Armored Weaponry Museum

The Museum of Armoured Vehicles was established in 1963 in Sołacz district of Poland. It originally started as a small collection of vehicles used by the local military training center. During the Communist period, the museum primarily showcased vehicles produced by the Soviet Union or its satellite countries. After the fall of communism in 1989, the museum expanded its collection to include vehicles from non-Soviet countries, including the West and Germany.

The museum was located in a single hangar and some of the vehicles were stored outside. The curator of the museum was Lieutenant Colonel Tomasz Ogrodniczuk, who was also involved in the restoration efforts of the vehicles. He would sometimes drive the vehicles during the "Armoured Parade" from the museum's hangar to the Training Center's parade square.

In 2013, it was announced that the museum would be turned into a branch of the Land Forces Museum in Bydgoszcz by 2015, which would offer the museum financial aid from the state and allow it to be open to visitors throughout the year. However, it was later turned into a branch of the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw. In 2015, it was announced that the museum would be relocated to an unused hangar near the Ławica airport by June 2017, making it temporarily inaccessible. After the restoration of the hangars and relocation of the exhibits, the museum was eventually reopened on October 8, 2019.

The Armoured Warfare Museum in Poznań, Poland has a rich collection of restored and preserved military vehicles from World War II. One of the highlights of their collection is the German Sturmgeschütz IV assault gun, which was recovered from the Rgilewka river near Grzegorzew in 2008. The vehicle was moved to Poznań and underwent restoration, which was completed by the summer of 2009. As of 2012, this was the only running StuG IV in the world and one of only three preserved examples.

Another significant addition to the museum's collection was the German Sd.Kfz. 6 artillery tractor, which was excavated from the Warta river near Białobrzeg on August 5, 2011. The restoration of the vehicle was officially finished on August 5, 2012, and much of the original parts were preserved. Although the engine was still being restored at the time, the tractor was using a replacement powerplant.

In 2012, the museum acquired several more vehicles for restoration, including the wreckage of a TKS tankette, a BTR-152 APC, an IS-2 heavy tank, and a T-70 tank. The restoration of the TKS tankette took two years and was completed in May 2014. Meanwhile, the BTR-152 APC was restored in October 2012 and the IS-2 heavy tank and T-70 tank were finished in June and February 2013, respectively.

In late 2012, the museum was given a Renault FT tank from Afghanistan, which was briefly displayed near the Poznań National Museum and the Bazar Hotel. Initially, the tank was to be restored in Poznań with the help of the Armoured Warfare Museum, but it was eventually sent to the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw and was restored by the end of 2013.

In 2013, the museum acquired a Cruiser Tank Mk VIII Centaur Mk I from Portugal, which was used by Polish Armed Forces during World War II for training. Its restoration began in May 2014. The same year, the museum received three new vehicles from Norway: a wreck of a Panzer III medium tank, an M47 Patton main battle tank, and an M88 Recovery Vehicle. The museum worked together with the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw to complete the restoration of these vehicles.

The Museum of Armoured Weapons in Wrocław has a rich collection of military vehicles and weapons that have been acquired over the years. In 2014, two T-54 and T-55 tanks were brought to the museum to participate in the shooting of the movie "Bridge of Spies." These tanks represented NVA vehicles in East Berlin and both Steven Spielberg and Janusz Kamiński signed the latter tank.

In June 2015, the museum received a donation of an M10 Achilles tank destroyer, which is currently undergoing restoration. Then, in September 2016, the museum received a Daimler Dingo scout car from the United States. These scout cars were used by the Polish Armed Forces in the West and after its renovation, it was marked with the 15th Poznań Uhlan Regiment.

In October 2017, the museum acquired a 7.7 cm FK 96 n.A. gun that was once displayed outside of the Czocha Castle. The gun was severely damaged by elements and tourists, but after its renovation was completed in December, it was decided to keep it in the museum to prevent further destruction. The museum also acquired a 10.5 cm leFH 18 howitzer and its dedicated tractor, the Sd.Kfz. 6, around the same time.

In January 2018, the museum added three new vehicles to its collection: a Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer tank destroyer, an M4A1 Half-Track, and a replica of an Austin Putilov armored car, all from private owners. All three vehicles are in good working condition.

In May 2020, the museum received a Fox Armoured Car that was discovered in an Italian scrapyard by Polish soldiers participating in Operation Irini. This car, much like the previously mentioned Dingo scout cars, was used by the 15th Poznan Uhlans Regiment, and the goal of the restoration process is to determine if this particular vehicle was a part of this unit during the war.