metal, dim. 8.7 x 4.5 cm
Among the thousands of artifacts obtained during many years of archaeological research on the site of the former German death camp Kulmhof, a small metal plate with an engraved inscription: Mr. Józef Jakubowski / for the 1st place / on the motorcycle gymkhan / on the motorcycle Sokół 600 / "Gordon - Bennet" / from f. R. Klinger on 30.VIII.36.
This is one of the few items allowing for partial or full identification of a camp victim. Found in 1998, in the western part of the former camp site in Chełmno, it aroused particular interest among the Museum employees. In order to clarify under what circumstances the cigarette case, which is identified with Jakubowski, ended up in the camp, contact was made with Tomasz Szczerbicki, a sports journalist.
In the course of the research it has been established that Jakubowski was born between 1900 and 1906. He was considered one of the best motorcycle riders of the interwar period. In the memories of his colleagues from the automotive industry, he was remembered as a person with an extremely cheerful disposition. Friends called him "Kuba". He was a member of the Polish Motorcycle Club and an employee of Państwowe Zakłady Inżynierii. At the request of the Polish army, it was included in the testing group during various sports events - the first CWS M55 motorcycle mass-produced in Poland.
In the 1920s, together with Konstanty Rogoziński, also a motorcyclist and rally driver, they took over and ran for profit the representative office of the English brand Excelsior in Poland. In 1937 he participated in the famous Monte Carlo car rally, driving with Tadeusz Marek a sports version of the Fiat 508. An incredible achievement of Jakubowski and a group of PZInż employees, incl. Tadeusz Heryng and Józef Doch, was the conquest of Kasprowy Wierch on the Sokół 600 motorbikes at the end of the 3rd International Tatra Rally on August 17, 1939. Until today, this feat has not been repeated. After that date, all information about "Kuba" is lost.
The mentioned lid with engraving is a prize for winning the first place during the competition organized in Warsaw, with the finish line on Marshal Piłsudski Square. They were held in parallel with the air meeting and the balloon competition for the Gordon-Bennett Cup. The founder of the commemorative award was the Lodz enterprise of Roman Klinger, producing car parts.
