News
Anniversary of the death of Lieutenant Marian Walentynowicz
Today is the anniversary of the death of Marian Walentynowicz (1896-1967). His figure was evoked in our Museum in an animated 12-minute film Marian’s War, presented in Opole during the Night of Museums (in May), the Night of Culture (in June), and also as part of holiday workshops, when visitors had the opportunity to learn about the life of this talented illustrator, a precursor of comics in Poland and a participant in the Second World War.
Marian Walentynowicz, just before the war, had been a teacher in S. Naokowski Female School of Architecture in Warsaw. From the 1920s, he also collaborated with the capital's magazines. During World War II, he was a war correspondent for General Stanisław Maczek's 1st Armoured Division. It is from this period that Lieutenant Walentynowicz's memoirs come from, collected in the book ,,War without Pathos”. Among many widely unknown, surprising facts and observations there is also an account of the liberation of Stalag VI C Oberlangen (12 April 1945), where about 1700 female soldiers of the Home Army, participants of the Warsaw Uprising, were housed.
In his work as an artist, who is mostly known as an illustrator of books, mainly for children (he created, among others, the character of Matołek the Billy-Goat), the echoes of war are clearly visible. It is still possible to see the exhibition Spring, summer, WAR... Warsaw 1939, and the animated film Marian’s War, until 10 of September at our seat in Opole!
