The Fates of Mazurek Dąbrowskiego

The song of the Polish Legions in Italy, later known as Mazurek Dąbrowskiego, became the anthem only 130 years after it was written. During this time, the content of the song was repeatedly censored, changed, and even banned. The tumultuous history of the anthem is presented in a section of the permanent exhibition titled “The Fates of Mazurek Dąbrowskiego.” Among the exhibits, a collection of patriotic jewelry from the second half of the 19th century deserves special attention. The presented collections include various versions of this song, 19th-century mourning jewelry, as well as items with music boxes playing the melody of the Mazurek, which was forbidden by censorship. The exhibition demonstrates how popular this song was during the November Uprising, the Spring of Nations, the period of national mourning and the January Uprising, and the repressions that followed. In turn, the motif of Polonia and the symbolism of enslaved Poland is combined with the presentation of women – heroines of national uprisings. The exhibition also addresses topics such as Poland regaining independence, the period of building the statehood of the Second Polish Republic (including the re-establishment of national symbols), the role of the anthem during World War II, during the Polish People’s Republic, and during strikes organized by “Solidarity.” The exhibits come from the collections of the National Anthem Museum and the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw.

Curators: Przemysław Rey, Małgorzata Gańska

Media patrons: pomorskie.eu, pomorskie.travel, trojmiasto.pl, gdansk.pl

Dwór Wybickiego, The Fates of Mazurek Dąbrowskiego exhibition, room 5, November Uprising (photo no. 10126)

Dwór Wybickiego, The Fates of Mazurek Dąbrowskiego exhibition, room 5, patriotic souvenirs (photo no. 10128)