Life After War: The Polish Community in Liverpool through the Lens of the White Eagle Club
In the decades following World War II, hundreds of Polish members of armed forces and refugees settled in Liverpool, seeking refuge, rebuilding their lives, and forging new community in a foreign city. Central to this story is the White Eagle Club, located on Catherine Street in Liverpool 8, which served as a social and cultural anchor for the city’s Polish diaspora.
Join us for a talk and a presentation that traces the journey of the Polish community in postwar Liverpool, told through the prism of the White Eagle Club. Through archival photographs, oral testimonies, and local history, this talk will explore:
• Origins and arrivals — how and why Polish servicemen, displaced persons, veterans and their families came to Liverpool, and how immigration policies and local conditions shaped their experience
• Building community — the social, cultural, religious and mutual-aid roles the White Eagle Club played: as a meeting point, gathering place, cultural venue, and support network
• Challenges and resilience — the obstacles the community faced: integration, discrimination, economic pressures, political divides (especially during the Cold War), and later transitions
Why this matters?
Liverpool’s postwar identity includes lesser-known threads of migration and cultural exchange. The Polish presence in the city is often overshadowed, yet its contributions—in institutions, faith life, civic engagement, architecture, and daily life—resonate to this day. The White Eagle Club, though humble in scale, holds within it the hopes, struggles, and solidarities of a community rebuilding across borders.
Who should attend?
This talk is for anyone interested in postwar migration, local Liverpool history, diaspora studies, heritage and memory, Polish-British relations, or community storytelling. Whether you are a local resident, student, researcher or part of the Polish community yourself, you will find new perspectives on the layers of Liverpool’s social history.
