In 1870, the Polish Museum was inaugurated in the Rapperswil Castle. It was then that Count Władysław Bloer Plater (1808-1889) signed a contract for a 99-year lease of the building. Situated on the walls, by the gate to the castle courtyard, a square stone plaque commemorates the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the institution on this site.

The ceremonial unveiling of the plaque took place on 23 April 1970 in the presence of Bishop Władysław Rubin (1917-1990) - hierarch of the Roman Catholic Church and delegate of the Primate of Poland Stefan Wyszyński for the care of Polish emigration and exile, as well as, among others, Monsignor Jan Frana (1921-1995), lawyer Julian Godlewski (1903-1983) and engineer Janusz Morkowski (b. 1930). Its founder was the Polish-Swiss Society of Friends of the Polish Museum in Rapperswil, active in Switzerland since 1954.

At the time of the plaque's inauguration in 1970, the Museum's activities had been suspended for almost two decades. This was due to a decision by the Rapperswil municipal authorities in 1949, who terminated the lease of the castle to the Poles, fearing that the institution would be turned into a centre for Soviet propaganda during the communist period. As a result, the Polish Museum in Rapperswil was closed in 1952 and its collections were transferred to the District Museum in Łowicz.

The centenary of the Polish Museum in Rapperswil was of special significance for the Polish emigration, as this institution was the first national collection. The founding of the plaque by the Polish-Swiss Society of Friends of the Polish Museum in Rapperswil in 1970 had political overtones - it recalled the struggles for freedom, independence and national culture of Poland. It was a demonstration of the Poles' aspirations for freedom and democracy in the international arena.

The choice of the form of commemoration of the event was not accidental. Honouring glorious events in the form of a plaque with an inscription dates back to antiquity.

Description: The stone plaque was decorated with a geometric border and an image of the Polish emblem - an eagle with outstretched wings. The plaque contains a convex inscription: "Polish Museum / Polen Museum 1870 /1970". By imitating the texture of stone veins, the panel creates a dialogue with the local landscape and architecture.