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 Commemorative spade Among the four mounds in Krakow, the Piłsudski Mound is the youngest and the biggest. It was raised on the top of Sowiniec Hill, situated in the Wolski Forest. In 1934 the Association of Polish Legionnaires put forward the idea of raising a mound-statue of the nation’s fight for independence. |
 Commemorative cartridge made of shell An artillery shell, engraved and stylized into a vase, is characteristic of so-called trench art. Such objects — not necessarily of utilitarian function — were made by soldiers with artistic talents for themselves or to order. Often, objects of this type were created in free time in the trenches, during breaks in fighting, or only after military service had ended. |
 “Main Market Square, ceremony to celebrate Adam Mickiewicz monument re-erection” The photograph presents an important historical moment in the history of the main market square in Kraków, because it probably shows the reinstallation of the statue of Adam Mickiewicz in the Main Square on 26 November 1955. |
 “For Huszt” commemorative badge Commemorative badge for former soldiers of the Polish Legions, and later the Polish Auxiliary Corps, interned in 1918. Made of silver plated tombac, in the shape of an eagle with the badge of II Brigade of the Polish Legions on the chest. Oval with... |
 Map on the wall of Oskar Schindler’s office Schindler’s office in the administrative building of Deutsche Emailwarenfabrik (DEF) was located on the second floor, right above the factory gate. One could enter the office through the secretariat, where a decorated architectural detail has been preserved on the ceiling—the place for a plafond lamp. |
 Kazimierz Piotrowski’s dog tag from the Warsaw Uprising A dog tag is an inextricable part of a contemporary soldier's equipment. The dog tag allows one to identify the corpse of a soldier. This dog tag epitomises the improvisation in the combat conditions of the Warsaw Uprising... |
 Flight chart of 308 Krakow Fighter Squadron This is a wooden, blackboard of flights (most likely a replica) of 308 Kraków Fighter Squadron, with credits for the operational flight allocation, from 1945. This exhibit is particularly valuable due to the fact that the division continued the traditions of the 2 Air Regiment in Kraków (the squadron staff came from... |
 Commemorative plaque “Pustki Hill” This is a memorial plaque, stamped in commemoration of the battle of Gorlice, depicting the attack on Mount Pustki near Gorlice, on which fierce battles were fought on 2 May 1915, during the Gorlice operation. |
 The German Aero Club memorial plaque for the pilot Lieutenant Franciszek Żwirko In July 1930, two outstanding aviators, Franciszek Żwirko, together with Stanisław Wigura, took part in the international 1930 Challenge tourist planes competition flying the RWD-4 aircraft. On 25 July, the pilots had to withdraw due to an engine failure after a forced landing in Spain. |
 Barrel of red bronze cannon with carved cartridge belt crest of earl Henryk Brühl This beautifully preserved cannon barrel with the Brühl coat of arms belongs to a group of decorated cannons. Alongside their unquestionable functional qualities, they also presented a high artistic level, becoming, to a degree, works of art in themselves.
The barrel was cast from bronze, slightly angled (conical), and clearly divided with smooth rings into three parts: frontal, middle, and rear. It is covered with a functional decoration, subordinated to the tectonic canon, consisting of four rings, decorated with an acanthus and a cartouche with the Brühl coat of arms. |
 “Corda Fidelium” cup In the case of the Tarnów collection, the cultural background of the epoch has its counterparts in the Sarmatian culture, characterised by the owner’s need for the ostentatious presentation of his affluence and wealth. The primacy of nobility and magnates, who were in possession of huge estates and enjoyed wide privileges in the 18th century, influenced the development and industrialisation of the country. |
 Old print. Marcin Kromer’s work, “De origine et rebus gestis polonorum libri XXX”, published in Basel Marcin Kromer’s old print, being one of the oldest book relics, is entitled De origine et rebus gestis polonorum (On the origin and deeds of Poles). The printed book by Kromer (in Latin) shows the 16th-century researcher’s state of knowledge about history and it is also an interesting source in the field of research contemporary to him on the oldest history of Poland. |
 Fragments of the Adam Mickiewicz Monument demolished by the Germans Three inconspicuously-looking fragments of the bronze sculpture: the head of an old man and the fragment of a hand and an arm are the elements of one of the most important 19th century monuments in Kraków — the monument commemorating the national bard, Adam Mickiewicz. The monument, erected in 1898 by the sculptor Teodor Rygier, was demolished by the German occupant in 1940 as a symbol of Polish statehood. |
 Fragments of the Grunwald Monument demolished by the Germans The head of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas (45 x 35 cm) — the head of a middle-aged man with a short neck, slightly bent down, long hair combed backwards. Around the neck a wide strap with threaded screws. |
 “Righteous Among the Nations” medal for Tadeusz Pankiewicz The original of the medal granted to Tadeusz Pankiewicz (21.11.1908—5.11.1993) by the Israeli Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority Yad Vashem on 15 September 1983 is stored in the Częstochowa sanctuary, placed there as an offering by his widowed wife after the death of Pankiewicz. |
 Identity card of Polish 7th Air Escadrille This exhibit features ID card no. 84 with the legendary 7 badge. It is associated with a Fighter Squadron (the so-called Kościuszko Squadron) fighting in defence of the Polish Borderlands in 1920. This unique unit, apart from Poles, also included American volunteers. The ID card belonged to Maj. Pil. Teofil Dziama and was issued... |
 Navigator badge The Observer Badge (Navigator Badge) is one of the aviation’s specialty badges, worn by pilots and other members of the flying staff. The popular gapa is one of the most famous symbols of the Polish Military Aviation. The badge was worn by aviators in the inter-war period and the Polish Air Force during World War II. The design of the badge has survived from the time of the People’s Republic of Poland and is worn by Polish aviators to this day. |
 Top of a chapel built after the Swedish Deluge This consists of metal element from the top of a chapel, built in 1664. Ten years earlier, Gorlice had been burned down and its inhabitants largely murdered by a Transylvanian army, who laid waste to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from the south during the Swedish Deluge. |
 Commemorative plaque “Cannon 30.5 cm Škoda” This memorial plaque—which is also an ashtray—was stamped to commemorate the battle of Gorlice and presents a 30.5 cm mortar, which was used during the battle. |
 Legionary plaque of the town of Kęty This plaque, like many similar ones in Galicia, was prepared in order to raise funds to support the widows and orphans of soldiers fighting during World War I. This manner of collecting money became popular during World War I. This was related to the financial burden that fell on the Austrian government. The reason for this was mainly the costs associated with the increasing number of wounded and victims. |
