Polish-Belgian relations are not just about economics or joint membership in European institutions. Rather, they are a story of centuries-old friendship between two nations that cherish freedom. This was the leitmotif of a conference held on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The conference took place at the headquarters of the Belgian Ambassador in Poland on 11 April 2019, with Polish Senator Anna Maria Anders in attendance.

This paper is an attempt to answer the question: can the process of historical source construction be a way of responding to national catastrophe?
The primary meaning of the word catastrophe is the unexpected but logical conclusion of a play. Although the word "catastrophe" has changed its meaning, it still retains its connotation. It is not a meaningless ending. History cannot be the cure for catastrophe in the classical sense. Its effects are well described by the idea of Pharmakon, which we can find in Plato. Pharmakon is both a medicine and a poison. A person suffering a catastrophe is not cured, but rather is inebriated by history. It is what gives one the strength to survive the trauma of catastrophe. Historians are no exception.
The second half of the article is a concrete example (case‑study) of how, under the guise of objective studies of historical documents, historians create realities that help them to relive (but not cure) the trauma of catastrophe. Often the historical source is perceived as an immutable, natural basis for the construction of a historical narrative. A historical source has no nationality, but it can obtain it. The most popular and simple way is the publication of new (or first) historical sources edition as "nationals" This article examines a specific example of the race between Polish and German historians (after 1945) on the issue of publishing historical sources concerning mediaeval Silesian history. Since the very same documents had to be published, the primacy in publication of new editions had to determine its "nationality".

The outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022 resulted in the revival of long-lasting disagreements in Polish-Russian relations. One aspect concerns numerous Russian properties in Warsaw, many abandoned or used for non-public purposes, and the disparity between both States’ properties in the other in this regard. Although the Polish Government has sought to resolve this matter amicably for many years, ultimately several legal proceedings were initiated in Polish courts aimed at recovering some of those premises. Only recently, however, Poland has resolved to employ more decisive steps, including the seizure of the former Soviet residential complex known as Spyville in order to enforce a final judgment. This article sketches the history of the dispute, provides an insight into court proceedings, and discusses the approach of Polish judicial institutions to diplomatic and State immunities.

The article presents the issue of researching emotions in international history. It has been noticed that the development of the research on emotions within other sub‑disciplines of history, humanities, social sciences and neuroscience, provides an international historian with many outcomes enabling further research opportunities. At the same time, it was indicated that the tools traditionally used by historians (i.e., internal and external critique of the sources, and the intuitive approach) may be useful in conducting such research. A historian who decides to deal with the problem of emotions, is, however, forced to pay special attention to the context in which the people whose lives he examines functioned. Therefore, the research on emotions, also in the international context, requires greater awareness of the achievements of other academic disciplines from the historian. This task is difficult and perhaps demands from the historian that they be more sensitive and intuitive than in case of other studies. Nevertheless, by approaching the issue of emotions, international historians have a chance to obtain a more credible image of the past.