Archive 2023
Cooperation with the Polish-Swiss Society
In December, the centenary of the Polish-Swiss Association was celebrated with great joy in Warsaw. The festive event symbolised a century of continuous efforts and close cooperation between the two countries. The long-standing cooperation with the Kościuszko Museum is particularly significant, with representatives of both societies actively participating in conferences and other events.
On 2 December, a delegation led by the museum's curator took part in the anniversary celebrations. They visited the Royal Castle, the place where the heart of Kościuszko rests, and a portrait exhibition entitled "People of the Kościuszko Tradition", organised under the direction of Dr M.L. Krześniak, President of the Kościuszko Foundation in Warsaw.
The festive ceremony was further enhanced by the participation of the Swiss Ambassador to Warsaw. This meeting was not only a look back at an impressive century of friendship, but also a look forward to a promising future for bilateral relations between Poland and Switzerland.
Kosciuszko Society, which takes care of and manages the Kosciuszko Museum in Solothurn, this year received funding from the program "Promotion, Archives, Libraries and Museums Outside the Country" from funds of the Ministers of Culture and National Heritage.
The completion of the works is planned for the second half of December.
We thank the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage for the support!
Ceremony in Zuchwil
On Sunday, October 15, 2023, a solemn wreath-laying ceremony was held in front of his memorial in Zuchwil to mark the 206th anniversary of Tadeusz Kościuszko's death. The bilingual Holy Mass was presided over by Episcopal Vicar Georges Schwickerath from the Episcopal Vicariate of St. Wereny, Pastor of St. Martin Church, Pascal Eng and Pastor Grzegorz Piotrowski, board member of the Kościuszko Society.
The assembled guests were welcomed by the President of the Kościuszko Society and Government Councillor Dr. Remo Ankli.
The ceremony was attended by: the Mayor of Solothurn, Stefanie Ingold, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Bern, Iwona Kozłowska, Military and Air Defense Attache Colonel Mariusz Soliwodzki and the American Embassy was represented by the US Military Defense Attache Colonel Ricardo Gonzalez.
A delegation of the capital group "Solbet" from Solec Kujawski with director Krystyna Rembiałkowska arrived from Poland. A large group were descendants of interned soldiers who built the standing next to the monument Poland chapel.
After the official ceremony there was an apero for all participants.
Time travel through Solothurn: Baroque splendour on old postcards
On Saturday 14 October, the opening of the exhibition "Solothurn on old postcards" took place at the Solothurn Central Library. The Kościuszko Museum, in collaboration with the Central Library of Solothurn, organised an exhibition showing the most important buildings and squares of this beautiful baroque city. The exhibition shows the city from the Kościuszko period.
We can travel back to the era and atmosphere of times gone by and imagine Kościuszko moving through the picturesque streets on foot or on his horse "Dobry".
The form of the panel exhibition is intended to encourage visitors to discover the unknown and to inform them about the integration and mutual cooperation in the field of culture that is developing in Europe and the world.
The exhibition was funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland as part of its support for museums, archives and libraries outside the country in 2023.
In the footsteps of Kościuszko in Solothurn and its surroundings
On June 18 and September 24, two walks in the footsteps of Tadeusz Kościuszko took place this year around Solothurn and its surroundings.
Thank you very much for the great time and the great atmosphere! See you on the way at the next organized walks.
The excursion was led by Jolanta Hosner (volunteer at the Kościuszko Museum).
45th Permanent Conference of Polish Museums, Archives and Libraries Abroad, in Solothurn
The 45th meeting of the Permanent Conference of Polish Museums, Archives and Libraries Abroad took place from 6 to 8 September and was organised by the Kościuszko Museum in Solothurn. The event was attended by 22 institutions from all over the world.
The invited guests included representatives of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and of the most important Polish cultural institutions.
The event was enriched by a rich cultural programme, including a piano concert by Marek Żebrowski from the Polish Music Center in Los Angeles, which took place at the residence of the Polish Ambassador in Bern.
