The White Eagle Museum in Skarżysko Kamienna.
Kielce city and the area surrounding it is a region especially rich in historical events, which are of national importance. It’s also important for national culture. It’s here, on Kielce land, the metal industry became based on many centuries long tradition. It’s the place where Stanisław Staszic, a great Pole and reformats, has created the Old Polish Industrial District - a base for the Central Polish Industrial which was a modern industrial centre of the Second Polish Republic.
Kielce land was the main place of a battle during January Uprising in 1863 and 1865 led by Marian Langiewicz. The following battles took place on Kielce land during both World Wars. It is here where Polish squads ordered by Józef Piłsudzki fought during the I World War. In 1939 the Polish Army defended the land from the enemy invasion. On Kielce land legendary commander major Henryk Dobrzański ,,Hubal,, undertook his heroic battle against the Nazi aggressor. The structure of the landscape was magnificently used by the fighting underground army. The most famous one was called the Home Army. Among museums, which deal with the past and culture achievement of the land, the White Eagle Museum in Skarżysko Kamienna takes particular place. The position of the Museum comes from its subject profile and specific features of collections assembled in particular sections.
This museum was organised by the Society of Skarżysko Kamienna Amateurs as the Community Municipal Museum in 1969. In 1982 management on the museum was taken over by the local government and was than called General Zygmunt Berling Memorial Museum.. In 1991 at the initiative of the museum’s staff the name was changed and Museum received its present name. The purpose of this name is commemorating the heroism and commitment of the members of conspiracy organisation “White Eagle” who were shot in 1940 during the execution on two districts: Bór and Brzask.
The residence of the museum is seated in a historical building of the Administrator of the Steelworks “Rejów”, which was built in thirties of 19 th century.
In the 18 th and19 th century, in the government village Rejów, there was a factory with a great iron blast furnace and plant for iron prerefining iron which together with a system of water appliances constituted the complex of the works “Rejów”. Now we can admire the relicts of this complex in the direct surrounding of the Museum as the most interesting monuments of technique of the Old Polish Industrial District.
The exhibition placed in the basements of the main building refers to that period of history. It is showing articles of traditional smithy and casting, being an example of the nineteenth- century production in numerous foundries and iron processing plants situated in the area of the Old Polish Industrial District. There is also model of great furnace of the “Rejów” Steelworks.
The museum was increasing its collection systematically by means of donations, as well as purchase of exhibits. Collecting materials were concentrating on subjects connected with history of military and on post-war image of the Polish Army. It makes that museum is beyond its regional function.
Permanent exhibition shows exhibits connected with Defensive War which took place in September 1939.There are presented weapons, equipment and uniforms of soldiers of the Polish Army , military badges and personal documents. But the most interesting are a Polish anti- tank rifle (kb.Ur) a very rare object in Polish military museum and polish gun Vis. Moreover, there are presented exhibits indirectly connected with Skarżysko- Kamienna town . They were made in the local State Ammunition Factory . This factory was founded in 1923 as a governmental plant which was acting according to local tradition of metal industry.
The next exhibition is committed to extermination of citizens of Skarżysko Kamienna and people who lived in its surroundings. It is worth mentioning that the Skarżysko Kamienna community incurred huge fatalities during German occupation. Yet at the beginning of 1940, independently “White Eagle” organisation working for the underground was discovered and broken. It was in February and in June 1940 when above 1200 people connected with this organisation were killed in massive exterminations. The majority of them were representatives of intelligence like teachers, pupils and scouts.
Moreover, the State Ammunition Factory was taken over by German armaments concern "Hasag” and labour camp was established. Prisoners massively died in the result of hard work in inhumane conditions. Many citizens of neighbouring villages were killed during pacification. The exhibition illustrates these tragic events. In the museum one can find a rich histrographic documentation like: many documents, victims’ personal memorabilias of terror, letters from concentration camps, letters smuggled from prisons, numerous photos, orders of occupation authorities and many others.
