Mountain "School above the Clouds" on Niemcowa - facts and curiosities
The mountain school on Niemcowa, known as the "School above the Clouds" from Maria Kownacka's book, was located on a meadow below the summit of Niemcowa from 1938 to 1961. It was the highest school in Poland (1026 meters above sea level).
Lessons took place in a small building belonging to a local farmer named Nosala. Children from nearby hamlets located on mountain meadows above Piwniczna and Rytro gathered here, for whom the journey to schools in the valley would be too long and too difficult - especially in winter.
The school had four grades and was taught by one teacher, who was often a link to the "outside world" not only for the youngest students. He brought books, newspapers, and current news from the valleys.
Over the years, the following people taught at the "mountain school": Jan Koszyk, Stanisław Wiśniowski, Maria Pawlicowa, Stanisław Konstanty, Jerzy Świsterski, Edward Grucela, Mieczysław Łomnicki, Jan Cisowski, and Józef Głowania.
In the 1960s, the school was relocated to Kordowiec, and then the mountain settlements became depopulated, and the school in the mountains was no longer needed. Today, only the stone foundations and a commemorative plaque with the names of the teachers who taught here remain.
About Maria Kownacka's book "School above the Clouds"
Szkoła nad obłokami - opowieść z dawnego Beskidu Sądeckiego
"Szkoła nad obłokami" to opowieść dla dzieci autorstwa Marii Kownackiej. Tytułowa szkoła to naprawdę istniejąca na stokach Niemcowej wiejska, górska szkoła dla dzieci, zamieszkujących okoliczne polany. ...
And how to get to the place where the famous school was located? We recommend this scenic route from Rytro:
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From Rytra to Niemcowa through Kordowiec
Publish Date: 2023-07-18