X. Pavilion of the Warsaw Citadel
The X Pavilion of the Warsaw Citadel (Polish X Pawilon Cytadeli Warszawskiej ) is a former prison on the grounds of the Warsaw Citadel . Today there is a branch of the Warsaw Independence Museum with one of the most important Martyrs' Museums in Poland .
history
The pavilion is located in a classicist three-winged building, which was built between 1826 and 1828 and today stands in the northeast corner of the Warsaw Citadel between Trojak and Czujna streets. The construction of the citadel itself was carried out only after the suppression of the November Uprising of 1830/1831 on the orders of Tsar Nicholas I . After the citadel was completed, the prison for political prisoners began operating. Until 1918 here around 40,000 detainees were being held. The detainees were members of secret independence organizations, insurgents of the January Uprising , members of the Knights of the Holy Cross (Polish "Świętokrzyżcy"), activists of the Polish labor movement, participants in patriotic demonstrations and activists during the Russian Revolution from 1905 to 1907 , which also refer to Polish Ground played. Thousands of prisoners were tortured in the cells and then transported to Siberia , hundreds of them were executed in the citadel or on the adjacent property. Among the prisoners incarcerated here were important Poles such as Romuald Traugutt , Józef Piłsudski , Roman Dmowski , Apollo Korzeniowski , Karol Levittoux , Gustaw Ehrenberg , Piotr Ściegienny , August Robert Wolff , Leopold Otto , Honorat Koźmiński , Stefan Okrzeitski , Felix Derschrowski , Jarosław Dąbrowski and the assassin of the Polish President Gabriel Narutowicz Eligiusz Niewiadomski . Even Rosa Luxembourg was here in 1905 a few weeks held. Since 1834 the 10th pavilion has been the seat of the committee of inquiry with the Commander-in-Chief of the Army and the Commander-in-Chief of the Kingdom of Poland (Polish: "Komisja Śledcza przy naczelnym Dowódcy Armii Czynnej i Naczelniku Królestwa Polskiego"), the central judicial and criminal prosecution authorities Time of Congress Poland . During the occupation of Warsaw by German troops from 1915 to 1918, the X. Pavilion was used for military purposes, but the prison remained. After Poland regained independence on November 11, 1918, the citadel was given over to the Polish army. This initially used the building as a warehouse and later as accommodation for garrison troops. Relics from prison were kept in the east wing of the complex. During the Second World War , the citadel was occupied and used by the Wehrmacht. After the end of the war, the Polish army took over the entire area again. The 10th pavilion was separated from the land used by the military and opened to visitors in 1963 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the January uprising.
exhibition
There are three permanent exhibitions in the museum.
The prisoners of the X pavilion in the Warsaw Citadel
This exhibition traces the struggle of Polish patriots for the independence of their fatherland during the time of Russian occupation and covers the period from the November uprising 1830/31 to 1918. In addition to the original prison cells, the life of the prisoners is shown, their underground activities, demonstrations , Strikes and the armed struggle explained, their motives explained, the historical background explained and the social living conditions of the population that accompanied the occupation clear. There are also paintings by the painter Aleksander Sochaczewski , who was imprisoned in Pavilion X and was later shipped to Siberia.
The outside area of the building was also included in the exhibition. You can visit the former prison yard, the path that led to the execution site, the slopes down to the Vistula , where convicts were executed, and a symbolic cemetery for the executed.
Józef Piłsudski in the Xth pavilion
Probably the most prominent inmate in Pavilion X was Józef Piłsudski. It contains exhibits such as documents and photos from the time of his stay in the X pavilion. Józef Piłsudski was 32 years old at the time and a leading member of the PPS party . On April 18, 1900, he was arrested for printing the illegal party magazine “Robotnik”. The exhibition also traces Piłsudski's escape on his way to the hospital after feigning illness in prison.
Sybiraks 1940-1956
"Sybiraks" are Poles who were sent to prison camps in Siberia as exiles. The exhibition shows and documents the circumstances of life and death of these prisoners. The approximately 1,400 objects on display come from the “Siberia Collection” of the Independence Museum . They include photos, paintings, letters, clothing, and patriotic or religious items.
gallery
Prison cell in the X pavilion
The negotiating room of the Russian Military Inquiry Committee in the X Pavilion
Street side of the building with the former prison yard
Prisoner's carriage in front of the museum
See also
literature
- Reinhold Vetter: Between Wisła / Vistula, Bug and Karpaty / Carpathian Mountains. in: Poland. History, art and landscape of an ancient European cultural nation. DuMont Art Travel Guide, 3rd edition, ISBN 3-7701-2023-X , DuMont Buchverlag, Cologne 1991, p. 149
Web links
- Museum website (only in Polish)
- Satellite image on Google Maps / Earth
References and comments
- ↑ According to Reinhold Vetter, the complex was built in 1822 and 1827.
- ^ Historia X Pawilonu. www.muzeum-niepodleglosci.pl, accessed on November 29, 2016 (Polish).
- ↑ The "Świętokrzyżcy" were members of a secret organization that tried to gain independence for Poland. It was founded in 1836 by Gustaw Ehrenberg. Her name refers to the conspiratorial meetings in the rectory of the Holy Cross Parish (Polish: parafia Świętego Krzyża) in Warsaw.
- ^ Historia X Pawilonu. www.muzeum-niepodleglosci.pl, accessed on November 29, 2016 (Polish).
- ↑ Karol Levittoux (1820–1841) was a Polish student and independence fighter. After being tortured numerous times, he set himself on fire and died. In this way he did not want to betray his fellow combatants.
- ↑ November 1918: "Potatoes - No Revolution". 3. Continuation. In: Der Spiegel 48/1968. www.spiegel.de, accessed on November 29, 2016 .
- ^ Historia X Pawilonu. www.muzeum-niepodleglosci.pl, accessed on November 29, 2016 (Polish).
Coordinates: 52 ° 16 ′ 0 ″ N , 21 ° 0 ′ 3 ″ E