Polish Codebreaking and Bletchley Park

You may think you know the story of Bletchley Park and the secret intelligence operation that changed the course of World War Two, but there is a part of the story that is rarely told – one that begins not in the English countryside, but in Warsaw.

Before the Codebreakers arrived at Bletchley Park, a small team of Polish mathematicians worked in secret, under constant pressure, and with few resources, to break the German military Enigma cipher, something that was considered impossible. When they shared their methods with Britain and France in the summer of 1939, they handed the Allies a key that would help unlock the war.

Join Dr Marek Grajek and Sir Dermot Turing for presentations that trace the arc of Polish cryptanalysis from its earliest origins through to the pivotal moment of knowledge-sharing and how it impacted the work at Bletchley Park.

Together, they will explore the mathematical ingenuity, the geopolitical stakes, and the extraordinary human fortitude that shaped the Polish contribution to WW2 codebreaking.

Hosted by Dr David Kenyon, Research Historian at Bletchley Park, the talk will be followed by an opportunity for questions and reflection on an alliance forged in the shadow of war.

This event is part of the Polish Codebreaking Festival taking place at Bletchley Park on 25 and 26 July 2026.