Regional Museum, Bydgoszcz
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The Leon Wyczółkowski Regional Museum () is an ensemble of cultural institutions which have been first created in 1923 in the city of
Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its bank (geography), left-bank tributary, the Brda (river), Brda, the strategic location of Byd ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
.


Location

The seat of the museum is located at 4, Gdańska Street, in downtown district. The historic building was originally part of the former monastery of the Poor Clares. The edifice has been used as a municipal hospital and has received an additional wing along Gdańska street in 1878, with
Neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ar ...
and
Mannerism Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...
styles.


History


Prussian period

The institution inherits the traditions of a Prussian association, ''Historical Society of the
Noteć The Noteć (; , ) is a river in central Poland with a length of (7th longest) and a basin area of .Bromberg Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its left-bank tributary, the Brda, the strategic location of Bydgoszcz has made it an inland ...
and its region. From 1902 to 1945, the society operated as a historical branch of the ''German Society of Arts and Science in Bydgoszcz'' (). The collections were located in the former monastery of the Poor Clares' Church and were open to the public from 30 November 1890. The
curator A curator (from , meaning 'to take care') is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the particular ins ...
until 1920 was Konrad Kothe, a citizen of Bydgoszcz and a
naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...
with some museum management practice. In May 1919, in the face of
Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its bank (geography), left-bank tributary, the Brda (river), Brda, the strategic location of Byd ...
return to the reborn
Polish state Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, part of the collection was moved to
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
and deposited in the ''Museum für Völkerkunde''.


Interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...

