The book consists of forty-five short articles written by forty-three authors. The central idea guiding the authors while working on this publication was the desire to honour the heroes selected by introducing them to a wider audience. Some articles are devoted to events or moments of Polish history – most often local – that are worth bringing closer and discussing from a different, and sometimes surprising perspective. The vast majority of the texts included in this publication are stories not only about patriotism, but also about a special love for humankind. They speak about the struggle of Poles for dignity, their quest for truth, and their attempts to record the reality surrounding them for future generations. Each text is devoted to an individual, private acquisition found in the archival repository of the Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation.