Abstract
The history of the Polish Houses in Jerusalem is interwoven with the history of both Poland and the Holy Land. The Old Polish House was established in 1908 at the initiative of Rev. M. Pinciurek and is located near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The other, the New Polish House, was the fruit of tireless work by the Sisters of St. Elizabeth from the province of Poznań and the involvement of the Polish Army in the East. With the proclamation of the state of Israel and the ensuing 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the House found itself on the battle line. The sisters risked their lives to protect the Polish flag placed on the roof of the building, so as not to lose the work that had been done for “the Polish nation”.