Jewish Contribution to the National Defense Fund | temporary exhibition

The exhibition will be open the public between 13 Semptember and 20 October 2024.

The National Defense Fund, established on April 9, 1936, along with the Air Defense Loan announced in the spring of 1939, sought to raise resources for the modernization and development of Poland’s armed forces. The widespread participation across various social strata in fundraising and subscriptions reflected the nation’s readiness to resist Nazi Germany. Although it was too late to achieve significant expansion of the army, the popularity of these initiatives demonstrated societal unity in the face of imminent danger.

Jewish donors and subscribers represented a broad cross-section of society, including communities, institutions, large company owners, intellectuals, less affluent traders, artisans, and workers—people of diverse worldviews and political beliefs. Contributions came from residents of major cities, small settlements, and towns across central and eastern Poland. In the country’s poorest regions, Jews accounted for as much as one-third of the donors. Their generosity towards the National Defense Fund (FON) and the Air Defense Loan (POP) exemplified civic responsibility. This was especially significant in a state marked by inconsistent national policies, ethnic biases, Antisemitism, and pervasive xenophobia.

The exhibition’s central focus is the treasures donated by Jewish communities. The narrative begins with World War I and recounts the stories of Jewish legionnaires, defenders of Lviv, and participants in the Polish-Bolshevik War, emphasizing that fundraising and subscriptions were among many expressions of Jewish involvement in the fight for independence. The exhibition also explores the situation of the Jewish population during the interwar period, highlighting their contributions to Polish culture, literature, and art while addressing the challenges they faced in the late 1930s, an era marked by increasing xenophobia and antisemitic rhetoric. Despite this, Poland remained their homeland, and many Jews paid the ultimate price for their Polish patriotism.

Jewish citizens fought in the Defensive War of 1939, operating in the resistance movement, served in the Polish Armed Forces in the West, joined General Anders’ army, and volunteered for divisions formed alongside the Red Army, as well as units fighting in the Warsaw Uprising. The silver and Judaica displayed in the exhibition, donated to the FON, are accompanied by photographs, archival documents, and artworks related to the fundraising campaigns and Jewish participation in the Polish military effort.

In 1939, the funds and valuables collected by the FON were sent to the West and remained under the control of the Polish government in exile. After the war, a significant portion was transferred to the authorities of the People’s Republic of Poland, where the treasures were dispersed, with many coins and valuables melted down and sold. In 1976, three remaining tons of silver were returned to Poland, enhancing museum collections. A selection of these items is now presented in this exhibition at the Kordegarda Gallery in Warsaw.

Curators: Kamila Pściuk-Glazer, prof. Konrad Zieliński
Collaboration: Arleta Engwert, dr Paweł Freus, Zofia Gałązka, Robert Gola, dr Martyna Grądzka-Rejak, dr Michał Grochowski, dr Mariusz Jastrząb, Magdalena Kruszewska-Polak, Dorota Kulawik, dr hab. Katarzyna Person-Wooddin, Janusz Wąż, Maciej Wójcicki, Aleksandra Wydro
Design: Łukasz Markiewicz
Scenography consultant: Kamila Pściuk-Glazer
Editing: Anna Michałowska, Mark Bernheim
Translation: Jakub Majchrzak
Sound: Filip Wójcik

Co-organised by: Kordegarda. Galeria Narodowego Centrum Kultury