About the museum

Masonic museum

In Warsaw on Nowy Świat in a private apartment, there has been a masonic museum for some time. What does it contain? What secrets does it conceal? We have asked the establisher Bożena M. Dołęgowska-Wysocka, a freemason for almost 30 years about this.

Jerzy Domański: Is it normal to establish a museum in your own apartment? Especially masonic?

Bożena M. Dołęgowska-Wysocka: – It’s true, it is quite unusual, but quests have always told me, sometimes with a bit of a scornful tone, “You live like in a museum”. Finally, when exactly 3 years had passed since my husband’s death, the known Polish freemason, B:. Adam W. Wysocki, I thought to myself, why not? In every corner of our apartment, in our closets, in our drawers, in our overhead cupboards, on our shelfs are hidden masonic paraphernalia, newspapers, letters, press. Maybe – I was arranging it in my head – show that that is most important, arrange in the right order, so that the years of work don’t get lost of my husband – brother, creator of the “Polish FreeMason”, which we had published for a quarter of a century. My daughter Aleksandra and sister of my lodge supported me during this work. Importantly, I had the support of the members of the Polish Royal Art Institute (Instytut Sztuki Królewskiej), with at their head, chairman, brother – professor Tadeusz Cegielski, our friend.

JD: What could be interesting for the average person in the Adam W. Wysocki Home Museum of Freemasonry?

– I think that all the paraphernalia, aprons, sashes, masonic badges, that Adam used to use since he, 30 years ago (1992 r.), became an Apprentice, also his collar of the 33 degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite – the Sovereign Grand Inspector General (see photograph), which he got not long before his passing in October 2018. In the cabinets are also copies of “Polish FreeMason” displayed, of which the advance edition came out in 1993 and caused a international affair. There were concerns that such a paper could reveal masonic secrets and mess with current politics, what masons in Poland were trying to avoid. I tell the inside story of these affairs, which reached Paris and divided brothers, during the tour. I also tell you about the history of my husband’s family, through paintings – from saint Jacek Odrowąża, progenitor of the family, or general Józef Wysocki, one of general Józef Bem’s aide-de-camps in the Hungarian uprising of 1848 (Spring of Nations), to his father Klemens Wysocki, a legionary of the Second Brigade, who was awarded the Kaniowski cross and the Order of Virtuti Militari,

JD: Can you see the museum, for example walking around Nowy Świat?

– No, it is not open for everyone. I have visitors, that arrange with me to have a tour – sisters, brother from different Polish lodges, however I have had visits from French, German and Belgian lodges. I also show mementos to sympathizers of Royal Art, interested in becoming a freemason. Some I help a bit, so they send the appropriate application to the right address…

I’ve been in freemasonry for almost 30 years and have accumulated quite a bit of acquaintances. We almost meet here as the Polish Royal Art Institute (Instytut Sztuki Królewskiej w Polsce), for example not so long ago when former Grand Master of the Grand Orient of Poland, brother – professor Andrzej Nowicki published his book “The Philosophy of Freemasonry ”

JD: And if some of our readers would like to visit Your museum?

– No problem. My email is Bozena.wysocka@gu.com.pl. You can write me, we can exchange numbers, talk about masonic “rumors”, with some coffee or tea.

Thank you for the talk.