Collection of photographs and postcards of the Polish Museum in Rapperswil - part 7

The seizure of government in Poland by the Soviets and the anxiety connected with it resulting from communist propaganda spreading in Switzerland prompted the authorities of the town of Rapperswil to terminate the contract of lease in 1945, 22 years before its expiration date. Following the decision of Swiss Supreme Court as of July 6th 1951, the termination was considered legally binding.

The Museum´s Friends Society, created in January 1954, was an answer of the Polish emigrants to the suspension of the lease contract by the authorities of Rapperswil. The annulment was a result of actions of the authorities of the communist Polish People’s Republic, who settled a propaganda center in the castle. However, in 1952 the collections were sent back to Poland and the Museum was taken over by the Swiss Society of Castles (Der Schweizerische Burgenverein), which during the following years got rid of all the remaining Polish traces in the castle. The Museum’s Friends Society was founded not only by the Polish, but also by the Swiss. Thanks to its existence, the Polish culture was still present among the emigrants who couldn´t return to their homeland. The society organized several exhibitions such as ´The 100th anniversary of the 1863 Uprising´, ´The Swiss – Polish friendship throughout centuries´, ´The Polish cartography´ or the international symposium ´Nikolas Copernicus´ in 1973.