Taking over the municipal council on 20 January 1920, Polish authorities strove to open a museum for the city. They identified as first location a tenement house on the western frontage of the Old Market Square, at No.2, abutting to the Church of St. Ignacy Loyola (razed in 1940), which used to house the Municipal Savings Bank. The museum opened on 5 August 1923, under the tenure of Bernard Śliwiński, city mayor and its first director was
Father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. A biological fat ...
Jan Klein, a
librarian A librarian is a person who professionally works managing information. Librarians' common activities include providing access to information, conducting research, creating and managing information systems, creating, leading, and evaluating educat ...
,
museologist Museology (also called museum studies or museum science) is the study of museums. It explores the history of museums and their role in society, as well as the activities they engage in, including curating, preservation, public programming, and ed ...
and
historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...
from Bydgoszcz. Initially, collections were not extensive, mainly in the field of: *
archeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes. Archaeolo ...
, the richest section, with several thousand items; *
history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
, collecting relics from city craft guilds and
militaria Militaria, also known as military memorabilia, are military equipment which are collected for their historical significance. Such items include firearms, swords, sabres, knives, bayonets, helmets and other equipment such as uniforms, military ...
; *
numismatics Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals, and related objects. Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also inclu ...
; *
ethnography Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...
. Soon a department of
Polish art Art in Poland refers to all forms of visual art in or associated with Poland. Nineteenth century Polish art has often reflected European trends while maintaining its unique character. The Kraków school of history painting developed by ...
dealing with
painting Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...
,
graphics Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of the data, as in design and manufa ...
and
sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
was created. The first two directors Father Jan Klein (1923-1925) and Tadeusz Dobrowolski (1925-1927) dedicated their energy to expand this section. Hence, they acquired works of
Teodor Axentowicz Teodor Axentowicz (; 13 May 185926 August 1938) was a Polish-Armenian painter and university professor. He was also the rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. As an artist, Axentowicz was famous for his portraits and scenes of Hutsul lif ...
,
Julian Fałat Julian Fałat ( Tuligłowy, near Lwów, 30 July 1853 – 9 July 1929, Bystra Śląska) was one of the most prolific Polish watercolorists, one of the country's foremost landscapists, and a leading impressionist. Life Fałat studied at the ...
, Józef Pankiewicz,
Jacek Malczewski Jacek Malczewski (; 15 July 1854 – 8 October 1929) was a Polish symbolist painter who was one of the central figures of the patriotic Young Poland movement. His works combined the predominant style of his time with historical motifs of Pol ...
or
Wojciech Weiss Wojciech Weiss (4 May 1875 – 7 December 1950) was a prominent Polish painter and draughtsman of the Young Poland movement. Weiss was born in Bukovina to a Polish family in exile of Stanisław Weiss and Maria Kopaczyńska. He gave up mu ...
. A parallel collection was initiated, aiming at local artists, such as Maksymilian Piotrowski. At its heyday in 1929, the museum possessed 195 paintings and 28 sculptures: it grandly benefited from the attention of the
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
of Bydgoszcz Bernard Śliwiński. From 1926 onwards, the activities of the museum were reduced and the staff was reduced. The management board was mainly led by city counselor Tadeusz Janicki and local painter Kazimierz Borucki took over the direction. In 1928, an exhibition of paintings by Bydgoszcz painter Walter Leistikow was set up, in which works by
Leon Wyczółkowski Leon Jan Wyczółkowski (; 11 April 1852 – 27 December 1936) was a Polish painter and educator who was one of the leading painters of the Young Poland movement, as well as the principal representative of Polish Realism (arts), Realism in art of ...
, living in nearby village of Gościeradz, were also presented. The arrival of Leon Barciszewski as a new mayor in 1932, brought back a new life to the activity of the institution. In 1933, an exhibition for the 10th anniversary of the museum was organized, gathering souvenirs and objects narrating the history of Bydgoszcz. In 1937, as dictated in his will, Leon Wyczółkowski donated his works to the museum, thus greatly increasing its collection. The donation comprised about 400 paintings, graphics, drawings and sketches of the artist, including the equipment of his
lithography Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the miscibility, immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by ...
studio. The same yeat Krakow artist
Konstanty Laszczka Konstanty Laszczka (born 3 September 1865 in Makowiec Duży; died 23 March 1956 in Kraków) was a Polish sculptor, painter, graphic artist, as well as professor and rector (academia), rector of the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. Las ...
donated a collection of sculptures. Both contributions were displayed in July 1937 in the building of the former
orphanage An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abusi ...
at Chodkiewicza street, then used for educational purposes. At the end of August 1939, the collection of the municipal Museum registered 6,803 items: * half of which listed in the archeology department; * 1900 objects in the art section; * 873 items in the numismatics area; * 210 in the craft and Bydgoszcz history; * 200 in the ethnography department, including African items; * 160 in the
medalist A medalist (or medallist) is an artist who designs medals, plaquettes, badges, metal medallions, coins and similar small works in relief in metal. Historically, medalists were typically also involved in producing their designs, and were usually e ...
area; * 150 in the militaria section. In addition to the permanent collections, the museum also conducted exhibitions. From 1923 to 1939, about 120 temporary
exhibitions An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibition ...
were set up and a new permanent exhibition was realized, named as ''City Gallery''. In order to make attractive to the general public the work of local artists, an annual exhibition called the ''Bydgoszcz Salon'', in reference to the
Paris Salon The Salon (), or rarely Paris Salon (French: ''Salon de Paris'' ), beginning in 1667 was the official art exhibition of the in Paris. Between 1748 and 1890 it was arguably the greatest annual or biennial art event in the Western world. At the ...
, was established in 1936. From 1934 until 1939, the management of the museum was associated with the ''Artistic and Cultural Council in Bydgoszcz'' (), whose task was to coordinate and care for artistic and cultural activities in the city. On the eve of the outbreak of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the Bydgoszcz Municipal Museum was an important art center, the seat of many cultural and artistic societies and a meeting place for the cultural activists.


Period of the German occupation (1939–1945)

