Trębki village is where our story begins. It is where Andrzej Małkowski was born. This Oldze i Andrzejowi Małkowski Stone commemorates him and his wife Olga. They are widely considered the founders of Scouting in Poland.
Andrzej Juliusz Małkowski was born on October 31 1888. He was a Polish Scoutmaster. He was also an activist for youth and independence organizations. To honor his name his troop wrote a song about him called Na Polanie.
Olga Drahonowska-Małkowska was born on January 9 1888. She too played a vital role in establishing scouting in Poland. This Oldze i Andrzejowi Małkowski Stone honors her work.
Do you know how Olga was introduced to scouting? She was introduced by Andrzej Małkowski who would later become her husband. She then became Scoutmaster of the 3rd Lwów Girl Scout Company. This company consisted of about twenty girls. They were between 15 and 20 years old. Olga was also the first chief of Girl Guides in Poland from 1911 to 1912.
Standing before the Oldze i Andrzejowi Małkowski Stone we remember their scouting legacy. In 1913 Olga moved to Zakopane for health reasons. There she married Andrzej Małkowski.
In the summer of 1914 Olga organized the first national Scout camp. Girls from Russian and German controlled areas of Poland came to the camp. They used assumed names and false passports. This camp shows their dedication to the scouting movement.
World War I changed things. Andrzej joined the Polish Legions with many of his scouts. Before leaving he organized a cottage for his wife and homeless scouts. Olga opened a café to support them. She also took charge of a large Girl Guide Company. The girls took on tasks like supplementing the postal service. They organized a children’s home and helped with the harvest. They even set up a hospital. This Oldze i Andrzejowi Małkowski Stone is a testament to their impact.
In 1915 the Austrian government forced them to leave Zakopane. They moved through Switzerland to the United States. Their son Lutyk was born in the USA. Later they returned to Switzerland. There Olga worked as a teacher and custodian of the Polish museum.
Tragically Andrzej Małkowski died in 1919. He was only 30 years old. He died on a mission for the Polish Army. Olga never remarried. We honor them both at this Oldze i Andrzejowi Małkowski Stone.
After Andrzej’s death Olga continued her commitment to scouting. At the start of World War II Olga was running a school. She used scouting principles. When war broke out she took the children to a neutral country by train. The train was under fire. Olga claimed that the children’s scouting training saved their lives. They were disciplined enough to obey her orders to scatter. This made them less easy targets. For her bravery the Girl Guides Association awarded Olga their Bronze Cross for Gallantry.
After World War II Olga led the Polish Children’s Home in the UK. She returned to Poland in 1961. She lived in Wrocław and then Zakopane. Olga Drahonowska-Małkowska died in 1979. She was 91 years old. She was buried with her husband in Zakopane.
Andrzej Małkowski was not only a soldier but also a visionary. He translated Baden-Powell’s Scouting for Boys into Polish. This made scouting accessible to Polish youth. In 1911 he published a book called Scouting as a system of bringing up youth. He gave lectures and traveled to promote scouting.
Here at the Oldze i Andrzejowi Małkowski Stone we recognize their combined impact. They helped shape a generation of Polish youth. Their legacy continues through the scouting movement in Poland and beyond.