Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Wojtek the Soldier Bear, a whisky-drinking, cigarette-pinching, ammo-carrying companion of the Polish Army in World War II, marched with troops all the way to the Battle of Monte Cassino. This true story of WW2 heroes follows how a bear traded into the Polish army became one of the soldiers, carrying artillery, sharing rations, and earning a place in the history of World War 2 as one of the most unforgettable stories of the war, the army, and the courage of men and one very extraordinary bear.
00:00 – Meet Wojtek, the Whisky-Drinking Soldier Bear
00:25 – From Iran to the Polish Army
00:50 – Raising a Bear Among Soldiers
01:01 – Grown Up and Ready for Action
01:18 – No Bears Allowed…
01:35 – Monte Cassino: Bear on the Frontline
02:04 – After the War: A Hero’s Journey Home"
#worldwar2 #wwii #wojtekbear #history
Producer - Stuart Smillie
Camera - Matt Taylor
Edit - Matt Taylor
Graphics - Will Minns
Got a story idea for us? Send us an email at pitch [at] GreatBigStory [dot] com 📧
Get exclusive GBS items from our online store 🛒
👉 shop.greatbigstory.com
SUBSCRIBE: buff.ly/41yqVHF
NOTIFICATIONS: Make sure you enable the 🔔 to get notified about our latest video publishes.
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/greatbigstory
Check us out on TikTok: tiktok.com/@greatbigstory
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/greatbigstory
Give us a shout on Twitter: twitter.com/greatbigstory
Sign up to our newsletter: greatbigstory.com/signup
Wojtek the Soldier Bear, a whisky-drinking, cigarette-pinching, ammo-carrying companion of the Polish Army in World War II, marched with troops all the way to the Battle of Monte Cassino. This true story of WW2 heroes follows how a bear traded into the Polish army became one of the soldiers, carrying artillery, sharing rations, and earning a place in the history of World War 2 as one of the most unforgettable stories of the war, the army, and the courage of men and one very extraordinary bear.
00:00 – Meet Wojtek, the Whisky-Drinking Soldier Bear
00:25 – From Iran to the Polish Army
00:50 – Raising a Bear Among Soldiers
01:01 – Grown Up and Ready for Action
01:18 – No Bears Allowed…
01:35 – Monte Cassino: Bear on the Frontline
02:04 – After the War: A Hero’s Journey Home"
#worldwar2 #wwii #wojtekbear #history
Producer - Stuart Smillie
Camera - Matt Taylor
Edit - Matt Taylor
Graphics - Will Minns
Got a story idea for us? Send us an email at pitch [at] GreatBigStory [dot] com 📧
Get exclusive GBS items from our online store 🛒
👉 shop.greatbigstory.com
SUBSCRIBE: buff.ly/41yqVHF
NOTIFICATIONS: Make sure you enable the 🔔 to get notified about our latest video publishes.
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/greatbigstory
Check us out on TikTok: tiktok.com/@greatbigstory
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/greatbigstory
Give us a shout on Twitter: twitter.com/greatbigstory
Sign up to our newsletter: greatbigstory.com/signup



![Nutcrackers Handcrafted for Generations
What’s Christmas without a nutcracker? These iconic wooden nutcracker figurines have become some of the holiday season’s most beloved Christmas decorations, but behind the glitter and cheer lies a story carved by hand.
In the town of Seiffen, the heart of Germany’s nutcracker history, generations of artisans have turned simple wood into timeless nutcracker soldiers. In this family-run workshop, known worldwide for its traditional German craftsmanship, every nutcracker is still made the old-fashioned way: carved, painted, and dressed in miniature holiday finery.
From humble origins to global fame, discover how this small German village became the Nutcracker Capital and why these wooden icons continue to shape Christmas traditions around the world. Step inside the story of the figurines that transformed a craft into a holiday legend.
00:00 - Who Are Santa’s Little Helpers?
00:11 - Meet the Real Christmas Elves
00:26 - The “New North Pole” Is in Germany
00:48 - Popular German Christmas Traditions
01:12 - Seiffen: Epicentre of Seasonal Joy
01:46 - Nutcracker Production
01:46 - Inside This Legendary Nutcracker Factory
02:07 - Meet the Ulbricht Family
02:55 - A Brief History of Nutcrackers
03:14 - How Nutcrackers Went Global
04:09 - Merry Christmas
#greatbigstory #germany #nutcrackers #christmas #santaclaus #christmaselves
This Great Big Story was made possible by @germanytourism
Welcome to Great Big Story - Where the extraordinary hides in plain sight. From forgotten histories and unsung heroes to mind-blowing innovations and mesmerising cultures, We’re a global storytelling collective obsessed with the extraordinary tucked inside the everyday. Our producers are filmmakers, adventurers, and curious souls who believe a great story can change how you see the world. We publish new videos every week. Please join us in exploring a world of fascinating perspectives around history, culture, technology, food, real life stories, and beyond.
