Olga Drahonowska-Małkowska (January 9, 1888,
Krzeszowice,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
– January 15, 1979,
Zakopane
Zakopane ( Podhale Goral: ''Zokopane'') is a town in the extreme south of Poland, in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of Nowy Sącz Voivodeship; since 1999, it has been ...
,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
), with her husband, founded
scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth Social movement, movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hik ...
in
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
.
Childhood and Adolescence
Olga Drahonowska-Małkowska was born in
Krzeszowice, the second daughter of Zofia and Karol Drahonowski. Her father, Karol, whose background was Armenian, was a trustee of a farm for a Polish baron. Although she has Czech origins, she always emphasized her Polish nationality. She finished her primary and secondary school extramural (at home) with very good grades. After baccalaureate she started studies in the Music Conservatory of
Lwów
Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in Western Ukraine, western Ukraine, and the List of cities in Ukraine, seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is o ...
, when she discovered talents in poetry and sculpture. She was also an instructor of
physical education
Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorat ...
in
Sokół, and a member of the
Eleusis
Elefsina ( el, Ελευσίνα ''Elefsina''), or Eleusis (; Ancient Greek: ''Eleusis'') is a suburban city and municipality in the West Attica regional unit of Greece. It is situated about northwest from the centre of Athens and is part of i ...
organization, where she met
Andrzej Małkowski. He convinced her to join
Zarzewie, a Polish independence organization, where she became a
Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...
.
3rd Lwów Girl Scout Company
Olga Drahonowska was introduced to Scouting by her friend, and later husband,
Andrzej Juliusz Małkowski. She became Scoutmaster (
harcmistrzyni) of the 3rd Lwów Girl Scout Company (the 1st, 2nd and 4th Companies were Boy Scouts). This consisted of about twenty girls aged between 15 and 20 years. She was also first chief of
Girl Guides
Girl Guides (known as Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909 when girls requested to join the then-grassroot ...
in Poland (1911–1912). She and
Ignacy Kozielewski were co-authors of the lyrics to the Polish Scout anthem "Wszystko co nasze". In 1913 she moved to
Zakopane
Zakopane ( Podhale Goral: ''Zokopane'') is a town in the extreme south of Poland, in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of Nowy Sącz Voivodeship; since 1999, it has been ...
to benefit her health. There she married
Andrzej Małkowski. The priest who tied the knot was
Kazimierz Lutosławski.
World War I
In the summer of 1914, just before the start of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, her health having recovered, Drahonowska-Małkowska organised the first national Scout camp. Girls (by now renamed
Guides) who originated from the Russian and German-controlled areas of Poland came to the camp under assumed names and false
passport
A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...
s. One girl turned out to be a
spy and was caught looking through Drahonowska-Małkowska's tent for a list of these Guides names.
One morning a detachment of the Secret Military Police (some of whom were brothers to the Guides) came to announce that war had been declared. Andrzej Małkowski wrote to say the camp should close at once and that, as the borders had closed, he had found accommodation in
Zakopane
Zakopane ( Podhale Goral: ''Zokopane'') is a town in the extreme south of Poland, in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of Nowy Sącz Voivodeship; since 1999, it has been ...
for those girls who could not get home. The Małkowski's were asked by the
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
of Zakopane to organise the night watch for the town because there was insufficient police and older people were too scared.
Andrzej Małkowski decided to join the
Polish Legions, along with many of the boys in his Scout troop. Before he left, he organised a cottage for his wife and the boys and girls who had no homes, and she opened a
café
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-c ...
to earn her living. After Małkowski left, there was one Boy Scout troop and one large Girl Guide Company of 300 girls. They paraded each morning in the central square and gave reports to and took orders from Drahonowska-Małkowska. They took on a huge number of tasks including supplementing the postal service, organising a children's home, helping with the harvest, and setting up a hospital. In 1915 they were forced to leave Zakopane by the Austrian government, and they moved through Switzerland to the United States. Their son Lutyk, was born in the USA on 30 October 1915, and after that returned to Switzerland in 1916, where she worked as a teacher and custodian of the Polish museum. In 1919 Andrzej Małkowski died on a mission given him by Polish Army. She never remarried.
