Although it is hard to believe, Haiti had a Polish king. He was Faustyn Wirkus, who ruled Haiti, or parts of it in fact, from 1926 to 1929.
Faustyn Wirkus was born in 1897. He was born in Rypin, a small town near Toruń. When he was a few years old, his entire family left for America. They settled in Pennsylvania, due to the harsh living conditions Wirkus started working as a miner at the age of 11. He hated the work, dreamed of adventure, wanted to become a soldier and leave to explore the world. In early 1915, he enlisted in the American army. This coincided with the time when Haiti was invaded by the United States. Wirkus ended up in Haiti, patrolling the area around the capital, Port-au-Prince.
In keeping with his dream, he toured the world. He visited various corners of Haiti, learned about the history of Cazale and the origins of its people, fell in love and sailed to the Haitian island of Gonave. He could not have guessed that, as a result of an amazing set of circumstances, he would be crowned king of Haiti.
#haiti #caribbean #poland #usa #travel #history
20 авг 2024