Secrets of Polish Freemasons at the National Museum, Warsaw

cyrkiel

15 Sep 2014 #1

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.

Is Freemasonry a broad social movement seeking to improve society and spread ideas of solidarity and self-help, or is it a cover-up for a narrow circle of people who are sceptical of democracy and its principles? Or, perhaps, it's rather an arcane system of initiation rites that lead to bizarre, archaic rituals? ...... "The Freemasons remain one of the most mysterious organisations in the history of Western culture." ......To let the audience seek their own answers, the exhibition has been arranged as a passage through those initiation rites

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

Is it a way to endow the mature phase of one's life with a dignified, intelligent and fulfilling direction, as Masons claim? Is it an intellectual adventure, a challenge to routine ways of thinking and acting, as others believe? A utopia, a dream of a world slightly more sensibly structured than the one we happened to inherit? A widespread movement for social repair, solidarity and mutual benefit? Or is it perhaps the polar opposite - a veil for an exclusive club of elite individuals sceptical of the democratic process?

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

jon357 74 | 22,054

16 Sep 2014 #2

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.

antimason

16 Sep 2014 #3

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

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

jon357 74 | 22,054

16 Sep 2014 #4

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.

Polsyr 6 | 760

10 Jun 2015 #5

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

jon357 74 | 22,054

10 Jun 2015 #6

there is a significant Freemason presence in Poland today,

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?

Polsyr 6 | 760

10 Jun 2015 #7

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!

delphiandomine 88 | 18,163

14 Jan 2021 #8

the highest ratio of female to male Freemasons.

Is this still the case, Jon?

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

jon357 74 | 22,054

14 Jan 2021 #9

Is this still the case

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.