The Gallery 'Arms and Uniforms in Poland', located on the ground floor of the Main Building of the National Museum in Krakow, is the second largest exhibition in Poland – after Warsaw's Polish Army Museum – presenting early militaria. The space of over 1200 square metres offers a display of more than 2,000 exhibits associated with the early military from the Middle Ages to World War II.
Visitors can admire beautiful examples of arts and crafts as well as memorabilia of great events and characters so important for Polish history: Stefan Czarniecki's horse tack, Stanisław Jabłonowski's scale-armour (karacena) and pure gold mace as well as the only preserved hetman's sign which once belonged to Hieronim Lubomirski.
The Gallery features memorabilia of Polish commanders: Tadeusz Kościuszko's sukmana coat, the star of Prince Józef Poniatowski's War Order of Virtuti Militari or Józef Piłsudski's uniform jacket.
The display also features rare collections of Polish swords, hussar armour and weapons, Polish badges and distinctions as well as a unique collection of Polish uniforms from the 18th to the 20th century. Fans of early technical curios will be interested in shooting clubs with integrated pistol mechanism, shotguns with multiple barrels or knives with forked blades, which were used for breaking rapiers.