Unmasking conspiracy and the terror of the occupant against the local society did not resistance movement but caused quite opposite effect. The response was creating conspiracy and armed fight of partisan troops.
The next exhibition shows development and activity of conspiracy and partisan troops in the region of Kielce land. There are presented original documents of individual structures used by underground as: commands, instructions, reports, secret newspapers, soldiers’ documents, rich collection of different weapons and equipment of guerrilla warfare. There are Polish, German and home made guns as well as guns coming from ally’s collection. The most interesting military accessories of this exhibition are: English Sten - type of lightweight submachine gun and produced in conspiracy "Sten Suchedniowski”, mines and grenades made in field conditions as well as anti-tank howitzer PIAT made in England.
Sten guns, PIATs and several kinds of equipment were transported by air from England by means of drops to the partisan troops of the Home Army.
The next exhibition refers to history raising and militant trail of the First Tadeusz Kościuszko Infantry Regiment , and than of the First Polish Army fighting on the eastern front. There are presented documents, badges of soldiers, uniforms and soldiers’ equipment- members of fight on the militant trail "From Lenino to Berlin”. The array shows weapons of these formations as well as individual soldiers’ weapon like heavy submachine rifles.
Subject of the next exhibition are the Polish Armed Forces in West and presence of these formation in French campaign , in battle of Narvik, Tobruk, Monte Casino and Falaise. There are presented documents, soldiers badges and documents of the Second Corps and the First Tank Division soldiers, led by general S. Maczek. Uniforms and equipment of contemporary American army are interesting accent in this exhibition. They were donated by an officer of Polish troops at the America Occupant Corps being the continuity of the Polish Armed Forces in West.
Armaments of the People’s Polish Army Soldiers in post war years are presented in the next exposition. There are assembled rocket missiles, heavy machine- guns, recoilless guns, anti-tank harquebus, artillery range-finders, many types of artillery ammunition. Another very interesting exhibit is the high-altitude flying suit of supersonic aircraft's pilot, which was given to us by Polish cosmonaut Mirosław Hermaszewski.
In 1992 the Research and Museum Centre of the Świętokrzyskie Partisan Groupings of the Home Army was founded at the Museum in co-operation with the World-wide Association of the Home Army Soldiers. Its purpose is collecting archival materials, historical researches and organising expositions documenting formations. As a result of this co-operation the main Management of the World-wide Association of the Home Army Soldiers give the Museum exhibition called "Ponury”, "Nurt” and their soldiers.
It consists of photographs and charts showing history of the Świętokrzyskie Partisan Groupings of the Home Army under the command of major Jan Piwnik (pseudonym "Ponury") and the other major Eugeniusz Gedymin Kaszyński (pseudonym "Nurt"). This exposition was presented in several Polish cities inspiring wide interests not only of ex- soldiers of the Home Army but of community too.
Besides, there are also remandings of Skarżysko Kamienna history including a Flag of Gymnastic Society " Sokół" - Skarżysko Kamienna Nest from 1919- 1923.The Polish Gymnastics Society " Sokół” was established in 1867 in Galicja, in 1885 in the Austrian part of partitioned Poland, and illegally in the Russian part in 1905. On the staff of the standard there are 142 silver nails with engraved names of institutions and people who were its founders. Among them there are such people as the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior Władysław Siokrski, cardinal Aleksander Kakowski, Sandomierz bishop Marian Józef Ryx and others. There are many representatives of nets of "Sokół” in other towns in Poland. One of the nails has a date of 3 May 1923 engrared which might suggest that the standard could be submitted to “Sokół” on this day and celebrate the day of receiving the city rights by Skarżysko Kamienna.
Significant section of the Museum and its main attraction for tourists is the open-air exhibition. Here are displayed the largest in Poland collections of heavy weapons with over 100 exhibits.
Thanks to co-operation with the Ministry of National Defence and the Polish Army many kinds of heavy armament have been assembled for example: artillery guns, anti tank and anti- plane guns, missile launchers ( for instance S-2), tanks armoured vehicles and military vehicles of different types.
