Dęblin. The parachute tower is a monument. It is the oldest and last original structure of this type in Poland

“Inside the structure there is a metal, openwork staircase with handrails and seven landings, and at the top there is a preserved boom from which a dummy parachute was suspended during the years of the facility's operation,” we read on the Facebook profile of the Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments.

This concerns the parachute tower in Dęblin, which was entered into the register of monuments by the conservation services. The structure is located in a closed area belonging to the Military Aviation Academy (heirs of the tradition – established in the interwar period – Officer Aviation School, colloquially called the “School of Eaglets”).

“(…) at the north-eastern point, in the concrete base, there is an inscription “1949”, from which we can conclude about the date of construction” – informs the conservator.

The tower was used to train pilots from the 1950s to the mid-1980s.

“In 1987, training using it was suspended for technical reasons and safety requirements. Originally, the tower was equipped with an electric parachute line winch – this mechanism was dismantled when the facility was taken out of use,” we read in the entry.

The conservator reminds that the initiative to build parachute towers in Poland was taken in 1935 by the paramilitary organization “League of Anti-Aircraft and Anti-Gas Protection”, which carried out the “Youth for parachutes” campaign.

The most important achievement of this action was the construction of structures in several Polish cities used to train adepts and popularize parachuting.

It was possible to jump from such towers with an actual harness.

The parachute was suspended on a rope passed through a pulley that slowed down the jumper's flight towards the ground. This way you could practice taking off from the threshold, short flight and, above all, landing.

“The vast majority of parachute towers were built in Poland between 1936 and 1939. The training campaign was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II, during which the towers were largely destroyed, but after 1945 an action was taken to continue the tradition of their construction.

The structure in Dęblin is one of six towers erected in the post-war period.

“Parachute towers were generally objects placed in generally accessible public spaces, so after their operation (4th quarter of the 20th century) they were dismantled,” the conservator points out.

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He adds that the tower in Dęblin has been preserved mainly thanks to its location in a closed area.

“(…) is currently the oldest and last original structure of this type existing in Poland. (The second such facility is located in the T. Kościuszko Park in Katowice, while the current structure only refers to the first 50-meter tower erected in 1937 and demolished in 1940),” we read in the post.

The conservator also entered the water tower, which also stands in a closed area, into the register of monuments. This property is older. It was built in 1926-27.

This facility has been preserved in its material, shape and architectural form from the time of construction. It also has an original structure, staircase and water tank.

As in the case of the parachute tower, entry into the register was made at the request of the Society of Friends of Dęblin.