Poznań Army Museum

In a long brick corridor of a former Prussian fortress, hidden among the trees of Poznań's Citadel Park, the story of one army and one battle is told. The Poznań Army Museum follows the soldiers of General Tadeusz Kutrzeba from mobilisation in 1939 to the Battle of the Bzura – the largest and bloodiest operation of the September 1939 campaign against the German invasion. And on Tuesdays admission is free.

History of the site

The museum occupies a casemate corridor now known as the Mała Śluza (Little Sluice). It was originally the Western Trestle of Fort Winiary, one of the works of the polygonal Poznań Fortress built in the first half of the 19th century. The corridor linked Fort Winiary with a fort at the far end of the Mała Śluza.

The memory of the Poznań Army began here with plaques. In 1974, at the initiative of veterans, the first of fourteen plaques honouring the army's units was unveiled on the counterscarp wall. In 1979–1982 the corridor was adapted for exhibitions, and the permanent display opened on 31 August 1982. Today the museum is a branch of the Greater Poland Museum of Independence.

What you will see

The permanent exhibition, "Faithful to the Oath", traces the combat route of the Poznań Army, culminating in the Battle of the Bzura. The counter-offensive that opened the battle began on 9 September 1939 towards Stryków. The cases hold archive photographs, memoirs, newspapers, maps, weapons and uniforms. Look out for the wz. 35 "Ur" anti-tank rifle, the "Vis" pistol, an 81 mm mortar and the barrel of a Bofors anti-aircraft gun. The exhibition's title comes from the war memoirs of Captain Zbigniew Szacherski of the 7th Mounted Rifles Regiment. From 2010 to 2013 the museum was closed because of leaking walls and roof. Allow 45–60 minutes.

Opening hours and admission

According to the museum website (as of October 2026):

• March–October: Tuesday–Saturday 10:00–17:00, Sunday 10:00–16:00,
• November–February: Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–16:00,
• Monday: closed,
• admission is free on Tuesdays.

Check current ticket prices for other days on the Greater Poland Museum of Independence website. The museum sometimes closes during large events in Citadel Park.

Getting there and accessibility

Address: al. Armii Poznań, Park Cytadela – Mała Śluza. The nearest tram stops are Murawa and Pasieka. The museum has no car park of its own; there is a free car park near the park and paid parking around it. The entrance is step-free.

Tripto tip

Visit on a Tuesday: you save on the ticket and weekdays are quieter. Make it part of a walk around Citadel Park, which is also home to another branch of the same museum, the Museum of Armaments. Before going in, walk past the wall with the fourteen unit plaques: it makes the army's route much easier to follow inside.