 Saint Hildegard was a 12th-century German Benedictine nun who was a visionary, poet, composer, naturalist, scientist, herbalist, theologian and one of the greatest figures of the 12th century. She wrote theological and botanical texts, two books on medicine and herbal cures and was a true pioneer in the field of natural medicine and a healthy lifestyle. Her many works explored not only the spiritual dimension of humanity but also emphasized the importance of harmony between body and mind. ← Photo: Strona Zdrowia  ← Her life story was available in print in Poland by 1640 and her teachings are still widely read and promoted by organizations such as Polskie Centrum Św. Hildegardy Alfreda Walkowska, i.e., the Polish Center of Saint Hildegard Alfreda Walkowska and Polskie Towarzystwo Przyjacioł Św. Hildegardy, the Polish Society of Friends of Saint Hildegard. Saint Hildegard's found favor in Poland primarily through her wholistic approach to a healthy lifestyle. She regarded nutrition extremely important for human health. Her diet recommendations were based on the consumption of spelt, an ancient grain and a type of wheat (Triticum spelta), said to improve digestion, metabolism and lower cholesterol. She urged eating vegetables, fruit, and moderate amounts of meat. While this is common knowledge in today’s modern scientific era, one can’t help but be impressed that Hildegard was so ahead of her time during the 12th century! Her healthy lifestyle also included natural healing methods through the use of herbs. Popular in Poland is Wino Pietruszkowe Św. Hildegardy, St. Hildegard’s Parsley Wine, which was purported (and still is according to Polish websites) to be a natural remedy for heart problems, circulation and rheumatic ailments.  ←Flat leaf parsley from my garden Fresh parsley was always readily available in Polish herb and kitchen gardens. Finely chopped parsley was sprinkled on a batch of new potatoes. It was added to soups and vegetables and meats of all kinds and made into Hildegard's medicinal wine. To make St. Hildegard's health-giving parsley wine, you needed: 10 stalks fresh parsley 1 liter of red wine 3-5 tablespoons of honey 2 tablespoons of wine vinegar Bring the wine, parsley, and wine vinegar to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the honey and simmer for another 5 minutes. After cooling, pour the resulting mixture into bottles. Drink 1 glass 3 times a day after meals. Hildegard died on September 17, in the year 1179.  ←Photo:Catholicsaintmedals.com Her theological and scientific writings, which included accounts of her mystical visions, her detailed works on medicine and natural science as well as leading a life of virtue led her to be added to the list of saints of the Roman Catholic Church. She was also declared to be a Doctor of the Church. This made her the fourth female Doctor in the history of the Church, following St. Catherine of Siena, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and St. Teresa of Ávila. Sources:https://blog.ogrodyhildegardy.pl/pl/wino-pietruszkowe-sw-hildegardy
https://swiat-orkiszu.pl/blog/166_WINO-PIETRUSZKOWE-%C5%9AW--HILDEGARDY Polish Herbs, Flowers and Folk Medicine. Hippocrene Books, Inc. https://www.hippocrenebooks.com/store/p467/Polish_Herbs_Flowers_and_Folk_Medicine.htm
0 Comments
 The outbreak of World War II and the entry of German troops into Poland on September 1, 1939 began a devastation of such catastrophic proportions that after the war, at the Trial of War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, the Nazi defendants were charged with planning and executing war crimes and the practice of "total war" which included methods of combat and of military occupation that was in direct conflict with the laws of war. Their actions against civilian populations were not justified by military necessity. 1 Prior to the invasion, in his talk to his commanding generals in August of 1939, Hitler stated he had ordered his Death Head Units "to kill without pity or mercy all men, women, and children of Polish race or language...Poland will be depopulated and colonized with Germans." 2 During the five long years of German occupation, the citizens of Poland were subject to inhumane acts and unspeakable atrocities. The Germans herded the Jews into ghettos where they slowly starved to death and those who survived were systematically murdered in the infamous gas chambers of Auschwitz, Belzec, Majdanek, and Treblinka that they built on Polish soil. The Siti and Roma gypsies shared a similar fate. And amidst all the chaos, all the death, destruction and inhuman acts, the Germans were carrying out a policy of economic exploitation, a policy to keep Hitler's war effort going at top speed: everyone had to work for the interest of the Third Reich.  German propaganda poster enticing Polish women to volunteer for agricultural work work in Germany. Note the letter "P" patch attached to right side of the sweater worn by the Polish woman. Photo: Hrabia tytus.pl For the people of Poland, working for the Reich became compulsory. Laborers were needed in Germany in all aspects of agriculture and industry to replace the workers who had been called up into Hitler’s military branches. When propaganda failed to bring in the needed number of volunteer workers, the people of Poland were rounded up while sitting at the movies, coming out of church, or walking down the street. Entire city blocks and entire country villages were surrounded, the victims held in temporary arrest until everyone could be examined as a potential worker for Germany.  ← Photo depicting round up of individuals at Evangelical Reformed Church in Warsaw located on Solidarność Street. Wkipedia.pl photo Those who met the criteria were forcibly and promptly shipped to German territories against their will. The German war economy was achieved by the impressment and deportation of millions of individuals from their homeland into Germany against their will and forced to work for the benefit of the German Reich. Marked with the letter “P” for Pole, they were exploited for their labor where they died from abuse, hunger, physical illness and suicide. Footnotes: 1 Trial of War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal Nuremberg, Germany Volume 2 Document L-3 Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression Volume 8 The story of the girls and women of Poland who were forcibly taken from their homes in Poland, sent to Germany and exploited for their labor during World War II can be found in the book: Wearing the Letter P: Polish Women as Forced Laborers in Nazi Germany 1939-1945. Hippocrene Books, Inc. https://www.hippocrenebooks.com/store/p400/Wearing_the_Letter_P%3A_Polish_Women_as_Forced_Laborers_in_Nazi_Germany%2C_1939-1945.htm
|
Categories
All
One of the biggest moments in my life was being able to sign for my very own library card. When I'm not reading, researching and writing I'm riding my bike, sewing or gardening. I love flea markets, folk art, and traveling to Poland.
Archives
January 2026
|
RSS Feed