Exhibition: “The One” by Wacław Król. Remains of the PZL P.11c Aircraft from the Local Heritage Room in Kłaj

At precisely 12:00, the vernissage of the exhibition “The Number One of Wacław Król” began. It was opened by Tomasz Kosecki, Director of the Polish Aviation Museum, who welcomed the numerous assembled guests, including representatives of Kłaj Municipality, cultural institutions, uniformed services and historical communities, among them:

• Maciej Laskowicz — Deputy Mayor of Kłaj Municipality
• Magdalena Godzic-El Hossein — Director of the Kłaj Municipal Cultural Centre
• Małgorzata Balik — Head of the Promotion, Culture and Sport Division of the Kłaj Municipal Office
• Krystyna Gierat — curator of the Kłaj Municipal Regional Chamber
• Chief Superintendent Łukasz Czyż — Head of the Presidential Division of the Voivodeship Police Headquarters in Kraków
• Jarosław Wojtaszek — member of the Exploration and Research Group that conducted the search and recovery of the aircraft relics.
• Wojciech Rejman — treasurer of the Kraków Aviation Seniors Club

Voices of the vernissage participants

The substantive part of the event was conducted in the form of short presentations that brought the history and significance of the exhibition closer to the audience. Magdalena Godzic-El Hossein was the first to speak, describing the activities of the Kłaj Municipal Cultural Centre and its role in preserving local heritage. Then Krystyna Gierat presented the collections of the Kłaj Municipal Regional Chamber, from which the PZL P.11c aircraft relics displayed in the exhibition originate.

Jarosław Wojtaszek, representing the PTH Exploration and Research Group, which in 2012 discovered the remains of the aircraft piloted by Lt. Wacław Król in the Niepołomice Forest, spoke about the behind-the-scenes story of the search and recovery of these extraordinary exhibits. In turn, Jarosław Dobrzyński from the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków presented the figure of the exhibition’s hero and recounted the history of the PZL P.11c from the Museum’s collection — the world’s only surviving specimen of this type of fighter.

The event concluded with a tour of the exhibition, conversations among the guests and sharing reflections on the displayed collections. The exhibition was prepared as part of the initiative “Home Museums — Reviving Identity in Małopolska Local Communities”, implemented by the Marshal’s Office of the Małopolska Region.

The exhibition can be viewed for three months — until 6 February 2026, at the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków. We cordially invite all history enthusiasts and aviation fans to visit the Museum and discover this unique exhibition.

We also encourage you to view the photo report from the vernissage: