Switzerland

• Polish Museum in Rapperswil
• Polish Catholic Mission in Switzerland

Polish Museum in Rapperswil
Schloss Rapperswil
Postfach 1251
CH-8640 Rapperswil
SWITZERLAND
Fax: + 41 55 210 06 62
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Creation and short history
Polish Museum in Rapperswil is one of the oldest Polish organisations operating outside Poland. Its history can be divided into three general periods: activity of the Polish National Museum in the years 1868-1927, Modern Poland Museum in the years 1936-1952 and the most recent period since the Museum has been reactivated in 1975.

First Museum was founded thanks to the efforts of Count Władysław Broel-Plater (1806-1889) on 16 August 1868, on 100th anniversary of the Bar Confederation. Thanks to his efforts, in a castle rented from the City Council a museum was opened in 1870 and called the Polish National Museum. From the beginning it became an institution collecting national mementoes but also a meeting place for Polish immigration and cultivation of Polish national tradition. Many names of well-known Poles are associated with the Museum, also of the writer Stefan Żeromski. At the Museum the urn with the heart of Tadeusz Kościuszko, one of the Polish national heroes, was placed.

Rapperswil collection gathered in the first decades of the Museum’s activity was transported in 1927 to independent Poland. Significant part of it, archive materials in particular, was destroyed during the World War II. In the pre-war period the museum functioned under the name “Modern Poland Museum” and its activity focused on presentation of contemporary culture and art from Poland.

An unfavourable period for the Museum in Rapperswil started after 1945 on account of policies of communist authorities in Poland which tried to take control over the post. Liquidation of the museum’s sections caused conflict with Rapperswil authorities which in protest terminated the lease agreement and in consequence, by the decision of the Swiss Supreme Court the Museum was closed in 1951.A year later Rapperswil collection was again transported to Poland where it was scattered between various institutions. The situation of the Association improved only in the 70s. The opening ceremony of a newly organised post took place on 21 June 1975. From that moment the Museum’s collection expanded with numerous donations from immigrants from different countries. Particularly intense was the promotional activity of the Museum that organised over 100 exhibitions dedicated to the History of Poland, relations between Poles and the Swiss, as well as many scientific conferences bringing Polish culture and history closer to the Swiss.

At present the Polish Museum in Rapperswil plays the role of an institute of Polish culture in Switzerland whose services are used willingly both by the Swiss and the Poles.

An important role in the Museum activity plays the Polish Cultural Foundation Libertas in Rapperswil. This institution created on 13 January 1978 supports the activities of Polish cultural institutions in the West and Polish Museum in Rapperswil in particular.


Description of the collection
At present the collection of the Museum in Rapperswil includes museum expositions, a book collection and archive materials. The oldest archive materials that the Museum acquired in 19th century came mostly from donations made by Polish immigrants. In 1883 the Museum received archive materials collected by Władysław Plater, including files on the January Uprising and history of immigration in Switzerland after its collapse. Henryk Bukowski donated to the Museum a collection of manuscripts of Tadeusz Kościuszko. The Museum also took over the collection of Artur Wołyński composed of documents on the January Uprising.

In subsequent years more donations were made to the Museum by the families of immigrants, for example: the archive of Seweryn Goszczyński, legacy of Joachim Lelewel and Ludwik Mierosławski, files of Young Poland and Legion in Switzerland from the years 1833-1884, rich collection of correspondence of Sobańscy, Gałęzowscy, Nabielakowie, Gasztowttowie, files of the Polish Democratic Society, immigration enterprises in France, sources on events of 1846 and 1848, materials on Polish participation in the Crimean War, manuscripts and printed materials on the January Uprising and history of emigration after its collapse, archive of the Polish Youth Abroad and War Victims Relief Committee in Vevey.

From the period of the “first” Museum in Rapperswil there are speeches, annual reports from 1869-1919, as well as a collection of postcards and medals of the Polish National Museum. The section called “Rappersviliana” includes documentation on the Museum’s activity in 1935-1951 and from 1955 on (legal files, as well as posters and catalogues of events and exhibitions organised by the Museum and articles from local press commenting them).

Section called “2 DSP” collects mementoes of soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Fusiliers Division interned in Switzerland. These are photos from the time of internship, camp press, school workbooks, university scripts and scientific papers they wrote. The Archive also has the documentation of the Society of Former Internees from 2nd Infantry Fusiliers Division.

