Excursion from Warsaw

The town of a hero of two nations

Kazimierz Pułaski, a national hero of Poland and the United States, was born in Warka, 60 kilometres from Warsaw. We propose that you go to the museum there that is dedicated to this famous professional in the art of war, general and fighter for the freedom of Poland and the United States. He was born in 1745 and died in the battle of Savannah, Georgia in 1779 (in this place there is a monument to his memory as well as Fort Pulaski). Pulaski Days are organised in the USA in his memory.

  The town of Warka (around 15 thousand inhabitants) lies on the left bank of the river Pilica, in a farming region, which is also known for the production of the beer "Warka". In 1656 the Polish army, under the command of the distinguished leader Stefan Czarniecki, achieved victory at Warka over the Swedish army, which, at that time, was invading Poland.

  In this town a few historic buildings, among them the local church and cloister from the 17th-18th centuries, are worthy of your attention. But the most interesting object in Warka, visited by numerous Polish and foreign tourists, is, of course, the house in which Kazimierz Pułaski was born, which is now a museum in his memory. The museum is open daily except Mondays. Tel. 667 22 67, 667 24 41.

  The Museum of Kazimierz Pułaski was established in 1957 after a major renovation of the palace, which in the 18th century had been the seat of the Pułaski family. The museum was created in order to commemorate the memory of this hero of two nations: Poland and the United States, with which our country has special historical and emotional ties.

  In reconstructing the interior of the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th, Polish furniture, artistic tapestries and portraits as well as battle and military scenes are exhibited. In the background of this, some events from the history of Polish immigration to the United States are displayed.

  The leading theme is the participation of Poles in the war for independence and in the creation of the United States of America. In those stormy times many distinguished Poles appeared on American soil. They joined in the work of building a new and modern state across the Atlantic Ocean. Among them were Tadeusz Koćciusko (1746-1817), whose name has been given to one of the American cities and to the highest mountain peak in Australia, as well as Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz (1758-1841) one of the first Polish journalists writing about American matters. In future years other Poles, looking for peace and safety after the dramatic uprisings against Russia in 1831, 1848 and 1863, also made their way to America. In Warka one can follow all this history.

  A separate chapter, presented in the Kazimierz Pułaski Museum, is that of the participation of Poles in the cultural life of the United States, people like the great American actress of the 19th century Helena Modrzejewska (Modjeska) and Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941) the eminent pianist, composer and statesman.

  On the first floor of the Pułaski palace there are rooms in which occasional exhibitions are presented, connected with important anniversaries and events, as well as exhibitions of art of the past epochs and contemporary painting, sculpture and graphics.

  The Kazimierz Pułaski Museum in Warka is surrounded by a beautiful picturesque park, already established in the 18th century and improved and enlarged in the following centuries. Legend says that this park was the favourite place of play for the small Pułaski (surely like all little boys he played being a "soldier" here) and under one of the centuries-old lime trees Tadeusz Koćciusko is said to have rested.

  One can spend a pleasant and instructive time in Warka.