Just before the
invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...
, a campaign to secure some of the museum pieces was carried out: the branch located at Chodkiewicza street moved the exhibits to the main building at the Market Square. Once occupied, Bydgoszcz was taken over by German administration which designated a new Museum curator, Willem Drost from
Gdańsk Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...
. In 1940, the post of director was taken over by the former collection custodian, Konrad Kothe and the custodian position remained to Kazimierz Borucki. In September 1939, Polish hostages -including Catholic priests- were publicly shot, lined up along the walls of the museum and the Church of St. Ignacy Loyola. In the spring of 1940, Nazi authorities pulled down the entire western frontage of the Old Market Square, thus razing the tenement house housing the museum: collections were moved to a
pawnshop A pawnbroker is an individual that offers secured loans to people, with items of personal property used as collateral. A pawnbrokering business is called a pawnshop, and while many items can be pawned, pawnshops typically accept jewelry, ...
building at Pocztowa street. During the war, weapons, numismatics and paintings were added to the museum's collections, handed over by Bydgoszcz citizens threatened by the German authorities. Throughout the occupation, about 1,500 items were acquired (gifts or purchases), including some exhibits that the ''Historical Society of the Noteć Region'' recovered from Berlin. To some extent, minor exhibitions were conducted (seven exhibitions between 1941 and 1944). Thanks to the activities of both Konrad Kothe (the German director) and Borucki (custodian), a number of art pieces were salvaged from destruction, especially sacred items: some religious objects from the city temples were hidden in the museum, while some were placed in hiding places in secret compartments or hidden among office furniture. In this way, the most precious items of the city were saved, among others: * The ''Image of Our Lady of Beautiful Love'' of the
cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
; * Maksymilian Piotrowski 's paintings, '' St. Ignatius of Loyola'' and ''
Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not defined as a ...
'' from the Church of St. Ignacy Loyola, before its destruction in 1940; * a painting from the
basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...
of the ''Blessed Virgin Mary of the Immaculate'' Conception of the
monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...
of Górka near
Łobżenica Łobżenica (, ) is a town in Piła County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 3,172 inhabitants (2010). History Łobżenica dates back to the 11th century. It prospered due to its location between Gdańsk Pomerania and central Poland. It ...
. Thanks to Kothe's intervention, many valuable objects avoided appropriation and transportation to
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
. In 1943–1944, to shelter collections from bombing, several objects were scattered to nearby towns: Dębowo,
Kawęcin Kawęcin is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Bukowiec, within Świecie County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-central Poland. It lies approximately north of Bukowiec, Świecie County, Bukowiec, north-west of Świecie, ...
, Kiełpin,
Luszkówko Luszkówko is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Pruszcz, within Świecie County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-central Poland. History Luszkówko was a private village owned by various Polish nobles, incl. the Wulkows ...
, Lachowice, Mała Komorza, Morsk, Piotrkówko,
Pobórka Mała Pobórka Mała is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Białośliwie, within Piła County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately north-west of Białośliwie, east of Piła, and north of the reg ...
and Trzciniec. Only a small numbers of the exhibits survived the movement and war chaos. Warfare, robbery and estate devastations resulted in the loss of 58 chests with archaeological
relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...
s, five chests from the African collections and an unidentifiable number of militaria, city souvenirs, handicraft products and numismatic items.


Post war period

After Bydgoszcz liberation, the city authorities moved the seat of the museum into the 19th century edifice located at 4 Gdańska street, which had harboured until 1937 a 70-bed Municipal Hospital and from 1938 to 1945 the Municipal Department of Social Welfare (). On 11 April 1946 the City Museum was opened in the new building and named after
Leon Wyczółkowski Leon Jan Wyczółkowski (; 11 April 1852 – 27 December 1936) was a Polish painter and educator who was one of the leading painters of the Young Poland movement, as well as the principal representative of Polish Realism (arts), Realism in art of ...
. Kazimierz Borucki, ex-museum custodian, was appointed director of the institution. At the time, the first floor was used as a picture gallery, while city
memorabilia A souvenir (French language, French for 'a remembrance or memory'), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memory, memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collecte ...
and archaeological relics were located in ground floor rooms. In the 1940s, a public call to recover Museum items lost during the war was carried out, which helped to gather back several historic objects disseminated. In 1949, the museum was nationalized and in 1975, was transformed into a ''District Museum'', covering the entire area of the newly created
Bydgoszcz Voivodeship Bydgoszcz Voivodeship () was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1975–1998, superseded by Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. Statistics Capital city: Bydgoszcz Area: 10,359 Statistics (1998): P ...
. As time passed, it was necessary to expand Museum capacity with new buildings to fit the growing number of exhibits. Several solutions were considered. One of them was to build a new seat of the museum as part of an ambitious plan, designed by Włodzimierz Padlewski (1903-2007) from
Sopot Sopot (; or ) is a seaside resort city in Pomerelia on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is located in Pomeranian Voivodeship, Pomerania Province and has the City with powiat ri ...
, to rebuild the lost western frontage of the Old Market Square: unfortunately, this project was never implemented. The solution adopted by city authorities lay in using the ancient
watermill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as mill (grinding), milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in ...
s on Grodzka Street: a comprehensive renovation, ended in July 1964, aimed at suiting the needs of the museum. The buildings were then handed over to the latter in 1975. In the post-war period, mainly collections grew in quality and quantity, be it historical items related to the past of the city or artistic and guild craftsmanship, numismatic and archaeological collections. In particular, the museum constituted a collection of contemporary Polish art with a significant role on the national cultural landscape. After 1990, the museum was taken over back by municipal authorities. From 1993 on, several granaries across the town have been used: those on the
Brda river The Brda (; ) is a river in northern Poland. A tributary of Vistula River, the Brda has a total length of 245 km and a catchment area of 4,665 km2, all within Poland. while in the '' White Granary'' on Mill Island (), a permanent
craft A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale pr ...
exhibition has been presented. Between 1993 and 2006, a major renovation was carried out upon the granaries in Grodzka street, while the refurbishment of the buildings on Mill Island were covered by the program of ''Renovation of cultural heritage facilities on Mill Island '' (2006-2008). On 9 August 2008 the institution was awarded the Silver Medal "For Merit to Culture Gloria Artis". On 30 December 2009, by decision of the
Ministry of Culture and National Heritage The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage () is a ministry within Polish government led by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage responsible for national heritage preservation and Polish culture promotion. Ministry oversees state o ...
, the District Museum-"Leon Wyczółkowski" in Bydgoszcz was listed on the ''State Register of Museums'' ().