A unique exhibit in all Poland is the torpedo cutter OR" Odważny”. The Museum received it from the Headquarters of the Navy in 1987. It is the only one kept cutter type 664 out of seven bouts made in Poland according to Polish technical design. It was the fastest boat in the Baltic units with its speed reaching even 59,2 knots-which is even more than 100 kilometres per hour. The general constructor of this cutter was Dionizy Wiśniewski coming from Skarżysko Kamienna, Rejów district.
It is worth mentioning that the Museum is one of principal places in Poland, of this kind whose task is gathering material relicts from the Second World War.
The Museum poses rich collection history signs, the last on Polish land armed clash. Another interesting exhibit, received in 1999, is a German automotive tank destroyer ( Sturm GeschutzIV).This is probably the only item of such a vehicle preserved in the whole world.
In Museum’s exposition there is also a hull of German tank Pz Kpfw IV and a part of automotive gun StuH 42. These exhibits are being renovated in order to rebuild their previous appearance.
The museum co-operates with several similar centres and focuses around itself a cluster of friends, who support us with their own knowledge and professional help. Specific of this museum is possibility to observe changes in appearance of reconstructed vehicles.
People can practise water sport here too. On the land, the centre possesses restaurant services, night-club, sauna, solarium, fitness facilities and so on.
http://www.orzelbialy.dmkhosting.com/index.php
This museum was organised by the Society of Skarżysko Kamienna Amateurs as the Community Municipal Museum in 1969. In 1982 management on the museum was taken over by the local government and was than called General Zygmunt Berling Memorial Museum.. In 1991 at the initiative of the museum’s staff the name was changed and Museum received its present name. The purpose of this name is commemorating the heroism and commitment of the members of conspiracy organisation “White Eagle” who were shot in 1940 during the execution on two districts: Bór and Brzask.
The residence of the museum is seated in a historical building of the Administrator of the Steelworks “Rejów”, which was built in thirties of 19 th century.
In the 18 th and19 th century, in the government village Rejów, there was a factory with a great iron blast furnace and plant for iron prerefining iron which together with a system of water appliances constituted the complex of the works “Rejów”. Now we can admire the relicts of this complex in the direct surrounding of the Museum as the most interesting monuments of technique of the Old Polish Industrial District.
The exhibition placed in the basements of the main building refers to that period of history. It is showing articles of traditional smithy and casting, being an example of the nineteenth- century production in numerous foundries and iron processing plants situated in the area of the Old Polish Industrial District. There is also model of great furnace of the “Rejów” Steelworks.
The museum was increasing its collection systematically by means of donations, as well as purchase of exhibits. Collecting materials were concentrating on subjects connected with history of military and on post-war image of the Polish Army. It makes that museum is beyond its regional function.
Permanent exhibition shows exhibits connected with Defensive War which took place in September 1939.There are presented weapons, equipment and uniforms of soldiers of the Polish Army , military badges and personal documents. But the most interesting are a Polish anti- tank rifle (kb.Ur) a very rare object in Polish military museum and polish gun Vis. Moreover, there are presented exhibits indirectly connected with Skarżysko- Kamienna town . They were made in the local State Ammunition Factory . This factory was founded in 1923 as a governmental plant which was acting according to local tradition of metal industry.
The next exhibition is committed to extermination of citizens of Skarżysko Kamienna and people who lived in its surroundings. It is worth mentioning that the Skarżysko Kamienna community incurred huge fatalities during German occupation. Yet at the beginning of 1940, independently “White Eagle” organisation working for the underground was discovered and broken. It was in February and in June 1940 when above 1200 people connected with this organisation were killed in massive exterminations. The majority of them were representatives of intelligence like teachers, pupils and scouts.