Got a story idea for us? Send us an email at pitch [at] GreatBigStory [dot] com 📧
Get exclusive GBS items from our online store 🛒
👉 https://shop.greatbigstory.com/
SUBSCRIBE: https://buff.ly/41yqVHF
NOTIFICATIONS: Make sure you enable the 🔔 to get notified about our latest video publishes.
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatbigstory
Check us out on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greatbigstory
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greatbigstory
Give us a shout on Twitter: https://twitter.com/greatbigstory
Sign up to our newsletter: https://greatbigstory.com/signup/ Nutcrackers Handcrafted for Generations](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/G29F2AVyfWI/mqdefault.jpg)



![Meet Rochesters Legendary Garbage Plate
It might look like, well, garbage, but there’s an art to Rochester’s infamous garbage plate. It starts off with sides, an impossible choice of french fries, home fries, macaroni salad or beans. Next comes the meat, hotdogs, hamburgers or cheeseburgers. And finally, the whole shebang is topped off with mustard, onions, ketchup and hot sauce. If you’ve got the guts for it, no one does it better than Nick Tahou Hots. They’ve been perfecting the marvelous mess for the past three generations.
#food #foodanddrink #greatbigstory
Got a story idea for us? Send us an email at pitch [at] GreatBigStory [dot] com 📧
Get exclusive GBS items from our online store 🛒
👉 https://shop.greatbigstory.com/
SUBSCRIBE: https://buff.ly/41yqVHF
NOTIFICATIONS: Make sure you enable the 🔔 to get notified about our latest video publishes.
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatbigstory
Check us out on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greatbigstory
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greatbigstory
Give us a shout on Twitter: https://twitter.com/greatbigstory
Sign up to our newsletter: https://greatbigstory.com/signup/ Meet Rochesters Legendary Garbage Plate](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GsEfb4Sq_Ac/mqdefault.jpg)
![Bostons Haymarket Has the Worlds Best Fanta
Next stop on a Boston snack tour that feels like a trip around the world: Haymarket, one of the oldest markets in the country. Inside, find rare imports like Fanta Shokata (an elderflower flavor found almost nowhere else), Vimto cordial, rose jam, and rich halva, plus fresh-baked breads from owner Muhammad, whos run the shop since 2007. With shoppers speaking half a dozen languages at once, its less a grocery run and more a trip around the world. Want the full world tour? Check out the full episode, Where to Eat in Boston for a World Tour.
#BostonFoodGuide #WhereToEat #FoodSpots #Foodie #GlobalEats #SnackTour
Got a story idea for us? Send us an email at pitch [at] GreatBigStory [dot] com 📧
Get exclusive GBS items from our online store 🛒
👉 https://shop.greatbigstory.com/
SUBSCRIBE: https://buff.ly/41yqVHF
NOTIFICATIONS: Make sure you enable the 🔔 to get notified about our latest video publishes.
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatbigstory
Check us out on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greatbigstory
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greatbigstory
Give us a shout on Twitter: https://twitter.com/greatbigstory
Sign up to our newsletter: https://greatbigstory.com/signup/ Bostons Haymarket Has the Worlds Best Fanta](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HIBfk6NcDIA/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Unexpected Stories You Never Learned in School
From the first man to record sound to a WWII bear who became a soldier, these are the true stories history didn’t teach you. Discover the surprising origins of everyday things like ketchup, silly putty, and cotton candy, uncover how karaoke and Michelin stars were born, and hear how a simple soup once helped stop a war. Strange, fascinating, and completely unexpected, these are the stories you never learned in school.
00:00 - The First Man To Record Sound
02:49 - A WWII Tale of Parachuting Beavers
07:20 - The Unexpected Origin of the Michelin Star
09:45 - The Genius Behind Karaoke
11:51 - How Was Silly Putty Invented?
14:05 - How This Soup Stopped a War
16:51 - The Fishy Origins of Ketchup
18:52 - WWII’s Secret Weapon: A Bear Named Wojtek
21:34 - The Dentist Who Created Cotton Candy
22:56 - The Strange History of Soviet X-Ray Records
Welcome to Great Big Story: Where the extraordinary hides in plain sight. From forgotten histories and unsung heroes to mind-blowing innovations and mesmerising cultures, We’re a global storytelling collective obsessed with the extraordinary tucked inside the everyday. Our producers are filmmakers, adventurers, and curious souls who believe a great story can change how you see the world. We publish new videos every week. Please join us in exploring a world of fascinating perspectives around history, culture, technology, food, real life stories, and beyond.
Got a story idea for us? Send us an email at pitch [at] GreatBigStory [dot] com 📧
Get exclusive GBS items from our online store 🛒
👉 https://shop.greatbigstory.com/
SUBSCRIBE: https://buff.ly/41yqVHF
NOTIFICATIONS: Make sure you enable the 🔔 to get notified about our latest video publishes.
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatbigstory
Check us out on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greatbigstory
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greatbigstory
Give us a shout on Twitter: https://twitter.com/greatbigstory
Sign up to our newsletter: https://greatbigstory.com/signup/ The Unexpected Stories You Never Learned in School](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HRX2Qe6VwBM/mqdefault.jpg)
