Collection

Bronisław Onufry Kopczyński (1916–1943) was an activist in the ONR-Falanga during the interwar period. He was active as a composer, conductor, and poet. In his journalistic work, he focused on popularizing Polish music—and art more broadly—among wide circles of society, emphasizing the elimination of foreign, especially Jewish, influences. During the occupation, he became involved with the Confederation of the Nation (Konfederacja Narodu), where he was responsible for the cultural section. He created and edited a monthly magazine with the telling title Sztuka i Naród ("Art and Nation"). In January 1943, he was arrested by the Gestapo and died a few months later at Majdanek.

The available collection contains over 250 items. It includes typical musical material such as sheet music and booklets featuring compositions by other authors, as well as documents and leaflets attesting to his affiliation with the national movement. Kopczyński’s drawings—including those from his childhood—and individual issues of Mały Płomyczek have also survived. Additionally, the collection contains wartime announcements and appeals gathered by the creator. For researchers studying the national movement, the materials from the Polish Cultural Action Organization (Polska Organizacja Akcji Kulturalnej) may prove particularly valuable, allowing them to trace the activities and messaging used to popularize Polish art or promote the boycott of Jewish filmmakers.