Museum departments and branches


Development of museum departments

By 1958, the museum managed four departments: *
Polish art Art in Poland refers to all forms of visual art in or associated with Poland. Nineteenth century Polish art has often reflected European trends while maintaining its unique character. The Kraków school of history painting developed by ...
, collecting paintings, graphics and sculptures from the 19th and 20th centuries; *
Leon Wyczółkowski Leon Jan Wyczółkowski (; 11 April 1852 – 27 December 1936) was a Polish painter and educator who was one of the leading painters of the Young Poland movement, as well as the principal representative of Polish Realism (arts), Realism in art of ...
, covering paintings, graphic works and the equipment of the artist's studio and personal mementoes; *
Archeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes. Archaeolo ...
, gathering relics from excavations in Bydgoszcz and its region; *
History History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
, including exhibits related to the city's past, such as artifacts, products of craftsmanship, coins and medals, military items and photographs. In 1968, the Department of Polish Art was divided into: * the Department of Contemporary Art, covering painting, graphics and sculpture by contemporary Polish artists; * the Department of Modern Art, which collected Polish and foreign painting, as well as 19th and 20th century graphics and sculpture. The ''
Leon Wyczółkowski Leon Jan Wyczółkowski (; 11 April 1852 – 27 December 1936) was a Polish painter and educator who was one of the leading painters of the Young Poland movement, as well as the principal representative of Polish Realism (arts), Realism in art of ...
section'' was associated with this department. In 1966, the
Numismatics Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals, and related objects. Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also inclu ...
section was detached from the ''History Department'' and became a department on its own. The same happened a few years later for the
Graphics Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of the data, as in design and manufa ...
section, leaving the ''Art Department''. The latter was only constituted by the
Ethnography Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...
and
Music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...
sections. Other departments and laboratories in the museum were vital to the proper functioning of the institution, inter alia, ''Familiarizing and Education'', ''Inventory'', ''Conservation'', ''Library and workshops''. After being upgraded to ''District Museum'' in 1975, three branch offices were added afterwards: * The Forest Museum in
Tuchola Tuchola (; ) is a town in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship in northern Poland. The Pomeranian town, which is the seat of Tuchola County, had a population of 13,418 . Geographical location Tuchola lies about north of Bydgoszcz, close to th ...
(established in 1980); * The
Narrow Gauge Railway Museum The Narrow Gauge Railway Museum (Welsh (language), Welsh: ''Amgueddfa Rheilffyrdd Bach Cul'') is a purpose-built museum dedicated to narrow-gauge railways situated at the station of the Talyllyn Railway in Tywyn, Gwynedd, Wales. The museum has ...
in Wenecja near
Żnin Żnin (; , 1941–45: ) is a town in north-central Poland with a population of 14,181 (June 2014). It is in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (previously Bydgoszcz Voivodeship) and is the capital of Żnin County. The historical town, initially es ...
(established in 1972, added in 1978); *
Pałuki Pałuki () is a historic and ethnographic region lying in central Poland, part of Greater Poland neighbouring Pomerania and Kuyavia. In terms of administrative division the region lies in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship and Greater Poland Voivo ...
Regional Museum in
Żnin Żnin (; , 1941–45: ) is a town in north-central Poland with a population of 14,181 (June 2014). It is in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (previously Bydgoszcz Voivodeship) and is the capital of Żnin County. The historical town, initially es ...
(from 1979). After 1989, all these local branches were returned to the hands of local authorities.


