Polish Home Army Museum, Orchard Lake, Michigan
Encyclopedia
The Polish Home Army Museum in Orchard Lake, Michigan is dedicated to the memory of the brave men and women of the Armia Krajowa
during World War II
. The Museum tells the story of the struggle for the freedom and independence of Poland
during World War II
. On September 1, 1939, without declaring war, the Nazi German Army, Navy, and Air Forces invaded Poland from the north, west and south. Sixteen days later, on September 17, the Soviet Union
also attacked Poland
from the east. For Europe, the Nazi invasion of Poland marked the beginning of World War II
; for Poland, the Soviet invasion also marked the beginning of a 50 year struggle
against communism
.
) Association in the United States
and the Detroit chapter of the Polish Resistance (AK) Foundation, with the generous support of the National Executive Committees of these organizations, and of the Polonia. Space for the Museum was provided by Monsignor Stanislaw Milewski, the Chancellor of the St. Mary’s Seminary and College in Orchard Lake, Michigan and Rev. Roman Nir, Director of Archives.
The rooms were completely renovated and adapted for display purposes, including the installation of a new lighting system. The Museum Committees and a few dedicated members donated much of their time to make this ambitious project a reality. Exhibits were donated by many veterans of the Home Army and their families. The Master plan for the display of the exhibits was developed by Dr. Thaddeus Malinski, the curator and implemented under the leadership of Julius Przesmycki, former chairman of the Museum Committee.
, emblazoned on walls throughout German occupied Poland. Symbol of resistance, sign of defiance, emblem of freedom, and declaration of unwavering intent - an important part of Polish history. Behind the ‘Polska Walcząca’ is displayed the standard of the Michigan chapter of the Polish Home Army (AK) Veterans Association.
). The Polish Home Army organized the most effective partisan
and espionage
forces of any allied nation. At its peak, in 1943, the AK numbered over 380,000 men and women. All were volunteers. One of the major accomplishments of the Home Army was the capture of an entire V2 rocket, which was disassembled and flown to Britain.
Examples of the Secret underground press, which continued publishing almost until the day the Soviet Army marched into Poland, are also displayed, as are the numerous memorabilia donated by veterans of the AK and their families. All descriptions are in English.
of 1944 and the suffering of the Polish people under the German and Soviet occupation of Poland. The concentration camps built by the Nazis on Polish territory were first occupied by Christian Poles, many of whom perished and later by the Jewish population, most of whom perished. The work of ‘Zegota’, a secret department of the Polish Underground State, dedicated to saving thousands of Jews, especially children, from the Nazi persecution, is described..
rose against the Germans as they were retreating under pressure form the Soviet offensive. The Red Army
was only 15 miles away at the time. However; a few days after the uprising started, Stalin ordered his armies to stop and wait until the Germans had brutally suppressed the uprising and destroyed the city. Stalin wanted the Home Army and Polish leadership destroyed in order to make it easier for the Soviets to set up a planned puppet communist regime. After 63 days of fighting with insufficient arms against three German Divisions, including the elite Hermann Goering SS Panzer
Division and the German Luftwaffe
, the Home Army was forced to surrender. After the surrender and evacuation of POWs, as well as the remaining civilian population, the Germans blew up or burnt whatever buildings were left standing.
showing Home Army and German positions at various stages of the battle, and many other sorts of memorabilia. There is also a display of memorabilia from POW and concentration camps.
Ark Building (#9), 3535 Indian Trail, Orchard Lake, MI 48324. To make an appointment or for information, contact 248-683-0412.
Armia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Museum tells the story of the struggle for the freedom and independence of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. On September 1, 1939, without declaring war, the Nazi German Army, Navy, and Air Forces invaded Poland from the north, west and south. Sixteen days later, on September 17, the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
also attacked Poland
Soviet invasion of Poland
Soviet invasion of Poland can refer to:* the second phase of the Polish-Soviet War of 1920 when Soviet armies marched on Warsaw, Poland* Soviet invasion of Poland of 1939 when Soviet Union allied with Nazi Germany attacked Second Polish Republic...
from the east. For Europe, the Nazi invasion of Poland marked the beginning of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
; for Poland, the Soviet invasion also marked the beginning of a 50 year struggle
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
against communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
.
