The Szabla Władysław Anders, Stanisław Maczek or Józef Haller – is only a part of 41 Polish general sabres, which can be viewed as part of the exhibition “General Chambers of the Second Republic” in the Municipal Arsenal – Military Museum in Wrocław. It is simply a weapon of peculiar importance in Polish military past and tradition.
The unique collection consists of the weapons of the most crucial figures of the interwar militarian world, specified as Edward Rydz-Śmigły, Władysław Anders, Józef Haller, Bolesław Wieniawa-Długoszowski, Stanisław Maczek, Tadeusz Kutrzeba, Felicjan Sławomir Składkowski, Tadeusz Rozwadowski, Kazimierz Raszewski, Stanisław Rostwarowski, Zygmunt Podhorski, Stanisław Szeptycki and many others.
– To this day, it is widely believed that there are no weapons more connected with the tradition of Polish weapons than the saber, which appears in the most crucial national song of Poles – Mazurk Dąbrowski: "What abroad force took us, we will take distant the saber". He besides wrote about the importance of the sword for the Polish soldier in his legendary “Encyclopedia illustrated” Zygmunt Gloger: “The sword belongs to the alleged white weapon, or alleged a alleged so-called "segregated weapon", with which Poles won many victories. So she became the beloved weapon of the nation, which the Polish knight gave in combat only with life. The relation between Poles and their sword is not repeated in another nations." The sabre is so our own weapon and a circumstantial symbol of the past of the native military – says Maciej Łagiewski, manager of the Municipal Museum in Wrocław – the facility to which the Military Museum and the Municipal Arsenal belong.
The general sabers, which were placed at the exhibition, come from the collection of collectors of Polish Sibling Weapons Paweł Komorowski. He selected the 41 most valuable exhibits and donated the museum to a deposit. – Named swords, so dedicated and presented to Polish commanders, are more than just weapons. They are a kind of symbol of heroism, patriotism, aspirations and traditions of independency – explains the manager of the Municipal Museum in Wrocław. As he explains, swords were produced in thousands of copies, but only a fewer were placed at the hands of the higher commanders and were dedicated to them as names, hence the name of the exhibition: "General Names of the Second Republic". – These most crucial commanders, earned in the field of combat, but besides in independency policy, frequently received them in gratitude for their merit. The shables, held with large pietism as a legacy of ancestors, exhibited in an honorable place, testified about patriotic traditions of the household – says Łagiewski.
Living Hobbies
Collector Paweł Komorowski, who made available exceptional exhibits to the Wrocław museum, collects white weapons from early youth. – The first saber, specified a tiny “prussian”, was given as a gift by my schoolmate in the first year of advanced school. Later my military collection is fundamentally bayonets, but it was for financial reasons – they were importantly cheaper, which for the student's pocket and later the student was of large importance – says Paweł Komorowski. He adds that his collection of sabers began to grow and evolve as he took up his work, and its improvement intensified erstwhile he took off his forester's uniform and switched to his own business. He says gentlemen don't talk about costs, but it's not a inexpensive hobby. In his case, it is not just a hobby, but a lifestyle.
– First I collected swords and scallops under the motto “Szalls and scallops utilized by the Polish soldier after the 3rd Partition of Poland”. So I collected English, Austrian, French, Prussian and Russian weapons, due to the fact that specified swords were utilized by a Polish soldier until planet War II. I made the collection full, I mean, I got all the rules used. Then I asked myself: what to do next? And I decided, I'm going to collect the namebars. The swords of circumstantial people, supplemented by biographies of these. And it wasn't easy at all, due to the fact that it's beautiful easy to find the destiny of a general or a colonel, but uncovering a sergeant or a lieutenant is simply a occupation for professionals, and it's for those with a bit of luck. I was looking for these people from Canada to Australia – explains the collector.
Among the weapons donated to the Military Museum in Wrocław there are peculiarly valuable exhibits, including prototype Polish officer's saber from 1938, Colonel Leon Strzelecki – Brigadier General of the Polish Army, associate of the September run and defence of Warsaw. According to present historical knowledge, there are only 2 specified swords worldwide. The second highly valuable collector's exhibit is the saber of General Leonard Skierski, 1 of the 5 known sabers from the Lopieński brothers' description (by the sabers). Marshal Józef Piłsudski located in the museum in Sulejówek, generals Józef Haller and Bolesław Popowicz in the collections of the museum in Wrocław and General Leon Berbecki, known only from photographs). Collector Paweł Komorowski besides appreciates 3 swords belonging to Gen. Tadeusz Rozwadowski, a hero Warszawski Battle. They were all presented in the exhibition presented in Wrocław.
Charles cult
The alleged Polish saber is simply a white weapon of large reputation, originating in the Noble Republic. The oldest kind of it (Polish-Hungarian) was created in the 16th century during the reign of Stefan Batory. The saber rapidly gained large popularity in noble circles, became a favourite weapon of nobility and magnatery. Thus the cult of sabres developed, and its possession was linked to Sarmatism, and thus the thought current attributing to the Polish nobility exceptional qualities, with valor and love of freedom at the head. The importance of this weapon is demonstrated even by the memory of it in our anthem.
In the 20th century, the saber served not only for parade purposes, but besides for military and police equipment. – A saber model 34 (1934 – year of introduction to military equipment was created for this purpose. It was meant for enlisted officers and privates. She looked like a 17th century Hussar sword. It was a very sturdy saber, it had a fracture-resistant head, and the handle provided a good grip. It was produced by the Ludwik steelworks in Kielce, hence the name Ludwikka was adopted. The saber mass was about 1.5 kg with vagina, the weapon itself weighed just over 900 g. On our exhibition you can see a copy belonging to Marshal Edward Śmigłego-Rydz, who received this saber from the enlisted officers of the 17th Ulanów Wielkopolska Regiment on the namesake of 18 March 1938 – explains Major Mariusz Cieśla from the Military Museum in Wrocław.
Visitors to the exhibition can admire sabers most frequently decorated, frequently presented as part of authoritative celebrations or as a gift. – The swords have inscriptions engraved on the edge, Polish national symbols, highest state distinctions, including Virtuti Militari. They are complemented by decorations in the fashionable in the twenty-year interwar decorative styles of art déco and modernist. Most of the presented sabers were created in Gabriel Borowski's celebrated seed weapon mill in Warsaw – says manager of the Wroclaw Municipal Museum Maciej Łagiewski.
The collection of first-name sabres of Paweł Komorowski together with a collection of sabres (including Ułański) from the collections of Wrocław Arsenal creates the largest collection of these weapons from the time of the interwar period in Poland. In total, more than 100 exhibits await visitors. The exhibition in the Municipal Arsenal at 9 Cieszynska Street is permanent. beginning hours, ticket price list and another details can be found on the website www.mmw.pl.
