On Wednesday, May 27, representatives of the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków had the pleasure of visiting the Antoni Kocjan School Complex No. 3 in Olkusz during its Open House. The event was an excellent opportunity to highlight the legacy of the outstanding aircraft designer who is the school’s namesake and one of the most important figures in the history of Polish gliding.
The promotional and educational booth set up by the Museum featured a poster exhibition highlighting the life and achievements of engineer Antoni Kocjan. An exhibit brought in especially for the occasion—the WWS Wrona bis glider, designed by Kocjan himself – drew great interest, allowing students and guests to experience firsthand the aviation technology of the interwar period.
The exploration of Antoni Kocjan’s life and achievements continued with a special guided tour combined with a lecture for schoolchildren from Olkusz, which took place on June 9 in Hangar No. 5, where the exhibition “Downwind and Upwind – Civil Aviation” is on display. In this way, the participants had the opportunity to learn more about the history of Polish gliding and the achievements of their school’s patron.
Antoni Kocjan, born in Skalskie (now a district of Olkusz), designed many gliders that helped build the strength of Polish civil aviation. His conduct during World War II—from his time at Auschwitz to leading the Home Army’s aviation intelligence and helping to decipher the secrets of the German V2 rocket—serves as a model of patriotism and sacrifice.
We are delighted that the memory of such an outstanding designer and patriot is being cherished in his hometown. We thank the school community for the invitation and for this shared history lesson.
