MThe Museum of Independence collects exhibits documenting the history of striving for independence starting with the Kościuszko Uprising ending with present times including the lots of Polish people living across the World. We collect work of arts, militaries, medals numismatics, print outs, photographs, post cards, flags and other national symbols. Thanks to persons who were deported into the depth of USSR after 1939 we could create a Siberian Collection. In 1993 the LEOPOLIS Collection was found. This collection includes documents concerning the history of Lviv and other South-Eastern parts. We managed to built one of the biggest collections in the country showing the activities of the opposition of the 70ies and 80ies of the 20th century. We gather for three years souvenirs with the Polish history of Krzemieniec.

Collection demonstrating the independence efforts of the 18th and 19th century

The oldest museum pieces come from 1794. These are Responses and Regulations of the Cracow Voivodship Board. The history of the November Uprising 1830 present elusive copies e.g. Manifest of Tsar Nicholas I "To Polish Nation", Parliamentary Manifest of 20 December 1830 and Responses from the National Government. In those arts collection you can find several works concerning the occurrences and figures from the 18th and 19th century. A very graphic, rich collection on Kościuszko and Napoleon era is available. An important section is the one demonstrating portraits of participants of the November Uprising, including commanders. We do also have several post cards showing reproductions of drawings made by Z. Rozwadowski, presenting the soldier's uniform from the Duchy of Warsaw.

Unknown author, January Suchodolski,Tadeusz Kościuszko, undated sangwina pastel

Pożegnanie przed pójściem na wojnę 1809 - 1812 (Saying goodbye before going to war 1809-1812), undated, oil linen.

Jan Styka, Bem in Transylvania, a fragment of the panorama [1897], oil linen.

Manifasto of Jan Henryk Dąbrowski and Józef Wybicki, 1806

The Museum has collected many showpieces connected with the January Uprising 1863 - 1864. Very interesting is the group of souvenirs consisting of 97 elements e.g. patriotic jewellery the so called black jewellery being used during patriotic manifests and national mourning: crosses, armbands, brooches, necklaces, rings, pendants and medals commemorating the anniversary of the Uprising from 1863 and other important facts. The collection of the iconography from the January Uprising is also very rich. You can find there 500 pieces. The iconography presents effigy of people taking part in the battle, commanders, manifest participants and Siberian deportees. In that department there are also many post cards - reproductions of paintings and graphics concerning the Uprising. There is also a collection of 54 drawings made by a deportee - father Leopold Zgodziński in 1864 - 1866.
The Permanent Exhibition in the Museum of Pavilion X in Warsaw Citadel has 124-piece work by Aleksander Sochaczewski - called "Malarze syberyjskiej kategorii" (Siberian category painters). These paintings have been given to us by the Museum o History in Warsaw, and are the source of knowledge about the deportees, January Uprising participants who were exiled to Siberia.

A group of insurgents 1863, photograph

Patriotic jewellery: cross and Armand

Antoni Kozakiewicz, three generations 1864, oil linen

Jacek Malczewski, Sybirak, undated, oil cardboard

The museum has a huge collection connected with the January Uprising.

Aleksander Sochaczewski, prisoners at work, undated, coal linen

Aleksander Sochaczewski, Goodbye Europe, undated, oil linen

Collection documenting the battle for independence and borders and for setting a sovereign state (19th and 20th century, 1914 -1921)

The Museum has a rich collection of symbolic and patriotic items: print outs, bricks, medals, medallions, nameplates, orders, coins, stamps and souvenirs from 1914 - 1920. Interesting are also patriotic post cards decorated with emblem cartouche, eagle images and demonstrating allegories of famous figures. A very important collection is also the one presenting Polish patriotic posters from the Interwar period.
A special collection concerns relics connected with Józef Piłsudski, Polish Legions and the Polish Military Organisation and other elements referring to regaining independence in 1918. These are documents and nameplates, medals, carvings, relieves, lithographs and oil portraits of the Marshall. Worth seeing is also the collection of notices, orders, responses given by the High Command of the Polish Army in Warsaw. The Museum as also several art works and a rich photograph documentation dedicated to the Polish Legions and a few series of post cards mainly demonstrating scenes from military life. A wide collection concerns the Corpus of the Protection of the Borderland.
Since few years the Museum collects relics connected with the national movement. In 2006 the Museum received a brown bust mould of Roman Dmowski and a flag of the National Party of Łomżyński district manufactured in 1926.

An order Brigadier Piłsudski,1914

Uhlan confederate from the 1st Uhlan regiment of the Polish Legions belonging to squadron leader Wacław Galewski, 1915.

National Procession, Warsaw on 17 November 918, postcard.

