The Archaeological Museum of Kraków ( pl, Muzeum Archeologiczne w Krakowie) is a historic museum in
Kraków,
Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Lesser Poland Voivodeship or Lesser Poland Province (in pl, województwo małopolskie ), also known as Małopolska, is a voivodeship (province), in southern Poland. It has an area of , and a population of
3,404,863 (2019).
It was created on 1 ...
,
Poland. It was established in 1850.
History
The Archaeological Museum in Kraków is the oldest
archaeological museum
An archaeology museum is a museum that specializes in the display of archaeological
Types
Many archaeology museum are in the open air, such as the Ancient Agora of Athens and the Roman Forum. Others display artifacts inside buildings, such as Na ...
in Poland. It was founded as the Muzeum of Antiquity, by a group of intellectuals and academics who belonged to the Kraków Scientific Society (''Towarzystwo Naukowe Krakowskie'', TNK) during the
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland were three partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that took place toward the end of the 18th century and ended the existence of the state, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland and Lithuania for 12 ...
. The foreign rule in the
Austrian Partition prohibited the existence of Polish patriotic organizations except for the learning societies like the TNK; which in turn, set up a museum as centre of Polish socio-cultural activities. The TNK society which sponsored the museum foundation, existed in Kraków since 1816. It has formed its own Division of Art and Archeology in 1848.
The founding act was signed on 18 February 1850 by the Committee which included such notable personalities as Director of the
Jagiellonian Library, Józef Muczkowski (President of the Committee), Karol Kremer (member of the Sejm of the
Free City of Kraków: ''Rzeczypospolita Krakowska''),
Wincenty Pol (Professor UJ, poet and explorer), as well as
Teofil Żebrawski
Teofil Żebrawski (; 1800–1887) was a Polish mathematician, bibliographer, architect, biologist, archeologist, cartographer and geodesist; an erudite and polymath. Pioneer of the modern Polish mathematical bibliography.
He was an author of wor ...
(architect, city inspector). A series of documents including the museum mission statement were written for the administration, specifying the priority of the museum in obtaining archaeological finds from private donors. The first museum exhibit opened in 1857 at the Lubomirski Palace at 17 św. Jana Street. The collection originated mostly from private donations by numerous noble Polish families, including the statue of
Zbruch Idol (''Światowid ze Zbrucza''), which is the symbol of the museum.
The museum is divided into five major permanent exhibitions: Gods of the
Ancient Egypt, Prehistoric Pottery, The Garden of Ceramics, The Prehistory and Early
Middle Ages of
Lesser Poland, and The Carts of Bronocice, which includes the
Bronocice Pot (3635–3370
BC) - a
ceramic vase incised with the earliest known image of what may be a
wheel
A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle Bearing (mechanical), bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the Simple machine, six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction wi ...
ed vehicle.
Gallery
File:Garden at the Archeological Museum of Krakow.jpg, Museum Gardens with a view of the Wawel Hill
File:0854 Ein Krug aus Bronocice, 3.550 v. Chr..JPG, The Bronocice Pot
File:Muzeum Archeologiczne Kraków2.JPG, Egyptian mummy
File:O98 Idol von Sbrutsch mit Darstellung von Unterwelt, Erde und des Himmels, zirka 10. Jh. n. Chr..JPG, The Zbruch Idol
File:Muzeum Archeologiczne Kraków.JPG, Interior of the museum
File:000 Ostgotische Funde (eine Gruppe aus Greutungen) ausserhalb des Ostgotenreiches in der Raum zwischen Don und Dnjepr in der Zeit vom 2 bis zum 5. Jahrhundert.JPG, Ostrogothic pottery
File:072 Wikingerschwert (9.-10. Jh.) aus dem Archäologische Museum Krakau..JPG, Viking swords
See also
*
Museums in Poland
References
External links
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Archaeological Museum of Krakow
Museums in Kraków
Museums established in 1850
Archaeological museums in Poland
Registered museums in Poland
1850 establishments in Europe