Polish Post Museum in Gdańsk

The Post Office and Telecommunication Museum was opened in Wrocław in 1956. At the time it was the only such facility in Poland, which collected exhibits related to the history of the post office and memorabilia related to the defence of the Polish Post Office in the Free City of Gdańsk.

On September 1, 1979, a branch of the Wrocław museum was opened in Gdańsk and this project was initiated by the Ministry of Telecommunications acting together with the Battle and Martyrdom Monuments Protection Council and the authorities of Gdańsk voivodship. At the opening ceremony of the Branch of the Post Office Museum, the monument and inscription were unveiled, which were dedicated to the Defenders of the Polish Post Office. Doctor Wincenty Kućma, a sculptor from Kraków Academy of Fine Arts, was the main designer of the monument, while the inscription was designed by Maria and Zygfryd Korpalscy from Gdańsk.

The Group of the Families of Former Employees of the Polish Post Office in Gdańsk was formed in 1990. Ms Henryka Flisykowska-Kledzik, a daughter of the vice-commander of the defence of the Polish Post Office, is the chairman of the Group. Its headquarters is located in the Polish Post Office Museum. The Group of Families, the Polish Post Museum and the Regional Commission for Investigating Crimes against the Polish Nation undertook actions aimed at restoring the reputation of the Defenders of the Polish Post Office, who were viewed by the field courts of the Third Reich as criminals and sentenced to death. The Polish Senate in a resolution dated 5 June 1997 paid respect to the Gdańsk postal workers in recognition of their heroic actions. On 25 May 1998 the German Parliament adopted a resolution annulling all Nazi sentences against individuals who were not common criminals. This provided grounds for the National Court in Lubeck to restore the Polish postal workers. The families of the postal workers stress that the revision of these sentences would not be possible without the assistance of the German writer Dieter Schenk. He was awarded several times for his services and in addition received the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Gdańsk.

From 1 January 2003, the Polish Post Office Museum became a branch of the Gdańsk History Museum. After its opening, the management applied to all telecommunication employees, veterans of the battle against the occupation, the employees of the Polish Post Office and their families to send any documents and memorabilia which could supplement the collection of the new facility.

Initially two exhibition halls were opened to visitors. The defence history hall housed a map showing the attack on the building of forces composed of the Gdańsk police, the Germany army and the SS Heimwehr on 1 September 1939. The attack on the post office was photographed by the Germans. The reproductions of the historic photos are some of the most interesting documents. A copy of the plan of attack on the post office drawn up by the Germans on 3 July 1939 is presented as well. There are photos of the Defenders of the Polish Post Office: Konrad Guderski – the commander of the defence, Alfons Flisykowski – the vice-commander, Jan Michon- acting director and Józef Wąsik – the manager of Post Office Gdańsk-1. The list of names of the dead are presented as well – 8 people, followed by the names of people, who died from wounds incurred during the fight – 6 people, and those executed by the Nazis on 5 October 1939 in the Zaspa district – 38 people, and the names of employees of the Gdańsk Post Office imprisoned by Germans in various concentration camps. Two cabinets contain items from the mass grave found in Zaspa on 27 August 1991. The cabinets also contain documents of the dead and murdered postal workers and uniforms from this period.

The next hall presents valuable documents: a photocopy of the founding act dated 5 January 1925 – the transfer of the former German army hospital for post office purposes, the stamps, medals and postage stamps. The hall also presents numerous materials illustrating the history of the Polish Post Office in Gdańsk over the centuries and models of a horse carriage and postal van, which were used to transport postal items. The most interesting exhibit in the museum concerns one of the ten post boxes, which on 5 January 1925 were installed on the buildings belonging to Polish authorities, offices and institutions and to Polish citizens.

The next room is dedicated to telecommunication technology and shows an old telephone switchboard from 1904, a teletype from 1939, Morse and Hughes telegraphs, telephones from different periods, a plate selector, telephone exchange and many other exhibits related to telecommunication.