Dedication of the Museum
The Polish Home Army Museum was dedicated on November 12, 1989. It was founded by members of the Michigan Chapter of the Polish Home Army (Armia KrajowaArmia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
) Association in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the Detroit chapter of the Polish Resistance (AK) Foundation, with the generous support of the National Executive Committees of these organizations, and of the Polonia. Space for the Museum was provided by Monsignor Stanislaw Milewski, the Chancellor of the St. Mary’s Seminary and College in Orchard Lake, Michigan and Rev. Roman Nir, Director of Archives.
The rooms were completely renovated and adapted for display purposes, including the installation of a new lighting system. The Museum Committees and a few dedicated members donated much of their time to make this ambitious project a reality. Exhibits were donated by many veterans of the Home Army and their families. The Master plan for the display of the exhibits was developed by Dr. Thaddeus Malinski, the curator and implemented under the leadership of Julius Przesmycki, former chairman of the Museum Committee.
The Poles in World War II
The Poles were beaten, but not conquered. The fight against the Germans continued, uninterrupted, for almost six years. After the war, when Poland was abandoned by her western allies and left under Soviet domination, resistance against communism continued for another 45 years. Finally, largely because of the Solidarity movement, freedom for Poland was regained in 1989.The Entrance to the Museum
Facing the entrance to the museum is the symbol of ‘Polska Walcząca’: Fighting Poland, as seen in the title above. It was the mark of the Armia KrajowaArmia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
, emblazoned on walls throughout German occupied Poland. Symbol of resistance, sign of defiance, emblem of freedom, and declaration of unwavering intent - an important part of Polish history. Behind the ‘Polska Walcząca’ is displayed the standard of the Michigan chapter of the Polish Home Army (AK) Veterans Association.
The First Room of the Museum
The first room contains exhibits from the beginning of World War II, including the front pages of the Detroit newspapers dated September 1, 1939, with the headlines crying out: “War!”. The first room also depicts the history of the secret Polish Underground State and it’s fighting forces, the Home Army (Armia KrajowaArmia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
). The Polish Home Army organized the most effective partisan
Partisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
and espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
forces of any allied nation. At its peak, in 1943, the AK numbered over 380,000 men and women. All were volunteers. One of the major accomplishments of the Home Army was the capture of an entire V2 rocket, which was disassembled and flown to Britain.
Examples of the Secret underground press, which continued publishing almost until the day the Soviet Army marched into Poland, are also displayed, as are the numerous memorabilia donated by veterans of the AK and their families. All descriptions are in English.
The Second Room of the Museum
The second room of the Museum is dedicated to the Warsaw UprisingWarsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
of 1944 and the suffering of the Polish people under the German and Soviet occupation of Poland. The concentration camps built by the Nazis on Polish territory were first occupied by Christian Poles, many of whom perished and later by the Jewish population, most of whom perished. The work of ‘Zegota’, a secret department of the Polish Underground State, dedicated to saving thousands of Jews, especially children, from the Nazi persecution, is described..
The Warsaw Uprising
On August 1, 1944, the Home Army in WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
rose against the Germans as they were retreating under pressure form the Soviet offensive. The Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
was only 15 miles away at the time. However; a few days after the uprising started, Stalin ordered his armies to stop and wait until the Germans had brutally suppressed the uprising and destroyed the city. Stalin wanted the Home Army and Polish leadership destroyed in order to make it easier for the Soviets to set up a planned puppet communist regime. After 63 days of fighting with insufficient arms against three German Divisions, including the elite Hermann Goering SS Panzer
Panzer
A Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...
Division and the German Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, the Home Army was forced to surrender. After the surrender and evacuation of POWs, as well as the remaining civilian population, the Germans blew up or burnt whatever buildings were left standing.
Exhibits
The exhibits include several photographic displays, examples of arms and uniforms used by the Home Army, many documents and decorations, a few 1944 street plans of WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
showing Home Army and German positions at various stages of the battle, and many other sorts of memorabilia. There is also a display of memorabilia from POW and concentration camps.
Location
The Polish Home Army Museum in Orchard Lake, Michigan is located in the St. Mary's PreparatorySt. Mary's Preparatory
St. Mary's Preparatory is a Catholic secondary school in Orchard Lake Village, Michigan.-Overview:St. Mary's was founded in 1885 on Detroit's east side by Rev. Joseph Dabrowski as a school for Polish-American boys to train for the priesthood...
Ark Building (#9), 3535 Indian Trail, Orchard Lake, MI 48324. To make an appointment or for information, contact 248-683-0412.