History, Patriotism, Education – School Offers at the National Defense Fund Exhibition
From September 20 to November 29, 2026, the District Museum in Leszno will host the exhibition "A Community of Gesture 1936–1939: Silverware of the National Defense Fund," which showcases 266 historical silver objects donated by citizens of the Second Polish Republic to the National Defense Fund.
Education for Children and Youth
The exhibition is accompanied by an educational offer available from October 1 to November 29, 2026. It presents an opportunity to learn about the fate of the silver objects donated by the citizens of the Second Polish Republic for the country's defense and to trace their path – from private homes, through wartime displacement, to their return to Poland.
We have prepared two workshop topics:
What do a silver sugar bowl and Polish history have in common? During the session, participants will learn about the remarkable history of silver items donated by the residents of the Second Polish Republic for the Polish Armed Forces. They will discover how objects from home cupboards and desks were sent to military warehouses, and then – following the outbreak of WWII – taken abroad, only to return to Poland after many years. The lesson is enriched by an art workshop during which participants will design their own item inspired by the museum's silver.
This lesson explores the history of public fundraising campaigns organized in the Second Polish Republic to equip the Polish Army. Participants will learn about the National Defense Fund and other initiatives that financed the purchase of weapons, equipment, aircraft, and a submarine. Special attention will be given to the silver gifts donated by Poles, which were evacuated abroad after the outbreak of World War II and eventually brought back to Poland in the 1970s.
An educational day featuring a series of lectures on patriotism for youth will be held on November 10, 2026.
More information about the exhibition "A Community of Gesture 1936–1939: Silverware of the National Defense Fund"
Education for Children and Youth
The exhibition is accompanied by an educational offer available from October 1 to November 29, 2026. It presents an opportunity to learn about the fate of the silver objects donated by the citizens of the Second Polish Republic for the country's defense and to trace their path – from private homes, through wartime displacement, to their return to Poland.
We have prepared two workshop topics:
- The Mysterious Odyssey of the Silver Sugar Bowl – for preschools and elementary schools
What do a silver sugar bowl and Polish history have in common? During the session, participants will learn about the remarkable history of silver items donated by the residents of the Second Polish Republic for the Polish Armed Forces. They will discover how objects from home cupboards and desks were sent to military warehouses, and then – following the outbreak of WWII – taken abroad, only to return to Poland after many years. The lesson is enriched by an art workshop during which participants will design their own item inspired by the museum's silver.
- The Odyssey of the Silver Treasure – for high schools
This lesson explores the history of public fundraising campaigns organized in the Second Polish Republic to equip the Polish Army. Participants will learn about the National Defense Fund and other initiatives that financed the purchase of weapons, equipment, aircraft, and a submarine. Special attention will be given to the silver gifts donated by Poles, which were evacuated abroad after the outbreak of World War II and eventually brought back to Poland in the 1970s.
An educational day featuring a series of lectures on patriotism for youth will be held on November 10, 2026.
More information about the exhibition "A Community of Gesture 1936–1939: Silverware of the National Defense Fund"
We also invite you to events accompanying the exhibition:
- October 22, 4:00 PM – lecture: The History of the National Defense Fund.
- November 19, 4:00 PM – lecture on the National Defense Fund (FON) and the modernization of the Polish Armed Forces.
- November 29, 4:00 PM – a curator-led tour on the final day of the exhibition, conducted by Renata Sobczak-Jaskulska, a curator at the National Museum in Poznań.
Contact:
Registration at the Department of Education and Marketing of the District Museum in Leszno:
phone: +48 452 038 790
phone: +48 65 529 61 40, ext. 3
e-mail: rezerwacje@muzeum.leszno.pl
phone: +48 452 038 790
phone: +48 65 529 61 40, ext. 3
e-mail: rezerwacje@muzeum.leszno.pl
