Muzeum Armii Krajowej im. gen. Emila Fieldorfa „Nila” w Krakowie

About the museum

The museum’s origins go back to 1990, when Kraków veterans of the Home Army opened the exhibition “Nasza droga do Niepodległości” (Our Road to Independence) in the former Mańkowski Palace, after first removing the Lenin Museum from the building. In 1992 the exhibition moved to the former barracks at ul. Bosacka 13, where on 16 May 1992 the Museum of the History of the Home Army was officially opened. The municipal Home Army Museum (Samorządowe Muzeum Armii Krajowej) was established on 21 February 2000 by the city council of Kraków and the Lesser Poland Voivodeship council; the institution opened on 27 September 2000, and in 2001 General Emil Fieldorf “Nil” became its patron.

The present seat is in building no. 4 of the former Austrian supply complex of the Kraków Fortress, a two-storey barracks with deep cellars, completed in 1911. In 2005 an international architectural competition was decided, and it was won by the studio AiR Jurkowscy – Architekci from Katowice. After the renovation completed in 2011, the museum’s area increased from 1,300 to 6,500 m², and a new permanent exhibition opened on 27 September 2012.

The permanent exhibition tells the story of the Polish Underground State and its armed force, the Home Army, and of the fates of ordinary people under German and Soviet occupation. On the ground floor the history of the Second Polish Republic, the 1939 campaign and life under occupation are shown; in the cellars, on level −1, the history of the Underground State is presented, including sabotage, intelligence and information activities. The museum holds more than 20 thousand exhibits, including, as it states, the largest collection of firearms in Poland, and conducts research on the Home Army.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition on the Polish Underground State and the Home Army
• Witold Pilecki’s intelligence report cards
• Uniform of General Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski
• Work by Tadeusz Kantor, “Klęska wrześniowa” (The September Defeat)
• Replicas of a Vickers E tank and a V2 rocket, and the interior of a Halifax aircraft
• The largest collection of firearms in Poland

Permanent exhibition

• Wystawa stała Muzeum Armii Krajowej – Multimedia exhibition on the Polish Underground State and the Home Army, from the history of the Second Polish Republic and the 1939 campaign to sabotage, intelligence and life under occupation.

Founded

2000

Operated by

Muzeum Armii Krajowej im. gen. Emila Fieldorfa „Nila”

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Sunday – free admission during opening hours.

Holders of the Krakowska Karta Rodzinna 3+ and the Karta Dużej Rodziny pay half the standard and reduced ticket prices; holders of the Karta Krakowska receive a 20% discount; former activists of the anti-communist opposition and political prisoners living in Kraków pay PLN 1. Discounts cannot be combined.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description

The building is free of architectural barriers: a ramp with handrails leads to the main entrance, and a lift in the courtyard serves all levels of the exhibition. On the ground floor there is an adapted toilet with a call system and a light alarm. The museum has no car park of its own, but a parking space for people with disabilities is marked in front of the entrance. Films in Polish Sign Language (PJM) with subtitles are available via QR codes or an RFID card from the ticket office. An induction loop operates at the information desk, and headphones with an induction loop can be borrowed free of charge at the ticket office. An audio-description route covers the permanent exhibition. On each level there are tactile maps and objects to touch, e.g. a uniform, puzzles and the Vickers tank. An easy-to-read guide and audio guides in easy language are available (deposit PLN 30, about 60–90 minutes), as well as free sensory aids and noise-cancelling headphones. Accessibility coordinator: tel. +48 12 41 00 780. Assistance dogs may enter the exhibition.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

The museum offers a family ticket, thematic workshops and theatre performances combined with a tour, and objects to touch in the exhibition.

Getting there & parking

The museum is about 400 m from Kraków Główny railway station and the MDA bus station.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit