Matuszni Family Archive

Antoni Matuszny, who came from the Beskid village of Laliki, was interested in photography since he was a child. As he recalls, he wanted to save the life of his family and the countryside in the 1970s from oblivion. At the age of thirteen, he bought the first camera, and when he was 24 – the camera of the Soviet Quarz 5.

Film shot on 1 September 1979 at the “Wędrowiec” battle fort in Węgierska Górka during the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the Nazi German attack on Poland. On 1–3 September 1939, the “Węgierska Górka” Fort Company resisted German forces from the 7th Bavarian Infantry Division. The ceremony is attended by local residents, school pupils, scouts, the Honorary Company of the Polish Army from Bielsko-Biała and representatives of the authorities. Particularly important guests are veterans from the Union of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy (ZBoWiD), among them Ludwik Matuszny (father of the author of the film), Franciszek Wojciuch (father-in-law of the author) and Karol Pawlik (cousin of the author). Shots of guests gathered at the fort, of a burning candle and soldiers giving a salute of honor. 

(KN, AT)