Fundacja "Archiwum i Muzeum Pomorskie Armii Krajowej Oraz Wojskowej Służby Polek"

Fundacja Generał Elżbiety Zawackiej — formally Fundacja "Archiwum i Muzeum Pomorskie Armii Krajowej Oraz Wojskowej Służby Polek" — is a Polish non-profit foundation headquartered at ul. Podmurna 93 in Toruń. It was established on 24 April 1990, when it was entered into the register of the District Court for Warsaw-Praga and granted legal personality. Its founders were Elżbieta Zawacka, Stanisław Salmonowicz and Grzegorz Górski. The foundation combines archival, museum, publishing and educational functions, and its mission is to document and commemorate people connected with the Wojskowa Służba Kobiet (Women's Military Service), the Pomeranian underground during the Second World War, and the Foreign Communications Section of the V branch of the Home Army High Command (known as "Zagrody"). The foundation grew out of material that Elżbieta Zawacka had been collecting since the 1960s. An earlier attempt to create a Home Army archive in Warsaw did not develop, so Zawacka decided to establish the "Archiwum Pomorskie Armii Krajowej" in Toruń. Over the years the institution changed its name: in 2002 it became Fundacja "Archiwum Pomorskie Armii Krajowej oraz Wojskowej Służby Polek", and after Zawacka's death in 2009 it adopted its current name honouring her. A branch was opened in Gdańsk in July 1993, and in November 1996 Zawacka and female veterans created the Memoriał Generał Marii Wittek, formally operating within the foundation from 14 January 1997, to gather material documenting the military service of Polish women on Second World War fronts. The foundation's oldest continuous activity is the Klub Historyczny, founded on 24 February 1987, which popularises knowledge of the resistance movement in Pomerania, especially the Home Army and the secret "Gryf Pomorski" organisation; Antoni Antczak became its patron on 27 February 1989. The foundation organises academic and popular-science sessions, notably around National Independence Day, and runs a publishing programme that includes volumes of the "Słownik Biograficzny Konspiracji Pomorskiej 1939–1945", the series "Służba Polek na frontach II wojny światowej", and a Biuletyn originally issued as the bulletin of the Antoni Antczak Historical Club. It also stages exhibitions, such as "Powstanie Warszawskie w zbiorach Fundacji Generał Elżbiety Zawackiej", and organises the regional competition "Oni tworzyli naszą historię". A monument to Elżbieta Zawacka was unveiled in front of the foundation's seat on 23 September 2014. The current president of the foundation is Dorota Zawacka-Wakarecy.

The foundation's origins lie in the collecting work of Elżbieta Zawacka, who from the 1960s gathered materials devoted to the Wojskowa Służba Kobiet, the Pomeranian underground and the "Zagrody" foreign communications unit. The idea of establishing a foundation emerged in the late 1980s. The initial plan was to create an Archive of the Home Army in Warsaw to receive Zawacka's collections. A foundation named after Stefan Grot-Rowecki was indeed established in Warsaw, but it failed to develop its activity. In response, Zawacka decided to create the "Archiwum Pomorskie Armii Krajowej" with its seat in Toruń. On 16 February 1990 a declaration of intent to establish the foundation was submitted, and on 24 April 1990 the foundation was entered into the register of the District Court for Warsaw-Praga, obtaining legal personality. The founders were Elżbieta Zawacka, Stanisław Salmonowicz and Grzegorz Górski. In July 1993 a branch of the foundation was established in Gdańsk. In November 1996, during the meeting of the VI Scientific Session, Elżbieta Zawacka together with female veterans created the Memoriał Generał Marii Wittek, whose task was to gather materials documenting the military service of Polish women on Second World War fronts. Formally the Memoriał has operated within the foundation since 14 January 1997. In 2002 the foundation changed its name to Fundacja "Archiwum Pomorskie Armii Krajowej oraz Wojskowej Służby Polek". After the death of Elżbieta Zawacka in 2009, the foundation adopted its current name, Fundacja Generał Elżbiety Zawackiej. Archiwum i Muzeum Pomorskie Armii Krajowej oraz Wojskowej Służby Kobiet. On 23 September 2014 a monument to Elżbieta Zawacka was unveiled in front of the foundation's seat. The foundation's oldest and permanent form of activity is the Klub Historyczny, established on 24 February 1987, before the foundation itself. Its aim is to disseminate knowledge of the resistance movement in Pomerania, with particular emphasis on the history of the Home Army and the secret "Gryf Pomorski" organisation. On 27 February 1989 Antoni Antczak became the club's patron. As part of the celebrations of the National Independence Day, the foundation organises academic and popular-science sessions; the first sessions were held in the University Library in Toruń, and later ones in the Mieszczańska Hall of the Old Town Hall or the Great Hall of the Artus Court in Toruń. The foundation also carries out publishing activity, having issued several volumes of the "Słownik Biograficzny Konspiracji Pomorskiej 1939–1945" and the series "Służba Polek na frontach II wojny światowej". A separate publication is the Biuletyn, initially issued as the bulletin of the Antoni Antczak Historical Club. The foundation also organises exhibitions and educational competitions, and its current president is Dorota Zawacka-Wakarecy.

• Klub Historyczny founded, the foundation's oldest continuous activity.

• Antoni Antczak becomes patron of the Klub Historyczny.

• Declaration of intent to establish the foundation submitted.

• Foundation entered into the register of the District Court for Warsaw-Praga and granted legal personality.

• Branch of the foundation established in Gdańsk.

• Memoriał Generał Marii Wittek created during the VI Scientific Session.

• Memoriał formally begins operating within the foundation.

• Foundation renamed to Fundacja "Archiwum Pomorskie Armii Krajowej oraz Wojskowej Służby Polek".

• After the death of Elżbieta Zawacka, the foundation adopts its current name.

• Monument to Elżbieta Zawacka unveiled in front of the foundation's seat.

A heritage and memory institution preserving the history of the Home Army's Pomeranian underground and Polish women's military service, operating as a foundation with museum and archive functions.

• Słownik Biograficzny Konspiracji Pomorskiej 1939–1945

• Służba Polek na frontach II wojny światowej

• Biuletyn

1. 1Fundacja Generał Elżbiety Zawackiej – official websitezawacka.pl
2. 2Fundacja Generał Elżbiety Zawackiej – Wikipedia (Polish)pl.wikipedia.org
3. 3Fundacja "Archiwum i Muzeum Pomorskie Armii Krajowej Oraz Wojskowej Służby Polek" – Wikidatawikidata.org