Pomnik Grunwaldzki w Krakowie i jego dzieje w zbiorach fotografi cznych Muzeum Historycznego Miasta Krakowa

Abstrakt

THE GRUNWALD MONUMENT IN KRAKOW AND ITS HISTORY IN THE PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION OF THE HISTORICAL MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF KRAKOW

15 July 2010 shall see the sexcentenary of the Polish army’s victory over the Teutonic Knights in the Battle of Grunwald, and the centenary of the “Grunwald celebrations” whose culminating point was the unveiling of the King Władysław Jagiełło Monument at Matejko Square in Kraków. In the 2nd half of the 19th century, thanks to the relative political freedom that Kraków enjoyed at that time, the city became a centre of Polish national sentiment once again, a place where it was possible to organize patriotic anniversaries whose atmosphere would radiate onto the entire Polish nation. The biggest event among all the patriotic celebrations held in Kraków was the quincentenary of the Battle of Grunwald – the great jubilee celebrated in 1910. The festivities lasted from 15 to 17 July and were attended by about 150 thousand people – residents of all the three partitions of Poland. The programme of the Grunwald Jubilee in Kraków featured the 5th Meeting of the Polish Sokół (Falcon) Movement at Błonia common where spectacular athletic shows took place, and a colourful procession that marched through the streets of Kraków to Wawel Hill, led by the “escort of honour” consisting of notable Kraków citizens on horseback. The climax of the jubilee celebrations was the unveiling of the King Władysław Jagiełło Monument. The monument was founded by the eminent Polish pianist and politician Ignacy Jan Paderewski who commissioned this work to “honour the glory of our forefathers and uplift the spirits of our brothers”, as the inscription on the pedestal reads. It blended into the city’s cultural and architectural landscape and became the focal point for official and national celebrations. Kraków residents and visitors from other Polish cities alike poured into Matejko Square to have a commemorative picture taken at the foot of the Grunwald Monument. Although the monument was destroyed at the beginning of Nazi German occupation in Kraków, a few fragments of the original statue were preserved. 1972 saw the establish ment of the Committee for the Reconstruction of the Grunwald Monument. It was decided that the new monument would be largely modelled on the surviving historical material and only a few minor changes would be introduced. The Committee commissioned Marian Konieczny, a professor at the Fine Art Academy in Kraków, to design and execute the new monument. The official unveiling of the reconstructed Grunwald Monument took place on 16 October 1976. The Historical Museum of the City of Kraków boasts an impressive collection of valuable archival photographs documenting Kraków’s history, culture and art and portraying the people and events that shaped the city’s identity. The collection contains thousands of photographs and negatives, some of them of truly unique artistic and historical value. Among this multitude of exhibits is a substantial body of iconographic material pertaining to the Grunwald Monument and its history. Th is unit of the museum’s photographic collection consists of 324 items: 36 negatives, including 16 glass plates, 20 sheet films and two photographic films, and 256 positives, i.e. printed photographs. Photographic items documenting the history of the Grunwald Monument can be divided into two thematic groups. One is dedicated to the construction of the original monument, the celebrations that accompanied its unveiling, and its subsequent history until its demolition by Nazi German authorities. Th e other group contains photographic documentation covering the period when the monument was conspicuous by its absence at Matejko Square, and the reconstruction and unveiling of the new monument in 1976. Among the most valuable and interesting photographs in the museum’s collection are those executed by the “I. Krieger” Photographic Studio, by Klemens Skrzyński, Stanisław Kolowca, by the “Światowid” Photographic Agency, Stanisław Mucha, Henryk Hermanowicz and the local photojournalists. Particularly valuable are the two photographic films containing the original documentaries recorded during the Grunwald Jubilee celebrations in Kraków in 1910. Th e photographic collection documenting the history of the Grunwald Monument covers the period from 1910 to 1977. Some of the items were acquired by way of purchase, others were presented to the museum by private collectors and institutions. Together, they constitute priceless iconographic material for future research on that monument.