At the opening of the conference, the guests were welcomed by the Mayor of Solothurn, Stefanie Ingold. In her speech, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland, Iwona Kozłowska, emphasised the importance of the conference for international culture.
The Kosciuszko Museum in Solothurn was proud to host the XLV meeting of the Standing Conference of Polish Museums, Archives and Libraries in the West. This important event took place from 06.09-08.09.2023 and was made possible by generous grants from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. The J. Piłsudski Foundation for National Heritage in Łódź also supported this event. It was a wonderful opportunity for professionals from different institutions to exchange ideas and expand their knowledge. The museum was proud to contribute to the promotion of Poland's cultural heritage.
Co-funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Cultural Promotion Fund.
Project financed by the Chancellery of the Prime Minister as part of the Polonia and Poland Abroad 2023 competition
School classes in the museum
At the beginning of June, children from a school class of the Polish school "J.I. Paderewski" from Basel visited the Kościuszko Museum and the beautiful baroque town . They learned information about Kościuszko and then looked at the exhibits in the museum.
At the end of June, a young school group from Poland and members of the volunteer fire brigade visited the museum in Solothurn. They were enthusiastic about the city and the museum.
Report from the Day of Museums
On May 21, another Museum Day took place in the canton of Solothurn. Thank you for so many visits!
We are glad that on that day many guests came to the Museum not only from different parts of Switzerland, but also from abroad. See you at our next events!
We invite you to watch a short photos report from this event.
Day of Poles Abroad
On 30 April, the Day of Poles and the Polish Diaspora Abroad was celebrated at the Hotel Schwanen in Rapperswil under the auspices of the Polish Embassy in Bern.
The ceremony was honoured by the presence of Minister Jan Dziedziczak, Government Plenipotentiary for the Polish Diaspora and Poles Abroad.
During the day, there were numerous artistic performances: Encounters with Polish books, music and dance.
Our museum presented an exhibition on Tadeusz Kościuszko's relationship with Solothurn and ran an information stand.
The curator of the museum presented the history of the museum in a short report to the assembled guests.
Polish state awards for cultural workers
In March, a festive ceremony took place at the Polish Embassy in Bern. Andrzej Dera, State Secretary in the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, honoured dedicated activists who have been working for years to promote a good image of Poland in the Swiss Confederation with state decorations.
Knight's Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland were awarded to:
- Jan Konopka - expert on Kościuszko and Paderewski, researcher of Polish history, author of numerous publications on Kościuszko
- Dionizy Simson - engineer and inventor, the first President of the Foundation. J. M. Bocheński
Golden Crosses of Merit were awarded to:
- Andrzej Ksyk - organiser of large transports of humanitarian aid that came to Poland in the 1980s
- Gertrud Lauener - Quaestor of the Kosciuszko Society in Solothurn for over forty years (from 1979 to 2021) actively promoting Polish-Swiss cultural relations
The Silver Cross of Merit was awarded to Teresa Ackermann - the Custodian of the Kosciuszko Museum in Solothurn, who has been associated with the institution for twenty years and is the organiser of many events.
The laudation of each awarded activist briefly reflected the personality and work of the awarded person.
Visit of Minister Andrzej Dera, State Secretary Poland , to the Kosciuszko Museum in Solothurn
On Friday, 17 March 2023, the Kosciuszko Museum in Solothurn was visited by a state delegation led by the State Secretary from the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland - Minister Andrzej Dera - accompanied by the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Bern Iwona Kozłowska and representatives of Polish diplomacy together with the Consul of the Republic of Poland Marek Głuszko.
The museum with its exhibits and wonderful interior decoration left a great impression on the visitors. The curator introduced the visitors to the recent history of the museum.
Afterwards, Minister Dera and the Ambassador paid a courtesy call on Solothurn's Mayor Stefania Ingold. They expressed their gratitude for the care taken over the museum and for maintaining good mutual relations between the Poles living here.
At the end of the planned visit, the delegation took a short walk through the beautiful baroque town on this beautiful sunny day. On his way back to Bern, the minister visited Zuchwil and laid a wreath in front of the Tadeusz Kościuszko memorial.
