolf II. The man became famous for his unusual portrait compositions built from symbolic objects. In the painting “The Librarian”, the face and silhouette of the painted figure are formed by stacks of books. It is an extremely important testimony to the humanistic culture of the Renaissance. The symbolism of the work refers to the world of science and the library as a place of knowledge storage.
During the Deluge, the Swedish aristocracy eagerly collected art looted from the Vistula River. Currently, “The Librarian” is kept at Skokloster Castle in Sweden. It is one of the main places where you can find loot taken from Poland in the 17th century.
Oriental tent of the Ottoman Empire
One of the most unusual looted items is an oriental tent. It was made in the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century and originally served as a representative pavilion for commanders in a military camp. Tents of this type were made of colourful fabrics, often silk, richly decorated with embroidery and ornaments. It came to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as a trophy from the wars with Turkey and was kept in one of the magnate collections as a symbol of victories over the Empire.
During the Swedish Deluge, many such souvenirs fell prey to the invading army. The tent was preserved in the collection of Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Wrangel and remains in the museum collection of Skokloster Castle to this day.
Hunting horn of Sigismund III Vasa
The hunting horn was made at the end of the 16th or beginning of the 17th century and belonged to King Sigismund III Vasa, ruler of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632. Such objects were made of animal horn or metal and richly decorated with silver, gold or engraved brass fittings. They were used to signal during hunts, which were an integral part of the hunting culture of the European elites.
The priceless horn ended up in Sweden after being looted from Warsaw, from where military items, works of art, valuables and objects related to the Vasa dynasty were taken. It is currently kept in the collections of the Royal Armoury Livrustkammaren in Stockholm.
Will Polish treasures return to their country?
In light of current legislation, the return of most of the looted objects remains unlikely. The authorities in Stockholm have been repeating for years that in the 17th century, war booty was considered a legal practice, so they are in Sweden in accordance with the law. Many of these artefacts have been in the Land of the Three Crowns for over 350 years and function there as an integral part of the national collections. Swedish museum law also poses a significant obstacle. It restricts the possibility of transferring artefacts abroad. As a result, even a political decision to return the artefacts would face serious legal barriers and bury the entire initiative.
Deposit instead of return
In this context, the suggestion made by Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski is particularly significant. The Deputy Minister mentioned the possibility of transferring some of the objects on deposit to Polish museums. In such a model, ownership would remain with Sweden, but the exhibits would return to Poland for many years. Similar forms of cooperation have already been used in other museum disputes concerning works of art. Long-term deposit is sometimes treated as a symbolic gesture and a way to mitigate historical disputes. If this idea is indeed developed, it would be the first step in centuries towards the return of some of the lost monuments to Poland.
Treasures from the Deluge found in the Vistula River
Interestingly, the Vistula River occasionally becomes an unexpected source of knowledge about looting during the Swedish Deluge. During successive periods of low water levels, archaeologists and treasure hunters come across objects dating back to the 17th century. Some of them are related to the events of 1656, when, during the battles for Warsaw and the retreat of the Swedish army, transports of loot carried across the river were destroyed or deliberately abandoned. As a result, fragments of palace and church furnishings, which had previously been dismantled for theft, remained at the bottom of the river. Contemporary archaeological research is gradually reconstructing the history of these transports and the episode of the Swedish invasion in the history of Warsaw.
Source: money.pl, interia.pl, ciekawostkihistoryczne.pl
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