Unknown author, legun with a gat, carving

Unknown author, eagle In a crown, the 20ies In the 20th century, relief in wood

Kamil Mackiewicz, Hej! Every Pole take your bayonet!!, 1920, poster

Stanisław Staniszewski, Join the Army, fight for Your motherland, 1920, poster

Stanisław Bagiński, Polonia (copy: Władysław Brech), 1930-1935, oil linen

Zbigniew Dunajewski, Józef Piłsudski, 1935 bronze

National Party Flag from the Łomżyński District, 1926

Jerzy Nowicki, Roman Dmowski, 2005, bronze mould

Patriotic and symbolic postcards from the 20th century

Reborn Poland
Programmes of the ceremonies and reunions of uprising veterans and legionnaires come form the times of the Second Republic of Poland. We do also have documents and photographs referring to state anniversaries e.g. pouring the barrow of Józef Piłsusdki in 1935 - 1936. Due to this event many medals, nameplates, decorated diplomas were issued. A huge collection of these examples is presented in the Museum. We also have weapons, elements of an officer's uniform and orders from the Interwar period.
The Museum has many relics documenting the social life of those times e.g. items connected with the professional culture and education, youth and sports movement, mostly the socialist provenance. Very interesting is also the collection presenting the activity of the Warsaw Housing Cooperative.

Election leaflet from a non party group cooperating with the Government, 1928

Officer's patent from Zygmunt August Wieleżynski, undersigned by the Minister of Army J. Piłsudski, 1934

Wanda Benedyktowicz, portrait of Ludomir Benedyktowicz before 1926, aquarelle cardboard.n

A medallion from the National Exhibition in Poznań, Poznan 1929, bronze

Golden Academic Laurel for merit in the Polish Literature, 1934

Stanisław Bergman, potato bakers, 1928, oil card board

Stanisław Osostowicz,Houses 1930 - 1931, oil linen

Unknown author, 15-year plan concerning the development of Poland, 1939, poster

Collection from World War II

The Museum owns a rich collection of relics connected with Polish Armed Forces in the West e.g.: uniforms, equipment - air binoculars, water bottle, backpack, orders of various formation, personal things - silver cigarette-case owned by Władyslaw Sikorski given later on to aid-de-camp Czasław Glówczyński, archive publication of Polish Camp Priesthood in the Middle-East and the Division of Culture and Press of the 2. Polish Corp.
The Museum owns several notices and propaganda posters issued by the German Occupier. The conspiracy activity are documented by the archive of Home Army and The Women Military Service and leaflets from the Directorship of the Management of the Civil Contest.
The subject matter concerning German concentration camps and oflags is presented: in the collection of correspondence from prisoners from all camps located in Poland and Germany, camp dungarees, shoes - clogs, camp numbers, camp coupons or products made in the camp Ravensbruck.
The relics connected with the January Uprising are mainly weapons, radios, first aid kit, military arm bands. We do also have an uprising poster of 1 August 1944 with the state emblem and a note: Let live the Government of the Republic of Poland/ Reverence of the brave Home Army Also important is the response of a Government Delegate and German and Soviet leaflets.

Jadwiga Tereszczenko, Night transport, 1941, drawing

Camp blouseof Teresa Matyska from Auschwitz-Birkenau

Helmet of a Warsaw uprising insurgent

Radio with headphones used by the General Anton Chruścicie, PS. Monter, 1944

Military uniform from the Colonel Tadeusz Anders from Word War II with orders of Polish Armed Forces in the West

Wojciech Myer, Polish air force, 1944, postert

Stanisław Lipiński, Warsaw / 1939 - 1944, poster

Stanisław Westwalewicz, M. Cassino, 1946, poster

Statuette "Invincible" by Włodzimierz Fruczek, made fro 60th anniversary of January Uprising, 2004

PRL (People's Republic of Poland) Collection

Damages after the War, rebuilding the country, works in cities and in the country - al this can be seen in paintings colleted by the museum. Interesting to see is the collection of 70 satiric drawings from 1951-1970 tht applied for the exhibition "Society and revolution in Polish art" and several posters referring to culture, society and politics. The collection document the social - political life focusing on the Polish Workers' Party and later the Polish United Workers' Party and the so called Democratic Party (PPS, SL). The Museum owns also leaflets referring to the referendum in 1946 and Parliament Elections in 1947. Relics from the 50ies are mainly reports concerning the production obligation. The Museum owns relics and Bierut.

"Bonus loan for rebuilding the country 1946, a part of Bond, Warsaw 15 April 1946.

Alfred Lenica, Building Works, (1948), oil cardboard.

