The meticulously reconstructed papamobile, originally used during Saint John Paul II’s first pilgrimage to Poland in 1979, is set to tour Polish cities from June 2 to June 8. This iconic vehicle, rebuilt in Kielce, will be a highlight of the Institute of National Remembrance’s (IPN) mobile exhibition, commemorating those historic events.
“We received an invitation to participate in the exhibition prepared by the National Education Office of the IPN in Warsaw, which focuses on John Paul II’s first pilgrimage to Poland. The reconstructed papamobile is an integral part of this exhibition,” said Marek Adamczak, the mastermind behind the papamobile’s restoration and founder of the Museum of John Paul II’s Papal Car in Cedzyna near Kielce.
Adamczak, who spent 20 years and significant personal funds on the project, does not regret a minute of his dedication. From 2006 to 2011, his team at AUTO-ADAMCZAK in Kielce reconstructed the vehicle using the original frame and recovered components, ensuring technical accuracy. This effort was supported by the Industrial Institute of Automotive in Warsaw, which originally prepared the car for the Pope in 1979, along with engineers and students from the Kielce University of Technology.
The IPN exhibition, featuring the papamobile, will travel daily to a new city. It starts on June 2 in Warsaw at Piłsudski Square, moves to Gniezno’s cathedral square on June 3, and continues to Częstochowa’s Jasna Góra on June 4-5. Kraków will host the exhibit on June 6 at either Franciszkańska Street or Szczepański Square, followed by Wadowice’s town square on June 7, and concludes in Nowy Targ’s town square on June 8.
When not on tour, the papal car can be visited at the Museum in Cedzyna, near Kielce. Admission is free, and the museum, along with the John Paul II Papal Car Foundation, aims to honor the Polish Pope and his first pilgrimage to Poland. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday and is located on the road from Kielce to the Holy Cross Sanctuary, with which it collaborates.