The emigrant's chest

My family heirloom is my great-great-grandfather's chest. It comes from the beginning of the 20th century and was brought from America by him.

My great-great-grandfather was born in a poor family and decided to emigrate to the United States of America to earn some money there and support his relatives. At that time Poland was under the occupation of Russia, Prussia and Austria-Hungary. He left the village located in the Austrian Partition (Galicia) before World War I.

Great-great-grandfather reportedly worked in Texas on the construction of a railroad. He stayed in the USA for a few years working hard.

He bought the chest in America to pack all his belongings and money and come back home. When he wanted to do that the First World War broke out. The Nazis started to bomb ships on their cruises from the USA to Europe. That’s why he waited for the end of the war.

After the war was over and it was announced that Poland was independent again he arrived to Gdansk. Then he found out that there were still fights. It was not known to which country Gdansk would belong because the borders were not set yet. German soldiers rebelled and were stealing whatever they could. That was very dangerous time, that’s why the great-great-grandfather clung to the chest when falling asleep.

Finally he came back home, probably in 1919. He took various trains from Gdansk to Dobra located in former Galicia and then he caused a sensation among his neighbours. He brought tobacco seeds to the village, planted them, dried them and started rolling his own cigarettes. For the dollars he earned, he bought the land, built a house in which next generations lived.

The chest, in which for years grains of wheat were kept, survived in the attic of the house. When I was little, my grandfather showed it to me and told me its history. I was fascinated by my ancestor’s adventures. I imagined his way back home with a chest full of treasures.

I asked to renovate and repair the chest and it’s located in my house until this day. Every time I look at it I think about my great-great-grandfather’s braveness and determination and situation of other Poles who shared emigrants fate when their country was not independent. I am really happy that such priceless heirloom survived for over 100 years in my family.