National Anthem Museum in Będomin

The National Anthem Museum in Będomin is located at Będomin 16, near Nowa Karczma, in the Kashubian lake district of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. It commemorates Józef Wybicki, who was born in Będomin in 1747 and became a jurist, politician and writer. Wybicki is best known as the author of the lyrics of Poland's national anthem, Mazurek Dąbrowskiego, which he wrote in July 1797 in Reggio Emilia in Italy for the Polish Legions serving alongside Napoleon's forces. The song, which begins with the line that Poland has not yet perished, spread through Polish communities during the partitions and was officially adopted as the national anthem in 1927.

The museum occupies the manor house and grounds associated with Wybicki's family, in a rural setting of fields, woodland and small lakes. The exhibition tells the story of the anthem's composition, the Polish Legions in Italy, the political situation of the partitioned country and the life of Wybicki himself, including his role in the reform politics of the late 18th century. Typical displays include documents, portraits, period furniture, uniforms, maps and printed versions of the anthem, together with material about the later history of the song and its use in national events. The approach is biographical and chronological.

The building and its park have been maintained and restored over time, with the house adapted for museum use and the surrounding grounds kept as a commemorative landscape. It is a quiet and relatively small museum, best suited to visitors with an interest in Polish national history, and it fits naturally into a day trip through southern Kashubia that could also include Kościerzyna and Wdzydze.