The Royal Castle – the premises of the Sądecki Land Museum

During the occupation, the Museum functioned as the Uhr Deutsche Museum. It was to be reorganized by Romuald Reguła and Roman Szkaradek, under the supervision of Rudolf Kesselring, to display mainly the medieval religious art. Both of them carried out the task given by the occupation authorities very slowly and sometimes even acted contrary to the will of the authorities. As early as summer 1939, they hid some of the museum pieces in the town hall cellars and in private people’s houses. In view of the German plans to take part of the exhibits away to the Reich, on 6 December 1939 Szkaradek carried some of the most valuable paintings out of the castle (pieces by Jan Trzycki and Michał Stachowicz) and hid them in the health center near the castle, in his own apartment, in the parish and in the tower of St. Margaret’s Church, and in August 1944 he took some of them to Szczereż near Łącko and hid them in the house of Szczepaniak family and in the Biegonice parish house. The museum collection kept at the castle was destroyed when in the explosion of January 1945. According to the report of the National Directorate of Museums, the destroyed pieces included: 52 Polish sculptures, 164 foreign sculptures, 161 works by Polish painters, 59 works by foreign painters, 22 Polish drawings, 327 foreign drawings, 388 pieces of graphics, and 47 pieces of furniture. In May 1945 when the museum was being recreated again, Roman Szkaradek recovered a total of 162 pieces from various hiding places.
The plaques commemorating the soldiers of the 1st Podhale Rifle Regiment who were killed in the fights for independence between 1918 and 1920 were taken down from the castle’s facade and destroyed.

Bronisław Pieracki Riflemen’s House, Wolności Alley

During the occupation, the so-called Parteihaus functioned here, where NSDAP assemblies and celebrations were held.

Old Cemetery

In November 1939, the body of gen. Bronislaw Pieracki were exhumed and moved to the municipal cemetery. The impressive tombstone was also transported to the new place of burial – the gravestone carver hired for the job, Stanislaw Decker, rolled it down the Dlugosza and Młyńska streets on round wooden beams.

Statue of Władysław Jagiełło, corner of Jagiellońska and Szwedzka streets

In autumn 1939, in face of the decision to remove the statue, Stefan Krajewski, aided by Fire Brigade ppor. Bronisław Piwowar, stoneworker Antoni Lesak, Kazimierz Ciombor, Janina Gałasiowa, Józef Łazarz, Marian Serkowski, Józef Wątroba and Stanisław Wilczyński dismantled the statue, cut it in half and hid it in the cellars of the building.

House at Kunegundy 26 Str.

Roman Szkaradek hid part of the book collection of the gymnasium of the Immaculate Conception Sisters and some of the museum pieces from the Sądecki Land Museum in his private apartment.

St. Elisabeth’s “Railway” Church, Zygmuntowska Str.

In December 1939, a male vocal quartet was created here. It worked together with Daniel Bałycz’s symphonic ensemble, made of former musicians of the 1st Podhale Rifle Regiment orchestra. Since 1942, a choir led by organist Antoni Paszyński was also active here. The majority of its members came from the “ECHO” choir. They would sing both in their church and in other churches in Nowy Sącz.

House at Tatrzańska 6 Str.

Underground “artistic evenings” would take place in the apartment of Jadwiga Wolska.

Ritter Family Tenement House, Main Square 2

The apartment of Maria Ritter, a painter, would harbor refugees, people who were hiding and displaced persons arriving in Nowy Sącz. Maria Ritter herself has been actively working in the Polish Red Cross (from May 1944, her home was the headquarters of the local PRC office), the Social Welfare Committee and the Central Welfare Council. Wladyslaw Szkaradek-Lubasiowa, would operate an underground mail box in the PRC office in the apartment of the Ritter family. Underground “artistic evenings” would also take place here.

Tenement House at Długosza 18 Str.

Underground “artistic evenings” would take place in the apartment of Janina Celewicz.

Flis Family Tenement House, Jagiellońska 29 Str.

Underground “artistic evenings” would take place in the apartment of the Flis family.

Tenement House at Długosza 62 Str.

Underground “artistic evenings” would take place in the apartment of Romuald Reguła.

Manor House of Józef Wieniawa-Zburzycki in the Planty Park

The Józef Szujski City Library located here, having suspended its functioning after the German troops entered Nowy Sącz, with the consent of the military command of the city resumed operating on 1 October 1939. It was open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10:00 to 12:00. In March 1940, the library was ordered to close. In September 1940, the entire book collection was transferred and, with the consent of the Fr. PA Roman Mazur, was stored in the “Świt” Parish House. Although it was not able to function officially, the library would secretly lend books to a group of trusted people. After the city was liberated from the German occupation, steps were taken to re-open the library as quickly as possible, which became possible on 16 May 1945 with the Parish House as its temporary premises. The library returned to its building in the Planty park on 16 January 1946.
After the books were moved from the manor house, it was used as a headquarters of the Hitlerjugend.

Planty Park

In the autumn of 1939, the Adam Mickiewicz monument and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were removed. The former was completely destroyed and the latter was moved to the municipal cemetery, near the so-called “Insurgents’ Cross”.

“Świt” (Dawn) Parish House, Ducha Świętego 2 Str.

In September 1940, the entire book collection of the Józef Szujski City Library was transported here. From 16 May 1945 Parish House acted as the temporary premises of the library until it was moved back to its original building in Planty Park (16 January 1946).
Not only the City Library, but book collections of other closed libraries (Municipal Casino, Tadeusz Kościuszko Boarding House, Jewish libraries) were gradually brought here. In addition, prof. Jan Göttman hid part of the book collection of the Jan Długosz I Gymnasiusm and High School in the Parish House. Initially all of the copies of the 1st volume of “Rocznik Sądecki” (Sącz Annal) were also here.

Fr. Piotr Skarga Sodality House, Ducha Świątego 12 Str.

From May 1940, it was occupied by the Forstschutzkommando – paramilitary troops of the forest guard. Because of that the activity of the sodality library and the Drama Section has been suspended. The entire theatrical infrastructure of the auditorium was destroyed.

The Clergy House of St. Margaret’s Church

In view of the German plans to take some of the pieces from the Sądecki Land Museum to the Reich, Roman Szkaradek on 6 December 1939 carried some of the most valuable paintings (works by Jan Trzycki and Michał Stachowicz) out of the castle, and hid them in various places, including the clergy house and the tower of the St. Margaret church.
Copies of the 1st volume of the “Rocznik Sądecki” (Sącz Annal) were also hidden for some time in the clergy house.

“Sokół” Gymnastic Society, Długosza 3 Str.

In the “Sokół” building a German library – Stadtbucherei Neu Sandez – was organized. The functioning of the Society, like all Polish organizations, was prohibited. Part of the Society’s library was destroyed in the first days of September 1939, when the German soldiers stationed in the building would use books as fuel for field kitchens. A large part of the collection was saved by Jozef Potoczek, who secretly transported it to his house in Chełmiec in autumn 1939. The “Sokół’s” theatrical infrastructure (stage) and the assets of the Drama Society (decorations, costumes) headquartered here were completely destroyed. In March 1941, the figure of a soaring hawk was dismounted from the building’s façade and destroyed.
From March 1941 to January 1945, German cinema “Dunajez” was operating here.

Workers’ House, Zygmuntowska 17 Str.

During the occupation, the cultural activities organized here (Worker’s Thater, orchestra, choir, “Wiedza” (Knowledge) cinema, Railway Worker’s Trade Union meeting room and library) ceased, but the building became a center for underground movement activities of the Polish Socialist Party members and cooperatives.