A rare medieval manuscript preserving part of Gaude Mater Polonia, one of Poland’s oldest religious hymns, has been returned to Poland after decades in the collections of the Berlin State Library. The repatriation by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK) forms part of wider German efforts to return cultural artefacts displaced during the Second World War.
The manuscript was formally handed over earlier this month during the German-Polish Forum, where Germany returned several cultural objects confiscated or removed during the German occupation of Poland. The restitution comes as Germany and Poland continue to expand cooperation on resolving outstanding cases involving wartime cultural losses.
The manuscript consists of six parchment leaves and contains an early version of Gaude Mater Polonia, a hymn composed in the 13th century that later became one of Poland’s best-known religious and patriotic songs. The work remains closely associated with the country’s medieval heritage.
A manuscript with a long and uncertain journey
Photo courtesy Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK)
The booklet originated from the library of the seminary in Płock, one of Poland’s oldest diocesan centres. During the Second World War, the seminary’s collections were looted and much of its library was destroyed.
German occupation authorities removed the library’s most valuable manuscripts to Königsberg. At some point afterwards, the Gaude Mater Polonia manuscript entered the holdings of the Berlin State Library, although researchers have not yet determined exactly how it arrived there.
Its provenance, however, is clear. Visible ownership stamps from the Płock seminary library remain on the manuscript, identifying its original home.
Researchers believe the surviving leaves originally formed part of a larger codex produced in the late 14th century. Sometime during the 16th or 17th century, the three double leaves were removed from the original volume and reused in another binding. Evidence of this later use survives in the form of creases, cuts and other signs of wear visible on the parchment.
Symbol of restitution and reconciliation
Marion Ackermann, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, described the return as both historically significant and forward-looking. “I am very happy that this manuscript, containing an early version of the hymn ‘Gaude Mater Polonia’, a manuscript that bears witness to one of the darkest periods in the long German-Polish history, can return to Poland today,” she said. “We currently enjoy a friendly collaboration with Poland’s important cultural institutions, which we intend to further intensify.”
Ackermann noted that the Berlin State Library will soon begin a joint project with four Polish libraries, while the National Museum in Warsaw is collaborating with Berlin’s Old National Gallery, reflecting the growing cultural partnership between the two countries.
Germany’s Minister of State for Culture, Wolfram Weimer, highlighted the importance of the manuscript itself, saying: “I am very pleased that the hymn ‘Gaude Mater Polonia’ is being returned to the Polish people. It is one of the oldest works of religious poetry in the country. Today’s return is an important gesture of acknowledging historical injustice. It is the result of rigorous provenance research by Germany’s cultural heritage institutions and close, trusting cooperation with our Polish partners.”
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul likewise emphasized the broader significance of the restitution, noting that eighty years after the end of the Second World War, the return of looted cultural property represents “mutual respect, Germany’s enduring responsibility, and our trusting partnership.”
Growing cooperation on wartime restitution
The return follows renewed efforts by both governments to address unresolved restitution cases. According to German officials, cooperation accelerated after German-Polish government consultations held in December 2025.
A bilateral working group, established at the initiative of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, now brings together representatives from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, Poland’s Ministry of Culture, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, and both countries’ embassies to investigate and resolve outstanding cases involving cultural property displaced during the war.
Officials described the returns made during the German-Polish Forum as expressions of Germany’s continuing responsibility for wartime losses while also reflecting the close partnership that has developed between the two countries in the decades since the war.
A rare medieval manuscript preserving part of Gaude Mater Polonia, one of Poland’s oldest religious hymns, has been returned to Poland after decades in the collections of the Berlin State Library. The repatriation by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK) forms part of wider German efforts to return cultural artefacts displaced during the Second World War.
The manuscript was formally handed over earlier this month during the German-Polish Forum, where Germany returned several cultural objects confiscated or removed during the German occupation of Poland. The restitution comes as Germany and Poland continue to expand cooperation on resolving outstanding cases involving wartime cultural losses.
The manuscript consists of six parchment leaves and contains an early version of Gaude Mater Polonia, a hymn composed in the 13th century that later became one of Poland’s best-known religious and patriotic songs. The work remains closely associated with the country’s medieval heritage.
A manuscript with a long and uncertain journey
The booklet originated from the library of the seminary in Płock, one of Poland’s oldest diocesan centres. During the Second World War, the seminary’s collections were looted and much of its library was destroyed.
German occupation authorities removed the library’s most valuable manuscripts to Königsberg. At some point afterwards, the Gaude Mater Polonia manuscript entered the holdings of the Berlin State Library, although researchers have not yet determined exactly how it arrived there.
Its provenance, however, is clear. Visible ownership stamps from the Płock seminary library remain on the manuscript, identifying its original home.
Researchers believe the surviving leaves originally formed part of a larger codex produced in the late 14th century. Sometime during the 16th or 17th century, the three double leaves were removed from the original volume and reused in another binding. Evidence of this later use survives in the form of creases, cuts and other signs of wear visible on the parchment.
Symbol of restitution and reconciliation
Marion Ackermann, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, described the return as both historically significant and forward-looking. “I am very happy that this manuscript, containing an early version of the hymn ‘Gaude Mater Polonia’, a manuscript that bears witness to one of the darkest periods in the long German-Polish history, can return to Poland today,” she said. “We currently enjoy a friendly collaboration with Poland’s important cultural institutions, which we intend to further intensify.”
Ackermann noted that the Berlin State Library will soon begin a joint project with four Polish libraries, while the National Museum in Warsaw is collaborating with Berlin’s Old National Gallery, reflecting the growing cultural partnership between the two countries.
Germany’s Minister of State for Culture, Wolfram Weimer, highlighted the importance of the manuscript itself, saying: “I am very pleased that the hymn ‘Gaude Mater Polonia’ is being returned to the Polish people. It is one of the oldest works of religious poetry in the country. Today’s return is an important gesture of acknowledging historical injustice. It is the result of rigorous provenance research by Germany’s cultural heritage institutions and close, trusting cooperation with our Polish partners.”
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul likewise emphasized the broader significance of the restitution, noting that eighty years after the end of the Second World War, the return of looted cultural property represents “mutual respect, Germany’s enduring responsibility, and our trusting partnership.”
Growing cooperation on wartime restitution
The return follows renewed efforts by both governments to address unresolved restitution cases. According to German officials, cooperation accelerated after German-Polish government consultations held in December 2025.
A bilateral working group, established at the initiative of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, now brings together representatives from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, Poland’s Ministry of Culture, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, and both countries’ embassies to investigate and resolve outstanding cases involving cultural property displaced during the war.
Officials described the returns made during the German-Polish Forum as expressions of Germany’s continuing responsibility for wartime losses while also reflecting the close partnership that has developed between the two countries in the decades since the war.
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