Moreover, the State Ammunition Factory was taken over by German armaments concern "Hasag” and labour camp was established. Prisoners massively died in the result of hard work in inhumane conditions. Many citizens of neighbouring villages were killed during pacification. The exhibition illustrates these tragic events. In the museum one can find a rich histrographic documentation like: many documents, victims’ personal memorabilias of terror, letters from concentration camps, letters smuggled from prisons, numerous photos, orders of occupation authorities and many others.
Unmasking conspiracy and the terror of the occupant against the local society did not resistance movement but caused quite opposite effect. The response was creating conspiracy and armed fight of partisan troops.
The next exhibition shows development and activity of conspiracy and partisan troops in the region of Kielce land. There are presented original documents of individual structures used by underground as: commands, instructions, reports, secret newspapers, soldiers’ documents, rich collection of different weapons and equipment of guerrilla warfare. There are Polish, German and home made guns as well as guns coming from ally’s collection. The most interesting military accessories of this exhibition are: English Sten - type of lightweight submachine gun and produced in conspiracy "Sten Suchedniowski”, mines and grenades made in field conditions as well as anti-tank howitzer PIAT made in England.
Sten guns, PIATs and several kinds of equipment were transported by air from England by means of drops to the partisan troops of the Home Army.
The next exhibition refers to history raising and militant trail of the First Tadeusz Kościuszko Infantry Regiment , and than of the First Polish Army fighting on the eastern front. There are presented documents, badges of soldiers, uniforms and soldiers’ equipment- members of fight on the militant trail "From Lenino to Berlin”. The array shows weapons of these formations as well as individual soldiers’ weapon like heavy submachine rifles.
Subject of the next exhibition are the Polish Armed Forces in West and presence of these formation in French campaign , in battle of Narvik, Tobruk, Monte Casino and Falaise. There are presented documents, soldiers badges and documents of the Second Corps and the First Tank Division soldiers, led by general S. Maczek. Uniforms and equipment of contemporary American army are interesting accent in this exhibition. They were donated by an officer of Polish troops at the America Occupant Corps being the continuity of the Polish Armed Forces in West.
Armaments of the People’s Polish Army Soldiers in post war years are presented in the next exposition. There are assembled rocket missiles, heavy machine- guns, recoilless guns, anti-tank harquebus, artillery range-finders, many types of artillery ammunition. Another very interesting exhibit is the high-altitude flying suit of supersonic aircraft's pilot, which was given to us by Polish cosmonaut Mirosław Hermaszewski.
In 1992 the Research and Museum Centre of the Świętokrzyskie Partisan Groupings of the Home Army was founded at the Museum in co-operation with the World-wide Association of the Home Army Soldiers. Its purpose is collecting archival materials, historical researches and organising expositions documenting formations. As a result of this co-operation the main Management of the World-wide Association of the Home Army Soldiers give the Museum exhibition called "Ponury”, "Nurt” and their soldiers.
It consists of photographs and charts showing history of the Świętokrzyskie Partisan Groupings of the Home Army under the command of major Jan Piwnik (pseudonym "Ponury") and the other major Eugeniusz Gedymin Kaszyński (pseudonym "Nurt"). This exposition was presented in several Polish cities inspiring wide interests not only of ex- soldiers of the Home Army but of community too.
Besides, there are also remandings of Skarżysko Kamienna history including a Flag of Gymnastic Society " Sokół" - Skarżysko Kamienna Nest from 1919- 1923.The Polish Gymnastics Society " Sokół” was established in 1867 in Galicja, in 1885 in the Austrian part of partitioned Poland, and illegally in the Russian part in 1905. On the staff of the standard there are 142 silver nails with engraved names of institutions and people who were its founders. Among them there are such people as the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior Władysław Siokrski, cardinal Aleksander Kakowski, Sandomierz bishop Marian Józef Ryx and others. There are many representatives of nets of "Sokół” in other towns in Poland. One of the nails has a date of 3 May 1923 engrared which might suggest that the standard could be submitted to “Sokół” on this day and celebrate the day of receiving the city rights by Skarżysko Kamienna.