Tadeusz Gronowski, We will hand over grain to the State, 1952, poster

W. Gołuch, A miner's Day, Wrocław 1976, poster

P. Czerkawski, 40th anniversary of returning the Western Land.., Wrocław 1985, poster

Collection referring to the times of the Third Republic of Poland after 1989

Materials and documents referring to the presidential and parliament election since 1989. We collected posters and leaflets presenting candidates and notices from the election commission. We do also have posters which appeared during the presidential campaign. Interesting to see are also photographs showing important political events and the pilgrimage of John Paul II to Poland.

Unknown author, We will keep our Word! PZPR ZSL SD, 1989, poster

Unknown author, Tomorrow shall be proud of us. Solidarność 1989, poster

Unknown author, Build a house to a scale, 1999, poster

R. Rzepecki (phot.). The Lear of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, 2000, poster

Special Collections in the Museum of Independence

Leopolis Collection was found in 1992 as an initiative from the Department of the Lviv Society. The aim of that collection is to collect historical materials in order to show the truth about Lviv and South-Eastern Lesser Poland. The most relics are connected with the history of Lviv when being annexed and from the times of Second republic of Poland. The collection consists mainly of photographs, post cards, archive and family souvenirs. We also have graphics and paintings and materials connected with a Lviv radio programme operating before the War.

Marceli Harasimowicz, the Lviv Panorama, 1914, oil linen

Stanisław Kaczor-Batowski, The Defence of Lviv, redoubt of the youngest, 1938, oil plywood

Order of honour "Eagles" designed by T. Łuczyński, Lviv 1919, copper

Diploma of acceptance Mariańska Sodality, Lviv 1928, printing, manuscript

A group of artist of the Lviv Radio Programme, 1934, photograph

Sybirak Collection exists in the Museum since 1994 and the aim is to collect documents referring to the exile of Poles in the Stalin times. The 1500 items in the exhibition comes from gifts from people who managed to return from the "nonhuman" land. The exhibition shows material evidence of forced stays in the East in 1940-1956. These are objects used in prison, camps and in the so called free settlement, archives, photographs, artistic works and objects of Stalin oppression. Valuable are unique products manufactured by the oppressed who wanted to live like a "standard Pole" despite of the degrading reality. Very interesting documentation is the one concerning inhabitants of the so called Marchlewszczyzny, who were deported to Kazakhstan in the 30ies o the 20th century - paintings by Feliks Mostowicz. An artist who was born in the area of Kokczetaw and now lives in Warsaw gave 88 works to the Museum. The paintings show people, conversation piece and landscapes of Kazakhstan.

Diary of Regina Dubiniec led in the book "Leninskij sbornik", Olgówka, Kazakhstan, 1943 - 1946

Eagle in Crown - miniature embroidered by aria Rogowska, Norylsk, 1945 - 1954

Mother of God Kozielska made according to a project of Tadeusz Zieliński, given by Wojciech Ziembiński, bronze, mould.

Feliks Mostowicz: artist in Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan 1991-1996 Watercolour

Feloks Mostowicz, New Motherland, Kazakhstan 1992, oil linen

Krzemieniecka Collection was found in 2003 as an initiative of people from the Krzemieniec cooperating with Warsaw Friends Society. The exhibition collects original relics referring to the city and documents the history of Polish abodes located in the Wołyńska area. Thank to donors the new exhibitions has a rich collection of relics e.g. archives, post cards, photographs, publications showing the specific character of Krzmieniec. The exhibition presents the place as a city of a huge nostalgia. Interesting to see is a various collection referring to the famous high school and artistic photographs made by Henryk Hermanowicz, Stanisław Sheybal presenting the beauty of architecture and landscape.

Krzemieniec, Interwar period, postcard.

B. Romaniuk, Krzemieniec, 1993, oil linen

Latest times are presented in Opposition Collection that presents a large number of relics referring to Movement for Defence of Human and Civic Rights, Confederation of Independent Poland, Workers' Defence Committee and Solidarność in the 80ies and 90ies of the 20th century. The collection presents print outs, banners, posters, printer machines, devices from secret print shops, nameplates, jewellery with patriotic symbols, cards issued by secret organisations showing representatives from the opposition and occurrences happened in Warsaw, Gdańsk, Lublin. We also have several graphics ad drawings in the PRL times. A lot of interesting relics contains the collection of Wojciech Ziembiński.

Shipyard workers' helmets, (1980)

A shirt from an internment camp in Zabrze, (1982), print, crayon, white flannelette

A picture of a soap holder with a radio inside used by the internees

A Solidarność jewellery from the martial law

Hanna Huskowska Młynarska, leaflet in form a obituary, after 13 December 1981

Unknown author, August 1980 with an autograph from Lech Wałęsa, Gdańsk 1981, poster