The Library presents fragments donated by Jan Nowak-Jeziorański of his private archive (personal documents and around 100 letters addressed to him as the head of the Polish section of the Radio Free Europe by various celebrities of science, politics and culture). J. Nowak-Jeziorański also donated to the Museum the collection of 20 letters of Polish kings as well as letters of Tadeusz Kościuszko, prince Józef Poniatowski, Józef Piłsudski, Józef Ignacy Paderewski, Henryk Sienkiewicz, manuscript of Władysław Reymont’s story “Skazaniec. Z opowiadań kapelana więziennego” and a business card of Cyprian Kamil Norwid.
In addition to the Archive in Rapperswil were donated documents and archives of Józef Maria Bocheński, count Michał Potulicki, Prof. Krystyna Marek, Józef Mackiewicz, Andrzej Romer, Halina Zielińska and Zbigniew Rapacki from Paris.

The Archive also has some (almost complete) immigration periodicals (by the year 1987) and not described collections of press cuttings from Western press depicting reactions to various events in Poland (pontificate of John Paul II, Solidarity, Martial Law, etc.).

The current museum collection is divided into several thematic sections depicting the following: Polish-Swiss relations, histories of Polish emigrations to the West, activity of Poles in Switzerland (including the history of the Polish Museum in Rapperswil), great Poles (Copernicus, Chopin, Mickiewicz, Curie-Skłodowska, Nobel prize winners), Polish fight “For faith and freedom” (including the history of the 2nd Infantry Fusiliers Division), Polish art: paintings and miniatures of famous artists, evidence of Jewish culture in Poland, as well as artistic craft collection (including Sarmatian art), art related to religion and folklore. As a permanent exposition a part of the collection of colonel Roman Umiastowski has been displayed. Among valuable old prints worth noticing is for example the work by Nicolaus Copernicus “De revolutionibus orbium coelestium”, (II edition, Basil 1565 ), or first edition of a short Polish chronicle by Marcin Kromer “De orgine et rebus gestis Polonorum” (Basil 1558).

The museum, archive and library collections of the Museum are supplemented by special collections among which the most valuable is the cartographic collection. It comes mostly from donations of Roman Umiastowski, Konstanty Górski, Tadeusz Szmitkowski, Jan Nowak-Jeziorański, Kazimierz Grocholski and Adam Heymowski. It consists of a collection of over 750 maps of the Polish territory from the period from 15th to the end of 18th century. A separate small group constitute maps of the Lavoro province where the fight of Monte Cassino took place.

Of a significant value is also the collection of drawings (mainly etching, lithographs, steel, wood and a few copper steel engravings) consisting of around 1200 items.


Collaboration with the Head Office of State Archives
Closer contacts were established in 2004. The Head Office of State Archives offered an archive traineeship to an employee of the Polish Museum, at present its Head, who during his stay learnt about the methods of describing manuscripts in the Main Archive of Old Files in Warsaw and other aspects of archive methodology.

In subsequent years the Head Office of State Archives participated in description of archive collection of the Museum, sending in 2007 an archivist from Poland to help in the organisational and inventorying works.

In 2007 thanks to the financial support from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Head Office of State Archives was the co-organiser of an international scientific conference dedicated to outstanding representatives of Polish emigration, Prof. Krystyna Marek and Jerzy Stempowski, organised at the Polish Museum in Rapperswil.

In 2008 thanks to the resources granted by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from operational programmes the works on organisation of archive collection were continued by sending to Rapperswil three archivists for month-long visits. As a result of undertaken actions complete records of archival units were prepared in the SEZAM database, covering 47 units. The legacy of Zbigniew Rapacki, an immigration activist and publicist was described. Electronic inventory in the IZA database was prepared as well as a personal index for a big part of correspondence. Also the organisational works in the unit called Archive of the Potuliccy Family started by archivists from Poland in 2007 were completed.


Plan for future works

1. Continue inventorying and organisational works in archival units, there are at least 10 linear metres of documentation to be organised,
2. Enter to the IZA database around 20 archive inventories, prepared in past years in Microsoft Word,
3. Install at the Museum the SEZAM and IZA databases, in the future migrate the data to the ZOSIA integrated system.
   From September 2009 the organisational and inventorying works will be continued by an archivist sent from Poland.
   
