|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Museum open everyday except: Tickets: DUKLA Entering Dukla from the North on the one side of the road we first see the late-Baroque cloister complex of the Bernardine friars where the relics of St. Jan of Dukla are kept, a little further we can see a “pearl of the Polish Rococo” – church of St. Maria Magdalena and across from it a palace-park complex where a museum is housed. MUSEUM Museum in Dukla has its beginnings in an exhibition devoted to the Carpathian-Dukla Operation in 1944 - as the biggest mountain battle of the WWII – held in 1964 on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the battle. The exhibition was held in one of the Mniszech palace out-buildings. From 1968 till 1972 the museum existed as Military Division of the Museum in Krosno, received its autonomy and started to function in 1972 as The Museum of The Brotherhood-in-Arms. Between 1975 and 1982 the museum successively took over from the treasury other buildings of the palace and 11 hectare park with the gardening buildings what made possible merging of the palace-park complex. In September 1984, on the 40th anniversary of the Carpathian-Dukla Operation (also known as the Dukla-Presov Operation) in a newly renovated main palace building an exhibition titled “Dukla-Presov Operation of 1944 against a background of the WWII events” is held. In 1991 the museum is named Museum “Pałac” in Dukla. As of January 1st 1999 the museum becomes a unit of the Krosno County. The museum gathers and presents collections pertaining to the history of Dukla, the palace-park complex, military history of the region as well as arts – painting, graphics and others. The museum is housed in the historic palace-park complex of the Mniszech family dated the second half of the 18th century. This architecture-wise most impressive object in Dukla combines in itself rich history of the town and symbolizes its magnificence. Throughout the ages the building experienced three thorough renovations changing its shape, style and size. At its beginning it was a renaissance castle erected in a mid 16th century, probably by Jan Jordan of the coat-of-arms “Trąby” (Eng. Horns). In the following age the castle deteriorated and turned into ruins. Due to the efforts of Franciszek Bernard Mniszech, starost of Sanok, castellan of Sącz (brother of the Tzar’s wife Maryna) in the years 1636 – 1638 the castle was renovated within the limits of the modern times rampart fortifications, in style of “palazzo in fortezza”. Finishing works between 1696 and 1709 were supervised by his grandson Józef Wandalin Mniszech, an important personage in the 18th century Poland. The next period of extension and reconstruction of the object – in its general shape preserved till today – takes place between 1764 and 1765 and is related to the last successor of the Dukla line of Mniszech – Jerzy August Wandalin, crown marshal of the court, general starost of Wielkopolska, castellan of Kraków, and his wife Maria Amalia (Amelia ) of the Brühl family (daughter of Henryk Brühl, Minister of the Treasury in the court of August the III). The Mniszech family, conflicted with the King Stanisław August Poniatowski, moved with the whole and finest court from Warsaw to Dukla. Following the French fashion they undertook the efforts and transformed the fortress into a palace-park complex. The palace was then expanded to the West, another floor level was added and new roof of a mansard type was put over it. The main façade of the building was turned to the West by doing what the axis was changed from the South one to the West one. The same time on the sides of the palace – partially on the old bastions – two trapezoid out-buildings were erected. Before the front elevation a semicircle court-yard was arranged, garden on the right (East side) modeled after the French style symmetric gardens with a terrace systems and water and flowers on the ground levels, characteristic alley systems and a system of viewing axes. Not missing in there are nicely inserted sculptures, bridges over the dikes and theater. It was one of the most beautiful parks in Poland. The whole was surrounded by a brick wall with an entry gate in the axis of the palace. This way came into life this late-Baroque magnate residence in the French style “entre cour et jardin”, based probably on a design of an architect from Dresden Jan Fryderyk Knobel, under direction of Leonard Andrys, the in-court builder of the Mniszech family. Between 1764 and 1778 the palace is considered an important center of the cultural, social and political life of Poland. Leading soul of the society is musically and artistically talented Amalia Mniszech (related with the Austrian aristocracy). Many historical figures passes through the salons of the Dukla palace. There is a theater and the court music band. The Mniszech family keeps their own dragoons and Swiss guards. Interiors are filled with high class expensive furniture, collection of European paintings, unusual historic mementos and rich library collections. With respect to a magnificence the Dukla palace is no worse than other courts of Europe of that time. In 1779 Maria Józefa Szczęsna Potocka, daughter of Jerzy and Amalia, sells this family residence to the vivod (governor) of Wołyń Józef Kanty Ossoliński. At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries Dukla is owned by the family of Stadnicki. Then Helena Stadnicka brings in the Dukla property as her dowry into the marriage with Wojciech Męciński, general in the Polish Army, senator and voivod of the Kingdom of Poland, descendant of the 17th c. owners of Dukla. Throughout the entire 19th century this palace-park complex belongs to the Męciński family until 1925. In 1821 the palace is damaged by a fire and then by a stay of the Russian Army soldiers in 1849. In 1875 Cezary Męciński along with his son Adam undertake renovation-construction efforts. The changes introduced that time – different division of rooms on the ground level, addition of balconies, gallery and porch supported by columns from the East side, framing of windows of the Western elevation and neo-gothic windows of the Eastern elevation – caused that the features of the original building are lost. By introducing new elements typical of the