Archiwum Wojskowe w Oleśnicy – historia i kształtowanie zasobu
The Military Archives in Oleśnica – History and Development of the Resources

Summary/Abstract: The Military Archives in Oleśnica (Archiwum Wojskowe w Oleśnicy, AWO),located near Wrocław, is an institution with a long history, dating back to theestablishment in 1947 of the Archive of the Command of Military District No. IV,headquartered in Wrocław. Over the years, this institution has undergone numeroustransformations, and in 2005–2007 it was finally moved to Oleśnica. Today, therich resources of AWO are relatively little known to historians. The aim of thisarticle is to change this state of affairs by presenting the history, resources, tasksand activities of AWO. The materials in the possession of the archive are primarilydocuments of the so-called Polish People’s Army, created after 1956 by unitsthat were part of two military districts: Silesian and Warsaw. This is a significantresource that allows for the study of a number of issues related to the functioningof the Armed Forces in the Polish People’s Republic. Many interesting scientificand popular science works have already been written based on these materials. Inaddition, the archive still accepts documentation of the contemporary Polish Army. In connection with this, it performs a number of queries related to issuing variouscertificates. The intention of the article is to popularize the entire activity of AWOemployees and to provide practical feedback that will be helpful to its potentialusers.

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