The historic hangar is one of several infrastructure elements of the former Rakowice-Czyżyny Airport. The hangar was built in the 1930s. During the Second World War, it was used for military purposes and was bombed twice. Until the 1960s, the building was used as intended – at first as a hangar for military aircraft and later for civilian aircraft. In 1963, the airport closed down and the facilities began to be used by the Municipal Transport Company in Krakow. The hangar housed a bus depot with repair and maintenance workshops.

Planned Exhibition

The exhibition will present the achievements of domestic motorisation against the backdrop of the difficult economic and social situation which our country faced throughout the 20th century.

The story will begin in the 1920s, just after regaining independence, when cars and motorbikes were few and far between in Poland. Visitors will learn about the various attempts to motorise Poles in the period after the Second World War. The authors of the exhibition will answer questions, such as why cars became popular in Poland only in the 1970s and what had been used instead by that time. The exhibition will also address contemporary issues related to globalisation and the privatisation of the domestic automotive industry. The objects on display, including cars, motorbikes and engines from the Museum’s collection, will be complemented by carefully selected photographs and films.

A technical route will be presented alongside the exhibition’s history route. The objects, such as moving and static models of vehicle components or infographics, will help to explain what sets vehicles in motion. A selection of engineering solutions used in vehicle design will also be presented.

The exhibition will not only allow us to trace the development of motorisation over more than a century, but also to reflect on the future of individual transport, both in Poland and worldwide.

The objects on display at the Czyżyny Hangar include the first post-war Polish motorbike, Sokół 125, Polish cars licensed by Fiat, prototypes of vehicles that did not go into mass production, various models of Syrena (Syrena 101, 102, 103, 104) and Warszawa, as well as Polish trucks.

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