English gardens they partially transformed the park giving it a naturalistic look. In 1925 the palace changes hands and becomes a property of the Tarnowski family. Despite the object’s serious damage during the WWII, and the loss of its equipment, the complex maintains its historic and artistic quality and belongs to the group of precious historic monuments of the Polish national culture. EXHIBITIONS The museum presents the history of the palace-park complex through the surviving mementos and symbols related to traditions of artistic life in the Dukla palace. Two most important phases of the development of the palace are shown on the scheme made basing on the archeological-architectonic research by the Architectural Restoration Workshop in Rzeszów where one can clearly see how the old bastion fortifications were running and in what degree they were used to build the palace. Displayed here are also likenesses/pictures of the old owners of the Dukla property as well as residents and guests of the palace. There is amongst others a portrait of Tadeusz Kościuszko, who visited the Mniszech family palace on October 19th, 1775. The majority of the mementos represent the 19th and 20th centuries. Interesting are plans of the palace renovation dated 1875 and later design of a chapel of the tomb of the Męciński family in the park. Significant iconographic value represent photographs of the palace interiors with magnificent Rococo furniture and sculptures made of the Cararian marble. On the postcards one can see the condition the palace objects were in before 1939. Distinctive are also drawings by Helena Męcińska (of the Stadnicki family – owner of Dukla in the first half of the 18th century) around 1799, genre etchings by Daniel Chodowiecki and lithographies of Napoleon Orda with views of towns. The exposition is complemented by reproductions of works by important European painting schools of the 17th, 18th and the 19th centuries corresponding with the old palace collection. Books in the library in the semi-French covers and pressed spines, with gold-embossed name of “Dukla” came from the palace library which is rooted in the Mniszech family traditions. Old stylish furniture, elements of wall decorations and the Eastern carpets correspond with the old interior design of this residence. The old collection of China of foreign make and luxury glass is represented by a fragment of the toilet set made in the Czech town of Brezova (Pirkenhammer). Interesting are also copper and brass kitchen utensils (made in Vienna). Must see are also: an interesting group of archival materials, documents, correspondence, the 19th century illustrations, prints, maps, photographs, documenting in various degree a history of Dukla and the Dukla palace-park complex. Gathered objects testify to the rich history of the town and signal artistic phenomenon appearing in the Dukla residence. MILITARY EXHIBITIONS Due to its strategic location close to the lowest, the biggest and the most convenient for transport Carpathian pass connecting Poland and Hungary (currently the Slovak Republic), the area of Dukla was since the old times the area of military activities including especially the WWI and WWII – that is why in 1964 in still damaged palace objects organized was an exhibition devoted to the last war which initiated the birth of the current museum. The military collections are devoted to the WWI and WWII battles in the Carpathian Mountains, especially in the region of the Dukla Pass, and the Polish fights for freedom in the 20th century throughout our region. There are many objects coming from the battle fields that are damaged or incomplete. Over 70% of the items are Soviet original or licensed products. The rest of the artifacts is made in Germany, Austria, France or Poland. By number the majority of artifacts relates to the WWII. The military exhibitions are divided into a few subject blocks.
Worth attention are heavy machine guns: the Austro-Hungarian Schwarzlose, caliber 8 mm (with a trench plate, very rare in the Polish museums) and the Russian Maxim, pattern 1910, caliber 7,62 mm. Also, displayed are models of shot guns and sabers mainly made in Austro-Hungary, also used by the Polish legionnaires: shot gun Manlicher, pattern 1895, cal. 8 mm, pistol Steyr, model 1912, cal. 9 mm, revolvers Rasst Gasser and Gasser, sabers: Austrian – model 1852.79, saddle and cavalry lance used by the Polish legionnaires. September 1939 in the Dukla Pass and Dukla Displayed are interesting photographs showing amongst others Slovak soldiers whilst in Poland and examples of the arms and equipment of the Polish Army in 1939 such as: basic rifle of the Polish Army Mauser - cal 7,92 mm, rifle Lebel - cal 8 mm used by the National Defense, sabers: pattern 21 and 34, saddle of the Polish cavalry, uniform of the last defender of Dukla in 1939 – sergeant Kupliński. Monte Cassino 1944. The 2nd Polish Corps of General
W. Anders The Carpathian-Dukla Operation September 8 – November
30 1944 Displayed photo documentation presents mainly the fights of the 1st Czechoslovakian Corps, fighting side by side with the Red Army (the battle still remains so vivid in the memory of Czechs and Slovaks that its anniversaries are celebrated every year ). On the display visitors may find uniforms of the Soviet and Czechoslovakian soldiers and mementos collected from the battle fields as helmets, mines, shells etc. Weaponry of the soldiers who fought in the Carpathian
Mountains Inspectorate of ZWZ-AK „Joachim” Jasło – Krosno
– Brzozów – Sanok 1939-1944
The other room houses a display of the organizational structure and information on the most important fighting operations in the region. A huge wall map showing 91 operations performed within the territory of the inspectorate serves as a kind of summary. The exhibition is complemented by mementos related to the Nazi and Communist repressions against the Krosno Home Army members. Next to the above documentation visitors can also see a collection of arms used by partisans of the Polish Armed Underground that is of a different origin. Thus we can see here a British machine gun STEN caliber 9 mm, German machine gun MP-40 (so called Schmeisser) caliber 9 mm, or Soviet hand machine gun DP caliber 7,62. Open-air museum of heavy weaponry
|
|
 |