Polish Heritage Center Inc

The Polish Heritage Center was incorporated in 1997 in an effort to preserve the ancestral language, culture and traditions of one of the most significant immigrant groups to settle in Nebraska.  The small village of Ashton, where the Center is located was part of a unique planned community for early Polish immigrants. The Polish Roman Catholic Union of America established Polish Colonies throughout the United States. Central Nebraska was one of their successful efforts.Since the late 1800's, communities such as Farwell, Ashton, Paplin and Loup City have been the epicenter from which their descendantshave spread out across the nation.  Still, the area remains as having the highest concentration of  Polish ethnicity in the nation. In their establishment of a Polish Heritage center, both current and former residents join in their efforts to preserve the culture of their origin. Both geographically and culturally many of these descendants have seen weakening in their links to their past.  The Center began as an initiative to re-educate both young and old in an effort to maintain a proud heritage.  The Center is repository of cultural artifacts such as irreplaceable books, music and local genealogical records.  It houses early photographs and art.  It provides a meeting place to support the accomplishment of educational goals and activities. We invite you to visit the center's museum, which offers unique displays and relics of the past.  As well, the Center offers a glimpse into the emerging role of today's Poland.  Cultural heritage is a living and ever-changing thing.  It is more than a time-worn snapshot of and earlier period.  The cultural threads which are embedded in early examples of folk art and music, are today reflected in monumental changes in the Polish Homeland.  One of the educational goals of the Center is to update and transform popular stereotypes into a broader understanding of the modern Polish homeland and culture.  Your membership and donations will help achieve these goals.