Significant section of the Museum and its main attraction for tourists is the open-air exhibition. Here are displayed the largest in Poland collections of heavy weapons with over 100 exhibits.
Thanks to co-operation with the Ministry of National Defence and the Polish Army many kinds of heavy armament have been assembled for example: artillery guns, anti tank and anti- plane guns, missile launchers ( for instance S-2), tanks armoured vehicles and military vehicles of different types.
A unique exhibit in all Poland is the torpedo cutter OR" Odważny”. The Museum received it from the Headquarters of the Navy in 1987. It is the only one kept cutter type 664 out of seven bouts made in Poland according to Polish technical design. It was the fastest boat in the Baltic units with its speed reaching even 59,2 knots-which is even more than 100 kilometres per hour. The general constructor of this cutter was Dionizy Wiśniewski coming from Skarżysko Kamienna, Rejów district.
It is worth mentioning that the Museum is one of principal places in Poland, of this kind whose task is gathering material relicts from the Second World War.
The Museum poses rich collection history signs, the last on Polish land armed clash. Another interesting exhibit, received in 1999, is a German automotive tank destroyer ( Sturm GeschutzIV).This is probably the only item of such a vehicle preserved in the whole world.
In Museum’s exposition there is also a hull of German tank Pz Kpfw IV and a part of automotive gun StuH 42. These exhibits are being renovated in order to rebuild their previous appearance.
The museum co-operates with several similar centres and focuses around itself a cluster of friends, who support us with their own knowledge and professional help. Specific of this museum is possibility to observe changes in appearance of reconstructed vehicles.
We kindly invite to visit the White Eagle Museum every day from 8.00 am to dusk.In indirect neighbourhood of the Museum is situated a holiday resort .It is located on the reservoir on the Kamionka river, and is surrounded by picturesque forests. Thanks to it there is possibility to pick up mushrooms and blackberries.
Accessibility
- 500 meters from the road E7
- buses number 3,7,19,20 from railway station
People can practise water sport here too. On the land, the centre possesses restaurant services, night-club, sauna, solarium, fitness facilities and so on.
http://www.orzelbialy.dmkhosting.com/index.php
Photo no. 1
A building of the Administrator of the Steelworks “Rejów”, which was built in 1836-1838.
Photo no. 2
Above -present residence of the White Eagle Museum).
Photo no. 3
The ruins of the Steelworks “Rejów”.
Photo no. 4
Model of great furnace of the “Rejów” Steelworks.
Photo no. 5
Ashtray from the Neolithic culture.
Photo no. 6
Polish anti-tank rifle (kb Ur).
Photo no. 7
Polish Gun Vis.
Photo no. 8
Polish sabre wz., which was made by SHL- Kielce.
Photo no. 9
Sten-type of lightweight submachine gun and produced in conspiracy “Sten Suchedniowski”.
Photo no. 10
Anti-tank howitzer PIAT was transported by air to the partisan troops of the Home Army.
Photo no. 11
Souvenirs after Polish Armed Forces in West.
Photo no. 12
The high-altitude flying suit of supersonic aircraft's pilot.
Photo no. 13
General view on the exhibition of the armaments of the People's Polish Army Soldiers.
Photo no. 14
The exhibition “Ponury – Nurt”-their soldiers.
Photo no. 15
Flag of Gymnastic Society “Sokół” Skarżysko-Kamienna Nest.
Photo no. 16
Open-air exhibition -artillery guns.
Photo no. 17
Missile launchers S-2.
Photo no. 18
Anti-tank T-34.
Photo no. 18
Fighter MIG-21.
Photo no. 19
Bomber SU-7.
Photo no. 20
Landing air-craft Ił-14.
Photo no. 21
The torpedo cutter ORP “Odważny”.
Photo no. 22
German automotive tank destroyer (Sturm Geschutz IV).
Materiały opublikowane dzięki uprzejmości Urzędowi Miasta Skarżyska-Kamiennej