Szkoła P / School P, Poland

Szkoła P / School P is an abandoned school in rural Poland. Once a Polish manor house dating back to the 19th century, that became a thriving primary school in the 1950s. Nowadays, this crumbling building preserves a fascinating historical snapshot. Stepping through the door (or, in this case, climbing through an open window) is like stepping back in time and standing in a classroom in the time of the People’s Republic of Poland.

I visited this location during my 2023 Poland road trip, and it was certainly one of the highlights of the trip for me!

History of Szkoła P: From Dwór to rural primary school

Since the 1500s, buildings have been standing on the site of this school. The original manor no longer exists, of course. The current building was constructed in the mid-19th century in the typical Polish architectural style of the time. The building is a traditional Dwór, a type of Polish manor house. Key features are a single-story layout and prominent four-column portico that gives the façade a stately appearance.

During World War II, this manor became a secret sanctuary for those evading persecution. Under Nazi occupation, the family who lived here risked everything by hiding Jewish families. The house was a silent witness to both the cruelty of war, as well as the bravery of those who stood against it.

Poland became a Soviet state following World War II. After Germany’s defeat, the Soviet Union established a communist government in Poland, known as the Polish People’s Republic. The Soviet Union had a significant influence on this government, and Poland was considered a satellite state. The property was repurposed into a primary school sometime in the 1950s.

Although the Szkoła P flourished in the post-war decades, the 1980s brought decline. As Poland faced economic hardship, rural populations shrank as young families emigrated in search of work. Fewer local children meant dwindling student numbers. In the early 1990s, the school was forced to close its doors. Interestingly, the building wasn’t abandoned immediately. For a time, the retired teachers continued to live here for over a decade. Finally, in the 2000s, the building was abandoned even by them.

Exploring a snapshot A school in the People’s Republic of Poland (1947-1989)

Standing at the front of Szkoła P main classroom is a headless skeleton and a full-torso anatomical model with removable organs. Pinned to the wall behind the skeleton is a cute drawing of a squirrel. In this corner there is also a tiled stove heater. This once kept the classroom warm on chilly Polish winter days. There is a map of Africa still pinned to the wall next to the blackboards. It is partly obscuring a cartoon of children eating a meal and a photo of a little girl studying in a classroom.

On the floor in front of the Africa map is an interesting historical item: a framed coat of arms of the People’s Republic of Poland. This image of a crownless eagle, a symbol of communist Poland, dates from roughly 1955 to 1990. This version of the Polish coat of arms, with its missing crown, symbolises a time when the nation was under a Soviet-aligned communist regime. Additionally, hanging from the ceiling are some interesting lamps. These 1950s-style fixtures are apparently common in buildings of People’s Republic of Poland era. Another communist-era relic hangs in front of the window, a map titled Związek Socjalistycznych Republik Radzieckich (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics).

There is a second classroom at Szkoła P, adjoining the main classroom. On one of the desks sits a model of a human eye, in front of a window nearby is a giant abacus. Standing half blocking the door, is a pop-up version of the map of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.