Exhibition of Heavy Armament in Sudecka Street in Jelenia Góra

The beginning of the exhibition can be traced back to the mid 70s of the previous century when in Cieplice Śląskie a Military Memory Chamber created by ZBOWID (The Union of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy) branch at "Fampa" Co. The first place where the historic artefacts were collected and kept was a building in 8, Staromiejska Street, which belonged to the Education Department of the Town Council Office in Cieplice Śląskie. In the yard adjoining the building, pieces of heavy armament had been collected (between others, T 34-85 Tank, missile launcher BM 13 "Katiusha", antiaircraft and antitank guns), total of 19 exhibits - forming the core of the present exhibition. Most of the military equipment found its way to Jelenia Góra thanks to reserve lieutenant colonel Czesław Buniewicz, who can be given the name of the father of Heavy Armament Exhibition in Jelenia Góra.

In August 1979, the Museum of Armed Struggle and Work was established, which was a branch of the Regional Museum in Jelenia Góra, where historic artefacts of military technology were exhibited. The shortage of exhibition space, good guarding facilities and fencing in the yard in Staromiejska Street caused substantial devastation of the exhibits. That had caused for the exhibition to be moved in 1985 to new, earlier prepared grounds adjoining Military Unit No 2773 (later the 18th Karkonosze Mountains Antiaircraft Regiment) in Swierczewskiego Street (now Sudecka Street) in Jelenia Góra. The exhibits were in care of the Army for 16 years. Such state of affairs had remained until Military Unit No 2773 was dissolved in 2001. In 1993, Military Unit 2773 donated more exhibition pieces to the Heavy Armament Exhibition, those were between others: an armoured personnel carrier BTR 152, a radiolocation station Son 9A, a power generating unit APG 15 M.

In October 2001, a new branch was created at Muzeum Karkonoskie (The Karkonosze Mountains Museum) - The Open Air Exhibition of Heavy Armament of the Polish Armed Forces, which took care of the existing exhibition, and endeavoured to enlarge the exhibition. Since 2004, Muzeum Karkonoskie in Jelenia Góra has taken over from the Agency of Military Property the building of the pass-office that used to belong to Military Unit No 2773, which following its adaptation for the museum purposes has become the seat of the Open Air Exhibition of Heavy Armament of the Polish Armed Forces. In summer 2005, the Heavy Armament Exhibition was enriched with new exhibits: guided missile launcher SPU 2P25M1 with antiaircraft KUB missile set which was donated by CSSP Koszalin thanks to the decision of then Minister of National Defence Mr Jerzy Szmajdziński and four cannons (1 x ZIS 2M, model 1943, cal. 57 mm; 2 x ZIS 3, model 1942, cal. 76.2 mm and 1 x antiaircraft gun, model 1939, cal. 37 mm) transferred as a deposit from Military Artefacts Museum - a branch of the City Museum in Wroclaw.

Exhibition of Radiolocation Equipment in Łomnica - Exhibition liquidated.

Thanks to activities of the committee and cooperation of Jelenia Góra Society of Radio Technician ex-Servicemen "Radar" and other ex-servicemen societies organising former military men of Jelenia Góra Garrison, in October 2005, second Open Air Exhibition of the Polish Armed Forces Arms was opened to the public - The Exhibition of Radiolocation Equipment, situated on a plot of land next to the petrol station in Łomnica near Jelenia Góra, prepared and made accessible by SOMBiN - Stanisław Tyrała Co.

At the exhibition, equipment used by radio-technical forces was gathered: altimeter BOŻENA (RW 31), radiolocation station JUSTYNA (Jawor M2), radiolocation station DANIELA (RT17), radiolocation station MAGDALENA (PRW 17), radiolocation system recognition station LENA (SP-8), all manufactured in the USSR and Poland in the years 1963 - 1985.

The equipment was taken over by the Open-Air Exhibition from all over Poland (between others, from Lidzbark Warmiński, Witków, Sandomierz, Wrocław and Chojnice) thanks to the decision taken by then Minister of National Defence Jerzy Szmajdziński. It is worth noting that not only can the equipment be viewed from the outside but also it is possible to get acquainted with the elements of internal equipment that used to be strictly guarded military electronic secret in the 60s, 70s and 80s of the 20th century.

In near future, in order to make the visit more attractive, we are planning to make some units operational in order to imitate battlefield operation of radiolocation stations.

The latest acquisition shown at the open-air exhibition in Łomnica is MI-2 RL helicopter transferred in July 2006 from Military Unit 1177 Krakow, following the decision taken by the Minister of National Defence Radek Sikorski.