Our Museum is a depositary of History – it is located on the grounds of the former Rakowice-Czyżyny airfield, established before World War I by the Austrian partitioners and liberated on 31 October 1918. During the interwar period, this airfield was home to the 2nd Aviation Regiment. World War II left its tragic mark on it. Eventually, the airfield was decommissioned in 1963 due to the expansion of Nowa Huta. But it is solely thanks to the existence of the Polish Aviation Museum that this area has preserved its unique cultural function – including its aviation heritage.
The origin of our Museum was the Aviation Equipment Exhibition Centre at the Kraków Aero Club, established by the Board of the Aero Club of the Polish People’s Republic. The Centre began assembling its collection and on 23 August – 12 September 1964 organised the Great Aviation Exhibition on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Polish People’s Republic.
In 1967, the Centre was transformed into the Aviation Museum, initially subordinate to the Supreme Technical Organisation, and from 1971 to the Ministry of Transport. After the local government reform in 1998, the Polish Aviation Museum became a cultural institution of the Małopolska Region. Initially, the institution had at its disposal a small patch of the disused airfield, one hangar, an administrative building, and the former parachute building. In subsequent decades, the area occupied by the Museum expanded, and additional buildings were acquired – including the former garages of the 2nd Aviation Regiment. Today, the Polish Aviation Museum occupies 25.7 hectares of land listed in the register of historic monuments.
The Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków – in accordance with its charter – collects, protects, restores and makes available unique monuments of aviation technology, preserves the character of the site, and conducts popularisation, educational and scientific activities.
The Museum’s collection comprises over 250 – in many cases unique – aircraft, gliders and helicopters, and over 140 aircraft engines, as well as thousands of medium- and small-scale museum objects such as aviation armament, cockpit instruments, uniforms and decorations. The narrative exhibitions we have created are housed both in renovated historic pre-war airfield buildings and in structures built during the post-war period – during the Museum’s years of operation – as well as in the open air.
Appearance of the first k.u.k. Luftfahrttruppen aircraft on the Rakowice Fields – the supporting Flugpark 7 is established.
Formation of the 7th Aviation Company (Fliegerkompanie 7) during mobilisation, based on Flugpark 7.
Takeover of the airfield by soldiers of Polish nationality serving in Austro-Hungarian units at the airfield.
Establishment of the Lower Pilot School, where the first pilots of independent Poland were trained.
Formation of the 2nd Aviation Regiment.
Opening of the Civil Aviation Station – the beginning of passenger air transport in Kraków.
Commissioning of the double-nave concrete hangar.
Establishment of the Academic Aero Club of Kraków
Commissioning of the steel-concrete hangars of the 2nd Aviation Regiment.
Opening of the civil airport in Czyżyny.
Disbandment of the 2nd Aviation Regiment, relocation of combat squadrons to field airfields.
German air raid on the airfield, during which the present Main Hangar of the Museum is damaged.
Entry of Germans into Kraków and seizure of the airfield. During the occupation, the Germans intensively use and expand it.
The Germans retreat from the airfield, blowing up hangars and many other buildings. The airfield is taken over by Soviet air force units.
Establishment of the Civil Airport in Kraków – the beginning of civil air transport after the end of the German occupation.
The 2nd Fighter Aviation Regiment is stationed at the airfield.
Completion of the reconstruction of two hangars and the construction of a 2,006 m concrete runway, initiated by the Germans.
Relocation of the 2nd Fighter Aviation Regiment to the new airfield in Balice
End of operations at the Rakowice-Czyżyny military airfield. A decision is made at the central level to organise an Aviation Museum on its grounds, transferred by the military authorities to the Aero Club of the Polish People’s Republic.
End of operations at the Rakowice-Czyżyny commercial airfield.
Session of the presidium of the inter-ministerial Commission for the Organisation of the Aviation Museum and Construction of the Aviator’s House
Session of the Commission for the Organisation of the Aviation Museum, at which the organisation of an aviation equipment exhibition on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Polish People’s Republic at the Rakowice-Czyżyny airfield was discussed. Historic aircraft are brought to the grounds of the decommissioned airfield, including those from the Deutsche Luftfahrtsammlung collection in Berlin, abandoned by the Germans in Kuźnica Czarnkowska in 1945.
Session of the presidium of the inter-ministerial Commission for the Organisation of the Aviation Museum and Construction of the Aviator’s House
The Aviation Equipment Exhibition Centre is renamed the Centre of Aviation and Astronautical Knowledge. It is supervised by the Aero Club of the Polish People’s Republic and the Committee of Science and Technology.
The Centre of Aviation and Astronautical Knowledge is taken over by the Supreme Technical Organisation and renamed the Aviation Museum.
Official opening of the Aviation Museum, organisationally subordinate to the Museum of Technology NOT in Warsaw.
The Museum is placed under the authority of the Ministry of Transport and receives its charter and the name Museum of Aviation and Astronautics.
Opening of the engine exhibition in a former garage of the 2nd Aviation Regiment, handed over to the Museum by the military
Opening of the newly built hangar housing the exhibition of World War I aircraft, known as the Small Hangar.
The Polish Aviation Museum becomes a cultural institution of the Małopolska Region.
Opening of the exhibition “What You Do Not Know” – Storerooms of History in a former garage of the 2nd Aviation Regiment, next to the engine exhibition. The oldest, unrestored aircraft were displayed there.
Celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the Museum, during which the first aircraft landing in many years takes place on the preserved section of the runway. The Kraków-Czyżyny landing strip (EPKC) is registered.
1st Małopolska Aviation Picnic – air shows on the grounds of the former Rakowice-Czyżyny airfield. They became a regular event, with 15 editions held by 2019.
Handover of two newly built arched hangars for use.
Beginning of operations of the Police Aviation Section of the Kraków Regional Police Headquarters on the Museum grounds in one of the arched hangars.
Opening of the NATO vs. Warsaw Pact exhibition in the second arched hangar on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of NATO and the 10th anniversary of Poland’s accession to NATO
Grand opening of the new Main Building of the Museum, whose construction began in 2008. It houses exhibition rooms, a library, a conference hall, a cinema hall and offices.
Opening of the Wings of the Great War – Małopolska 1914-2014 exhibition in the modernised Small Hangar.
Opening of the Wings and People of the 20th Century exhibition in the modernised Main Hangar, garages and parachute building.
Start of construction of a new exhibition hangar as part of the “Hexagon – construction of a hangar for the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków” project
Ceremonial celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków
Handover and consecration of the new Hangar No. 5, built on the site of the historic hangar of the 2nd Aviation Regiment
Opening of the new permanent exhibition “With the Wind and Against the Wind – Civil Aviation”
