Secrets of Polish Freemasons at the National Museum, Warsaw

From now until January 11, the National Museum in Warsaw has a large exhibition about Freemasonry, focusing on its history in Poland. Freemasonry has been part of Poland's history for almost 300 years (some say longer). It has been a part of the lives of such amazing Poles as: Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Gabriel Narutowicz, general Bolesław Wieniawa-Długoszowski, Tadeusz Kościuszko, Jan Henryk Dąbrowski, Józef Poniatowski, general Edward Śmigły-Rydz, general Michał Tokarzewski-Karaszewicz, Janusz Korczak, Cardinal Gabriel Podoski, Archbishop Michał Poniatowski, Zygmunt Krasiński, Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, Józef Ksawery Elsner, and possibly Adam Mickiewicz and general Władysław Sikorski,, plus many other men (and women since most Polish lodges are mixed and there are also female lodges) to whom our society owes so much.


culture.pl/en/article/secrets-of-the-freemasons-revealed-in-warsaw


mnw.art.pl/en/temporary-exhibitions/freemasonry-ipro-publico-bonoi,5.html (The National Museum's website)

By the way, the exhibition has some has things for kids too as well as a parallel program of talks, discussions, performance and visits to interesting places

In Polish:
natemat.pl/116655,dla-dobra-publicznego-dla-dobra-polski-sekrety-masonerii-w-muzeum-narodowym
wydarzenia.o.pl/2014/09/masoneria-pro-publico-bono-mnw-warszawa/ (good pictures in both of these)

wlnp.pl/
wolnomularze.org/

Best to paste the website addresses into your browser because as a guest I can't post links

Some friends (quite a few in fact) have been and say it's worth seeing. Probably the only museum exhibition where the entry is hidden somewhere inside and you have to find your way in. Full of surprises.

• 
  images_6.jpg
  
• 
  images_5.jpg
  

will there be baphomet statues? or will stay show their higher degree satanic rituals?

That's not my quote

Anyway, where did Paderewski keep his "baphomet statues"? On top of the piano?

There's also a similar but much smaller exhibition running in Poznan at the moment.

Just found this thread :) there is a significant Freemason presence in Poland today, and brothers are increasing their numbers and influence.

Indeed it's always been significant in Poland apart from the occupation and PRL years, as the list of names above show. Numbers are still small (so they tell me) compared to, say, France, however there are several obediences and numbers of people searching for that which is lost are growing.

Interestingly, Poland is one of the countries with the highest ratio of female to male Freemasons. Some very good people in it.

Did you get a chance to see the exhibition?

Unfortunately no. But I may very well see some interesting stuff directly from the "source" :) I got a friend coming over and he will make an intro. Quite excited about it indeed!

Is this still the case, Jon?

I ask, because I've just had an interesting chat with an acquaintance on the topic.

In Poland, probably yes.

Remember there are several different organisations in Poland, some large, some small. People tend obviously to be most familiar with their own. The person you were speaking to may not be familiar with the women-only or the mixed groups which can be large.

The make-up od individual Lodges also varies from city to city.

About museum presentations on the matter, there was also an excellent one at the Regional Museum in Płock not long ago, and a couple of smaller ones rounf the country immediately pre-lockdown.