On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the 2nd All-Poland Gliding Competition at Oksywie (1925), the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków organised a temporary exhibition, whose opening took place on Thursday, 12 June 2025. The event was combined with a scientific conference devoted to the beginnings of Polish gliding – one of the most important chapters in the history of national sporting aviation.
The temporary exhibition presents events that took place exactly 100 years ago – from 17 May to 14 June 1925, the 2nd All-Poland Gliding Competition was held at Oksywie near Gdynia. It was the second gliding competition in history on Polish soil, organised by the Polish Airmen’s Association under the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland, Stanisław Wojciechowski, and the League of Air Defence of the State. The competition featured 15 gliders and 11 pilots, and the winner was Stanisław Wrembel flying the “Miś” (Teddy Bear) glider, designed by engineer Michał Bohatyriew.
Although the results of the competition – with the longest flight lasting just 65 seconds – may seem modest from today’s perspective, it was precisely these contests that initiated the development of Polish gliding and the science of designing and flying gliders.
The exhibition was available to visitors on the opening day in the foyer of the first floor of the Main Building (in front of the conference room), and was then moved to the mezzanine of the Main Hangar, where it can be admired until 30 September 2025.
As part of the event, a scientific conference was also held, during which speakers presented a broad historical, technical and social context of the 2nd All-Poland Gliding Competition:
The conference was opened by Tomasz Kosecki, Museum Director, who presented a paper entitled “The genesis and consequences of organising gliding competitions in the Second Polish Republic”. In his talk, he presented the historical context of the development of gliding in reborn Poland, as well as the consequences and influence of gliding competitions on national technical thought and the development of aero clubs.
Next, Zygmunt Szeremeta took the floor with a paper entitled “The technical culture of early gliding – between amateurism and professionalisation”, addressing the pioneering spirit of the 1920s and tracing the path from the passion of amateur designers to the professionalisation of the sport of gliding.
The third speaker, Marek Siuta, presented a paper entitled “Polish glider designs in the Oksywie competition – a review and performance analysis”. His presentation was an excellent opportunity to recall the most important design projects and their creators, as well as to conduct a technical analysis of the capabilities of the gliders presented at the time.
Finally, Dr hab. Krzysztof Mroczkowski took the floor with a paper entitled “The military, aero clubs and enthusiasts – actors of the second Gliding Competition in 1925”, shedding light on the complex network of relationships between the military community, civilian aviation enthusiasts and the young aero club movement.
The speakers’ presentations revealed the Oksywie Competition not only as a sporting event, but above all as a key moment in the formation of the Polish school of gliding.
We warmly thank all participants in today’s scientific conference and the opening of the exhibition dedicated to the 2nd All-Poland Gliding Competition at Oksywie!
We extend special words of gratitude to our speakers – for their extremely interesting and inspiring presentations, which allowed those gathered to look at the beginnings of Polish gliding from different perspectives: historical, technical and social.
We also extend special thanks to the management, teachers and students of the 23rd Secondary School named after Colonel Pilot Stanisław Skarżyński in Kraków – for their presence, active participation and exceptional interest in the history of Polish aviation. It is precisely thanks to such meetings that the young generation can discover up close the passion, courage and determination of the pioneers of Polish wings.
Thank you for being with us!
We invite you to view the photo report from the event:
