1925
Evening courses run in Zakopane by Andrzej Bednarz are transformed into the Stringed Instrument Making Section of the local Timber Industry School.
The publication of Tomasz Panufnik’s monograph Sztuka lutnicza. Studja nad budową instrumentów smyczkowych [The Art of Lutherie. Studies on the Construction of Bowed String Instruments],Warsaw.
1929
The National General Exhibition in Poznań. The Crafts Pavilion hosts a presentation of the output of Polish luthiers awarded medals for the outstanding qualities of their instruments.
1930
A Stringed Instrument Section is established in the State School of Craft and Industry under the initiative of Tomasz Panufnik, who himself teaches lutherie there (1930-1935).
1934
The publication of both volumes of Tomasz Panufnik’s Technologia lutnicza [The Technology of Violin Making], Warsaw.
1936
The first Polish luthiers’ competition in Warsaw, with the participation of some 40 luthiers – both professional and amateur. A resolution concerning the creation of a Luthiers’ Union in Poland.
A Violin-Making Exhibition in Kraków – first place for violin quartet awarded to Franciszek Borówka- Borowiecki, from Lublin.
1945
The Museum of Musical Instruments is opened in Poznań, under the initiative of Zdzisław Szulc (from 1950 a branch of the National Museum in Poznań). Its collection includes professional, amateur and folk stringed instruments. Currently one of the most interesting collections of stringed instruments in Europe (approx. 300 historical items).
1949
Stringed instruments are presented in the Museum of Wielkopolska in Poznań by Zdzisław Szulc (an exhibition marking one hundred years since the death of Fryderyk Chopin).
1952
The exhibition ‘The Polish Violin’ is opened in theMuseum of Musical Instruments in Poznań (accompanying the Second ‘H. Wieniawski’ International Violin Competition).
A stringed instrument making class is established in the State Secondary School of Art Technology in Zakopane (recruitment ceased in 1956, renewed from 1975).
1953
23 June – The appointment of the Organising Committee of the Polish Association of Artist Violin Makers (chair – Zdzisław Szulc; secretary – Marian Wyka; committee member – Zbigniew Wiszniewski).
27 June – The first session of the Organising Committee (National Museum in Poznań).
1954
23–24 April – The Association Organising Congress (in the Columned Hall of the Ministry of Culture and the Arts in Warsaw); the adoption of a statute and the election of an administrative team: Executive Board (president – Feliks Konstanty Pruszak), Committee of Eligibility (chair –
Tadeusz Wroński) and Board of Control (chair – Czesław Olszewski).
A special concert, with leading Polish violinists performing on instruments built by Polish luthiers (Warsaw).
The International String Quartet Competition in Liege – the first participation of Polish luthiers (members of the association).
1955
29 March – The ZPAL Executive Board obtains its own headquarters (16/18 Krakowskie Przedmieście, Warsaw).
25 May-3 June, Warsaw – The First National Competition for Contemporary Polish Violins, with the participation of 46 luthiers (145 instruments).
A commercially orientated violin-making exhibition, organised under the auspices of the Poznań International Trade Fair.
1957
1–11 November – the First ‘Henryk Wieniawski’ International Luthiers’ Competition in Poznań: Fourth Prize for Eugeniusz Gosiewski.
Marian Wyka becomes the first Polish juror of an international luthiers’ competition (Liege).
1959
The Polish Association of Artist Violin Makers is awarded honorary membership of the Italian National Artistic Lutherie Association (ANLAI).
2 October – A directive issued by the Minister of Culture and the Arts calls into being the Technical School of Stringed Instrument Making in Nowy Targ.
1960
19 September – a directive issued by the Minister of Culture and the Arts calls into being (under the initiative of Marian Wyka) the Collection of Stringed Instruments.
1961
7 April, Warsaw – the ceremonial opening (as part of the General Assembly) of the ZPAL Collection of Stringed Instruments. Its core consists of prize-winning instruments from international and national luthiers’ competitions, supplemented by donations and purchases. It currently numbers 252 instruments (end of 2003).
5–30 May – the Second ‘Henryk Wieniawski’ International Luthiers’ Competition in Poznań.
1964
The jubilee celebrations of the ZPAL’s 10th anniversary (exhibitions in Poznań and Bydgoszcz, a concert on Polish stringed instruments at the State College of Music in Warsaw and by the Łódź
Quartet on POLONIA model instruments. The first honorary memberships are awarded).
1965
28–29 February, Warsaw – the first violin-making seminar (concerning the principles behind the construction of violins and issues related to acoustics and sound), organised by the ZPAL. [In total, up to the year 2004, the ZPAL organised approx. 50 seminars, symposiums and courses.]
1967
15–24 September – the Third ‘Henryk Wieniawski’ International Luthiers’ Competition in Poznań: Third Prize awarded to Piotr Kubas.
1969
17–18 May, Warsaw – a symposium devoted to lutherie in the Polish People’s Republic, summarising the union’s achievements to date.
1972
4–14 May – the Fourth ‘Henryk Wieniawski’ International Luthiers’ Competition in Poznań: Fifth Prize for Mieczysław Bielański.
1973
The creation of a separate stringed instrument making class in the ‘Mieczysław Karłowicz’ State Secondary School of Music in Poznań (since 2001 the ‘MieczysławKarłowicz’ Secondary School of Music in Poznań).
1977
30 June–10 July – the Fifth ‘Henryk Wieniawski’ International Luthiers’ Competition in Poznań: First and Fourth Prize awarded to Józef Bartoszek, Fifth Prize to Franciszek Marduła.
1978
The creation of a lutherie class (within the Department of Bowed String Instruments) at the then State College College of Music (since 1981 ‘I. J. Paderewski’ Academy of Music) in Poznań.
1979
The union’s Silver Jubilee: a cycle of concerts at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw (January) and the BWA gallery in Zakopane (March); the exhibition ‘The Most Outstanding Works of Lutherie from the years 1954-1979’ (March) in Zakopane, subsequently transferred to the Museum of Musical Instruments in Poznań; the First International Seminar on Stringed Instrument Making in Świdry Małe (April).
14–20 October, Museum of Musical Instruments in Poznań – the First ‘Z. Szulc’ Polish National Luthiers’ Competition, organised by the ‘H. Wieniawski’ Musical Society under the initiative of the ZPAL Executive Board.
1980
The Polish luthiers’ organisation changes its name: from the Polish Association of Artist Violin Makers to the Polish Union of Artist Violin Makers.
1981
9–19 May – the Sixth ‘Henryk Wieniawski’ International Luthiers’ Competition in Poznań.
1983-1986
Four numbers of the periodical Lutnictwo [Lutherie] are published by the ZPAL (Editorial Committee: H. Harajda, W. Kamiński (chair), A. Kucharska, A. Łapa, S. Marduła).
1984
10–16 November, Museum of Musical Instruments in Poznań – the Second ‘Zdzisław Szulc’ Polish National Luthiers’ Competition.
1986
2–11 May – the Seventh ‘Henryk Wieniawski’ International Luthiers’ Competition in Poznań: First Prize won by Jan Bobak, Third Prize by Jerzy Piórko.
1987
15–21 November, Museum of Musical Instruments in Poznań – the Polish National Luthiers’ Competition (for 3/4 violins and 3/4 cellos), combined with a violin-making seminar, both events organised by the ZPAL in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the death of Stradivarius
(including the participation of an Italian delegation).
1988
Moscow – a presentation of Polish instruments as part of an exhibition organised at the ‘M. Glinka’ Museum of Musical Culture.
1989
16–18 October, Poznań – the Third ‘Zdzisław Szulc’ Polish National Luthiers’ Competition (extended to include a bow category).
1991
2–11 May – the Eighth ‘Henryk Wieniawski’ International Luthiers’ Competition in Poznań: First Prize – Jerzy Piórko; Second Prize – Tadeusz Słodyczka; Third Prize – Stanisław Król; Fourth Prize – Antoni Krupa.
1993
An exhibition of contemporary stringed instruments organised by the ZPAL Executive Board, combined with the sale of accessories (an event accompanying the International Music Course in Łańcut). This has become a permanent fixture in the calendar of events prepared by the union.
1994
The creation of a Department of Artistic Lutherie at the ‘I. J. Paderewski’ Academy of Music in Poznań.
The ZPAL’s 40th anniversary celebrations; the jubilee General Assembly is combined with a special concert.
1–4 December – The First ‘Włodzimierz Kamiński’ Polish National Luthiers’ Competition, organised at the ‘I. J. Paderewski’ Academy of Music in Poznań.
1995
1–22 October, National Philharmonic in Warsaw – the exhibition ‘The Luthier’s Art in Poland’, accompanying the Thirteenth ‘Fryderyk Chopin’ International Piano Competition.
1996
11–18 May – the Ninth ‘Henryk Wieniawski’ International Luthiers’ Competition in Poznań: First and Second Prize for Krzysztof Mróz.
The competition is accompanied by the exhibition ‘“Give a Pole Only God and a Fiddle”: The History ofLutherie on Polish Soil up to the Second World War’, presented at the Museum of Musical Instruments.
1998
29 May–20 June, Moscow – the ‘Piotr Tchaikovsky’ Luthiers’ Competition sees the greatest international success of Polish lutherie to date: seven medals, prizes and honorary mentions in the violin, viola and bow categories.
26 September, Zakopane – the jubilee celebrations of 70 years of creative work and the 90th birthday of the master Franciszek Marduła (the exhibition ‘The Passions of Franciszek Marduła’ at the ‘Koliba’ gallery).
1999
2–5 November – The Second ‘Włodzimierz Kamiński’ Polish National Luthiers’ Competition, combined with the celebrations of the 25th anniversary of lutherie schooling in Poznań (at the ‘I. J. Paderewski’ Academy of Music in Poznań).
2000
The collective exhibition ‘The Artistic Lutherie of Podhale’ in Zakopane.
2001
6–22 September, Poznań – the jubilee Tenth ‘Henryk Wieniawski’ International Luthiers’ Competition.
The event is accompanied by a symposium, with the participation of eminent luthiers from abroad, and a post-competition exhibition. A catalogue is published of violins which qualified for the second round.
The exhibition ‘Genius Stradivari’ organised at the Museum of Musical Instruments.
2002
The collective exhibition ‘The Magic of the Violin’, promoting Polish lutherie, organised in Lubin.
2003
25–27 April, Museum of Musical Instruments in Poznań – a Polish National Seminar on Stringed Instrument Making, organised on the 10th anniversary of the death of Prof. Włodzimierz Kamiński.
2004
21–22 May, Royal Castle in Warsaw – a concert inaugurating the grand celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Polish Union of Artist Violin Makers.
Calendar of events promoting Polish artistic lutherie organised in 2004
21 May – Warsaw
Jubilee gala concert at the Royal Castle
22 May – Warsaw
Polish National Seminar on Stringed Instrument Making: ‘The Polish Union of Artist Violin Makers – 50 Years Work’
5 June – Wrocław
Concert at the ‘W. Lutosławski’ Philharmonic: ‘Contemporary Polish Artistic Lutherie at the Philharmonic’Presentation of the violin makers of Lower Silesia: ‘How is a Violin Made?’
4 July–30 August – Warsaw
Exhibition at the Palace Museum in Wilanów: ‘Historical Instruments in the Output of Polish Violin Makers’
18 July – Łańcut
The Castle at Łańcut – concert on contemporary Polish instruments.Exhibition: ‘Contemporary Polish Artistic Lutherie’
4 –30 August – Zakopane
Concert and exhibition: ‘Contemporary Artistic Lutherie in Podhale’
6 October – Warsaw
Concert at the ‘F. Chopin’ Academy of Music:‘Polish Luthiers, Composers and Musicians’
16–19 November – Poznań
Third ‘W. Kamiński’ Polish National Luthiers’ Competition
19–20 November – Poznań
International Symposium on Stringed Instrument Making:‘Contemporary Polish Lutherie and its Place in European Artistic Lutherie’
19 November – 31 December – Poznań
Exhibition at the Museum of Musical Instruments in Poznań:‘Vielle, “Gamba” and Lute – Historical Instruments in the Output of Polish Violin Makers’