80th Anniversary of the 1st Independent Parachute Brigade’s Participation in Operation Market Garden

Honorary patronage over the event was taken by:
Vice-Premier, Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz,
Voivode of Małopolska Krzysztof Jan Klęczar,
Marshal of the Małopolska Region Łukasz Smółka
The event patron is Kraków Airport.

The celebrations were opened by Tomasz Kosecki, Director of the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków, who, after welcoming the invited guests, delivered a brief reflection on the dedication and heroism of the Polish paratroopers who fought at Arnhem.

The 1st Independent Parachute Brigade numbered approximately 2,200 soldiers and was created with the intention of deploying it for combat on Polish soil, but things turned out differently. I hope that our exhibition will not only recall those events, but also allow a moment of reflection on the cost of freedom — said the Director.

The vernissage of the temporary exhibition The 1st Independent Parachute Brigade in Operation Market Garden 1944 was graced by the presence of:

• Mr Dariusz Gawęda, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and National Heritage at the Marshal’s Office of the Małopolska Region
• Colonel Artur Wiatrowski, Deputy Commander of the 6th Airborne Brigade, representing the Commander of the 6th Airborne Brigade, Brigadier General Michał Strzelecki
• Professor Olga Wasiuta, Director of the Institute of Security and Computer Science at the University of the National Education Commission
• Professor Małgorzata Duda, Vice-Rector of the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków, representing His Magnificence Rev. Professor Robert Tyrała
• Professor Sławomir Mazur, Dean of the Faculty of Security Sciences at the Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski University
• Ms Agnieszka Kostecka-Stec, Chancellor of the Kraków University of Technology
• Mr Maciej Sternicki, Deputy Director for Technical Affairs of the Kraków Opera
• Dr hab. Olgierd Grott, Professor at the Jagiellonian University, Deputy Director of the Home Army Museum in Kraków named after Gen. Emil Fieldorf “Nil”
• Senior Warrant Officer Hubert Cora of the Riflemen’s Association, Commander of Riflemen’s Unit 2077 in Kraków
• Mr Ronnie Weijers, Director of the Airborne Museum at Hartenstein
• Dr Agnieszka Polończyk-Sudoł, representing the University of the National Education Commission
• Ms Liliana Gołda, Vice-Principal of the General Education School Complex No. 9 in Kraków
• Mr Jan Loryś, long-time Director of the Polish Museum in Chicago
• Mr Piotr Drumlak, President of the Association of Polish Parachutists, 2nd Branch Kraków
• Mr Jacek Dziedzic, representing the Museum of the 6th Airborne Brigade
• Mr Leszek Mańkowski, Chairman of the Aviation Seniors Council and the Kraków Aviation Seniors Club
• Mr Mateusz Różański, Board Member of the Kraków Aero Club
• Mr Mateusz Dróżdż, Councillor of District III Prądnik Czerwony
• Mr Adam Młot, representing the Driel 1944 Foundation
• Senior Warrant Officer Józef Banach of the Riflemen’s Association, Manager of the Boarding House at the KEN School Complex in Tymbark

The exhibition was presented in the Museum’s Main Hangar as part of the permanent exhibition Wings and People of the 20th Century. Event participants could admire memorabilia from the collections of the Tradition Hall — Museum of the 6th Airborne Brigade and the Tradition Hall of the 18th Bielsko Airborne Battalion, as well as from private individuals.

The exhibition would not have been possible without the involvement of many people, which is why I would like to thank everyone who contributed to its creation, and in particular: Mr Jacek Dziedzic from the Museum of the 6th Airborne Brigade, Mr Dariusz Kubeczek from the 18th Bielsko Airborne Battalion named after Capt. Ignacy Gazurek, Mr Mateusz Palka, and the staff of our Museum led by Ms Ewa Cuber-Strutyńska, Head of the Collections Department — expressed Museum Director Tomasz Kosecki in gratitude.

Among the most interesting exhibits were, among others, a previously never-displayed original writing desk of Gen. Stanisław Sosabowski, donated to the 6th Airborne Brigade by the General’s great-grandson, Professor Hal Sosabowski, in 2023. Visitors could also admire decorations awarded to the General and the Brigade, a replica of the famous Surge Polonia banner, elements of paratrooper equipment from World War II, as well as numerous documents and photographs from the era.

The assembled guests were guided through the exhibition by Dariusz Kubeczek from the 18th Bielsko Airborne Battalion.

An additional attraction during the vernissage was a display of original, historic firearms — German, American and British — such as those used by soldiers during Operation Market Garden.

The exhibition will run until the end of 2024.

More about it can be read in the tab: Temporary exhibitions: The 1st Independent Parachute Brigade in Operation Market Garden 1944

International Scientific Conference

In the second part of the celebrations, an international scientific conference took place, moderated by Dr hab. Przemysław Wywiał, Professor at the University of the National Education Commission. The following speakers addressed the assembled audience:

• Leszek Mańkowski, Chairman of the Aviation Seniors Council and the Kraków Aviation Seniors Club, member of the Association of Polish Parachutists — Celebrations of the 80th Anniversary of Operation Market Garden in Arnhem
• Ronnie Weijers, Director of the Airborne Museum, the Netherlands — The Airborne Museum at Hartenstein
• Dr Agnieszka Polończyk-Sudoł (University of the National Education Commission in Kraków) — Application of Modern Geoinformatics Tools to the Analysis and Assessment of Designating Drop Zones for the “Silent Unseen” on the Example of the “Bat-Solnica” Drop Zone
• Tomasz Kosecki, Director of the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków — Tadeusz Kramarz. A Biographical Contribution
• Jacek Dziedzic, 6th Airborne Brigade — The Museum of the 6th Airborne Brigade
• Adam Młot, Driel 1944 Foundation — The Road Led Through Fallow Land.

We invite you to view the photo report from the event:

Photo credits:

Zuzanna Kaczorowska
Tomasz Markowski
Szymon Placha