Between wars
In 1921 Małkowska decided to come back to Poland, where she started working as a teacher in Zakopane, and started scoutmaster courses in
Kuźnice. In 1924 she was chief of Girl Guides meeting in Świder (near
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
), and chief of the Polish contingent for Girl Guides Scoutmasters Meeting in
Foxlease
Foxlease is a training and activity centre of Girlguiding near Lyndhurst, Hampshire, UK. The Foxlease estate has been owned and managed by the Guides since 1922. The estate is and the main house is known as The Princess Mary House, in honour o ...
, England. In 1925 she set up the School of Scout Work in
Sromowce Wyżne
Sromowce Wyżne is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Czorsztyn, within Nowy Targ County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland, close to the border with Slovakia. It lies approximately south-east of Maniowy, east of Nowy ...
which was an orphanage and boarding school for Polish children. Her school was considered a very modern centre of new education and promoter Scouting principles. She was also given the rank of
Harcmistrz Rzeczypospolitej.
In 1932 she was leading VII World Girl Guides Conference in
Bucz, where she was elected to the Girl Guides World Committee. She was also elected Scout delegate to the Committee of Child and Adolescent in the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference th ...
. The Polish government awarded her the Officer's Cross of the
Order of Polonia Restituta
The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on foreigners for outstanding achievemen ...
and the
Cross of Independence
Cross of Independence ( pl, Krzyż Niepodległości) was second highest Polish military decorations between World Wars I and II. It was awarded to individuals who had fought actively for the independence of Poland, and was released in three cla ...
.
World War II
At the start of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, Drahonowska-Małkowska was running a school using Scouting principles. When war broke out she took the children by train to a neutral country. The train was frequently under fire from machine guns mounted on aeroplanes. Drahonowska-Małkowska claimed that the children's Scouting training saved their lives, as when the train was attacked, the children were disciplined enough to obey her order to scatter, which made them far less easy targets for snipers than other passengers who formed huddles. She decided to move to the
U.K. When she reached the UK, the Girl Guides Association (now
Girlguiding UK) awarded her their Bronze Cross for Gallantry. She set up a Polish orphanage, and worked in the Polish Scout organization. She was also organising food transport for children in
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
.
After WWII
Between 1948-60 Małkowska was leading the Polish Children's Home in
Hawson Court in
Buckfastleigh
Buckfastleigh is a market town and civil parish in Devon, England situated beside the Devon Expressway ( A38) at the edge of the Dartmoor National Park. It is part of Teignbridge and, for ecclesiastical purposes, lies within the Totnes Deane ...
,
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
. She moved to
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
in 1961, first living in
Wrocław
Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, r ...
ul. Nowa 8 in the former house of
Corps Borussia Breslau[ :de:Corps Borussia Breslau zu Köln und Aachen] and then in
Zakopane
Zakopane ( Podhale Goral: ''Zokopane'') is a town in the extreme south of Poland, in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of Nowy Sącz Voivodeship; since 1999, it has been ...
. She was given the Honour Medal of Friend of Children. She died in 1979 aged 91, on the 60th anniversary of her husband's death, and she was buried with him in
Zakopane
Zakopane ( Podhale Goral: ''Zokopane'') is a town in the extreme south of Poland, in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of Nowy Sącz Voivodeship; since 1999, it has been ...
. Over their grave there is a granite monument of the founders of Polish Scouting.
External links
CICG
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Drahonowska-Malkowska, Olga
1888 births
1979 deaths
People from Kraków County
Scouting pioneers
Polish Scouts and Guides
Polish Rifle Squads members
Officers of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Recipients of the Cross of Independence
Lviv Conservatory alumni