    

Polish Catholic Mission in Switzerland
Chemin des Falaises, 12
1723 MARLY (FR)
SWITZERLAND
Fax: + 41 2643 644 72
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Creation and short history
Polish Catholic Mission in Switzerland was founded in 1950 in order to provide pastoral services for Polish immigrants in Switzerland. In 1957 a centre in Marly on the outskirts of Fribourg was created, it started collecting documentation on religious life of the Polish community in Switzerland. It also collected documents of historical character, files of Polish institutions in Switzerland and legacies of private persons. First attempts to organise the archive materials were undertaken in the 90s of the 20th century. Thanks to the efforts of the rector at the time, Father Ksawery Sokołowski, the materials were given new order and placed on shelves. Also general descriptions of archive materials were prepared enabling easier access to them.

Description of the collection
Archive of the Polish Catholic Mission in total consists of 27 archival units composed of over 35 linear metres of documentation. The largest and one of the most valuable is the unit entitled the Files of Bronarscy Family that the Mission acquired in 1975, i.e. after the death of Ludwik Bronarski, the last member of the family, a famous Chopin expert. Research on Fryderyk Chopin’s work that he has conducted for many years caused that in the family legacy there were many rare and special sources for musicologists and fans of the great Polish composer. Majority of the archive materials constitute files of Polish organisations in Switzerland, including the files of the Polish Veterans Association, Union of Polish Organisations in Switzerland, Archive of the European Federation, Polish Catholic University Association “Veritas” and files of the Mission itself created in the course of its pastoral activity among the Polish community in Switzerland.
 

Collaboration with the Head Office of State Archives
The Mission’s collaboration with the Head Office of State Archives aimed at the organisation of archive materials started in 2007. Then an archivist from the State Archive in Krakow was sent to the Mission for a two-month visit, she conducted a preliminary identification of the entire collection, its condition and needs in terms of its comprehensive description. As a result of these actions records of the archive materials were created in the SEZAM database, covering in total 27 archival units, composed of documentation from 19th and 20th century.

Archive works were continued in 2008 and an archivist from the State Archive in Gdańsk was sent to spend another two months at the Mission’s archive. The aim of her visit was to organise the Mission’s largest and most valuable archival unit – the Files of the Bronarscy Family. In total in the IZA database 450 files were inventoried and described, this constitutes around 1/3 of the entire unit. During organisational works rare materials related to the activities of Ludwik Bronarski, for many years studying the work of Frederic Chopin, were found. This discovery aroused great interest among musicologists in Switzerland. The archivist delegated by the Head Office of State Archives prepared a special text for publication about these materials. She has also conducted an interview with Dr Bożena Schmidt-Adamczyk, a musicologist and curator of Chopin and George Sand Museum in Valdemossa.

In November 2008 to the Polish Catholic Mission in Marly an employee of the National Digital Archive in Warsaw was sent to conduct a pilot project on oral history. The aim of this undertaking was to gather accounts from the still alive witnesses including information on the activities of the Polish community in Switzerland and contribution of outstanding Poles to the development of this country in various aspects of life (e.g. culture, economy). The result of a 2-week visit of a delegated archivist were six interviews conducted with the representatives of Polish immigration and drawing up of a working list of subsequent persons.

Accounts of the following persons were recorded:

• Zygmunt Stankiewicz – sculptor and painter, former Polish soldier, interned in Switzerland during the World War II;
• Dr Jerzy Miodoński – president of the Polish Veterans Association in Switzerland, vice-president of the Union of Polish Organisations in Switzerland;
• dr Tadeusz Konopka – curator of the Tadeusz Kosciuszko Museum in Solur;
• Kazimierz Czekaj – honorary president of the Ignacy Paderewski International Association of Polish Music;
• Dr Bożena Schmid-Adamczyk – musicologist, curator of the Frederic Chopin and George Sand Museum in Valldemossa on Majorca;
• Jacek Sygnarski – president of the “Archivum Helveto-Polonicum” Foundation.

The recordings were secured for further works in the National Digital Archive.

In addition, with the resources of the Head Office of State Archives in the end of 2008 two thousand acid free folders were purchased in order to secure the already organised materials.
In June 2009 organisational and inventorying works in the unit the Files of the Braniccy Family were completed by two archivists delegated from Poland.
 

Plan for future works
Promotion of information about rare materials on Frederic Chopin during the Chopin Year in Poland. Systematic organisation of materials gathered in other archival units.

In 2009 information from the SEZAM database will be consolidated with the all-Poland database and made available to all the interested at the site of the Head Office of State Archives.
 

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