Muzeum Chwały Oręża Polskiego w Witnicy
Private military museum in the Chmielewski family home, with uniforms, weapons and equipment from 1914–1945 and guns in the courtyard.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum was founded by Colonel Czesław Chmielewski, an officer of the 17th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Polish Army. During fighting near Bautzen he was seriously wounded and declared dead. In the 1970s he read a book about his own supposed death and found his grave in the military cemetery in Zgorzelec. To honour his fallen comrades in arms he decided to create a museum of military memorabilia; the first exhibit was the Virtuti Militari Cross awarded to him. 12 October 1972 is taken as the museum’s founding date.
The collections were built up through the founder’s own purchases and donations from local residents. The museum is housed in the Chmielewski family home at ul. Sikorskiego 35: the exhibition occupies four rooms on the ground floor, service rooms and the courtyard. The colonel was the curator and personally guided visitors. After his death in 2015 the museum is run by his descendants, and visitors are guided by his son Jerzy.
The exhibition includes several separate collections: the Polish Army 1919–1939, the September Campaign of 1939, the Polish Armed Forces in the West, the People’s Polish Army and today’s armed forces. There are weapons, uniforms, helmets, equipment, maps, documents, photographs and decorations, including the badges of all pre-war cavalry regiments and uniforms of Warsaw Uprising insurgents. In the courtyard stand cannons, howitzers and anti-aircraft guns.
Highlights
- Badges of all pre-war cavalry regiments
- Helmets and uniforms of Warsaw Uprising insurgents from 1944
- Uhlan saddle with a broken sabre recovered from the Bzura
- Cannons, howitzers and anti-aircraft guns in the courtyard
- Free admission, with guiding by the founder’s family
Permanent exhibition
- Zbiory wojskowe: wojsko polskie 1914–1945 i współczesne siły zbrojne – Uniforms, weapons, equipment, documents and decorations in the museum’s four rooms, and cannons, howitzers and anti-aircraft guns in the courtyard.
- Founded
- 1972
- Operated by
- Rodzina Chmielewskich (muzeum prywatne)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission to the museum is free.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
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
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Visitors are guided by the founder’s son. The museum is a frequent destination for school and group trips; the date should be arranged by telephone. |
