Museum of the Central Industrial District

During the period of the Second Polish Republic (officially the Republic of Poland, which existed from 1918 until the invasion of Nazi Germany in 1939), efforts were made to establish new industrial and armaments plants at a 'safe distance' from the borders with Germany and the Soviet Union. This 'Central Industrial District' (Polish: Centralny Okręg Przemysłowy, COP) was established in 1936-39 on the basis of raw material deposits in the southern regions of Poland in order to increase the country's industrial production, modernise the infrastructure of the densely populated region and reduce unemployment.

The history, development and current situation of the COP are told at the Museum of the Central Industrial District in Stalowa Wola, a town built in 1937 in just 26 months and 26 days as part of the COP project together with the Huta Stalowa Wola steelworks. The museum's permanent exhibition features many original military and civilian items made in the region: Defence equipment, machinery, air and land vehicles, workshop equipment and much more are complemented by interactive stations and multimedia presentations. Several large outdoor exhibits whet the appetite for a visit to the museum. A children's area (City for Children), a chemistry laboratory, an educational programme for schools and educational institutions and temporary exhibitions complete the permanent exhibition on the industrial, technical and cultural history of the region.