Combat Open-Air Museum of the 1st Polish Army in Zdbice

The Combat Open-Air Museum of the 1st Polish Army in Zdbice is an open-air museum of weapons connected with the fighting to break through the Pomeranian Wall in 1945. It lies in Wałcz municipality, along the slope of the channel of Lake Zdbiczno, a little north-west of the village.

How it came about

The museum came into being in connection with a decision of 1980 to create the Central Memorial Area of the 1st Polish Army in the Zdbice area. The plan was very broad; part of the work was carried out and the rest never materialised. The exhibition was meant to show the advance of one of the battalions of the 12th Infantry Regiment on the German positions on the other side of the river. On the Polish side, firing trenches and earth combat shelters were built, and a great deal of equipment was put on display: mortars, guns, tanks and Katyushas. Some of the exhibits did not take part in the fighting in this area. The planned monument to the conquerors of the Pomeranian Wall was never built.

The trail and the surroundings

From the car park a roughly three-kilometre educational trail has been marked out along the German fortifications to the Morzyca farmstead. The surrounding area is rich in reminders of the Second World War: combat shelters and bunkers. In the centre of the village there is the National Memory Room (Izba Pamięci Narodowej) with the exhibition “The Forest as a Witness to the Fighting for the Pomeranian Wall”, which shows, among other things, shrapnel embedded in tree trunks, weapons and ammunition, photographs, maps and soldiers' documents.

Condition at the time of the latest description

According to a description from 2012, the museum was at that time in a very neglected state: the pavilions by the car park stood in ruins, and of the equipment only three exhibits remained, a T-34 tank, a howitzer and an anti-aircraft gun. We have not confirmed the current condition, so check it with Wałcz municipality before you set out.

Practical information

• Location: Zdbice, Wałcz municipality, Wałcz County.
• The manager, the hours and the rules of entry do not follow from verified sources. The trail and the area by the road can be reached from the car park.