Open-air museum of industrial architecture

In autumn 2007, the museum in Bydgoszcz took over under its supervision a complex of Nazi-factory buildings, located in the forest, in the south-east of the city. The ensemble was built during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in order to produce
explosive An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An ex ...
s and
ammunition Ammunition, also known as ammo, is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. The term includes both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines), and the component parts of oth ...
for the German war effort. It was manned by thousands of prisoners of war and forced laborers from all over Europe, under the supervision of German specialists. The most valuable part of the complex is ''NGL-Betrieb'', where the
nitroglycerin Nitroglycerin (NG) (alternative spelling nitroglycerine), also known as trinitroglycerol (TNG), nitro, glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), or 1,2,3-trinitroxypropane, is a dense, colorless or pale yellow, oily, explosive liquid most commonly produced by ...
plant stands. The individual buildings are still preserved and connected by a near- long network of overground and underground
tunnel A tunnel is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is usually completely enclosed except for the two portals common at each end, though there may be access and ve ...
s. In 2009–2011, a project was launched to revive the area, called ''
Open-air museum An open-air museum is a museum that exhibits collections of buildings and artifacts outdoors. It is also frequently known as a museum of buildings or a folk museum. Definition Open air is "the unconfined atmosphere ... outside buildings" ...
of industrial architecture with an underground tourist route and the museum of
Armaments A weapon, arm, or armament is any implement or device that is used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime (e.g., murder), law ...
Works DAG Fabrik Bromberg''. The outcome of the programme was the creation of the ''
Exploseum The Exploseum ("explosines + museum"; ) is an open-air museum of industrial architecture combined with a museum of 20th century technology in Bydgoszcz, Poland. It is built around the World War II Nazi Germany munitions factory Bromberg Dynamit N ...
'', an
open-air museum An open-air museum is a museum that exhibits collections of buildings and artifacts outdoors. It is also frequently known as a museum of buildings or a folk museum. Definition Open air is "the unconfined atmosphere ... outside buildings" ...
of industrial architecture combined with a museum of 20th century technology.


Museum

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

The patron of the museum lived during the
interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...
in
Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its bank (geography), left-bank tributary, the Brda (river), Brda, the strategic location of Byd ...
and Gościeradz, where he was buried at the parish cemetery. At the artist's death, his wife Franciszek Wyczółkowska, according to his will, handed over the artistic works legacy to the Museum of Bydgoszcz on 8 April 1937: 425 paintings, graphics, drawings, personal mementoes and studio
paraphernalia Paraphernalia refers to a collection of items or equipment associated with a particular activity, hobby, or lifestyle. The term is often used to describe the tools, accessories, or objects that are used in various fields, such as sports, arts ...
. On the 94th anniversary of Leon Wyczółkowski's birth (11 April 1946), the District Museum in
Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its bank (geography), left-bank tributary, the Brda (river), Brda, the strategic location of Byd ...
officially adopted the artist as its patron.


Buildings in Bydgoszcz

The museum collections and branches are located in the following places in the city:


Museum collections

Source:


Archeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes. Archaeolo ...
department

Location: White granary The section gathers objects of Bydgoszcz and its region dating from the
Stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
,
Bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...
and
Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
s,
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
and
Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
Ages. The most interesting monuments are exhibits from the Stone Age, such as: bone blades, hoes made of reindeer horn, harpoon heads, clay funnel cups and a fragment of a
dugout canoe A dugout canoe or simply dugout is a boat made from a hollowed-out tree. Other names for this type of boat are logboat and monoxylon. ''Monoxylon'' (''μονόξυλον'') (pl: ''monoxyla'') is Greek''mono-'' (single) + '' ξύλον xylon'' (tr ...
from
2000 BC The 20th century BC was a century that lasted from the year 2000 BC to 1901 BC. The period of the 2nd Millennium BC Events * c. 2000 BC: ** Farmers and herding, herders traveled south from Ethiopia and settled in Kenya. ** Dawn of the Cap ...
. Among the early medieval items, several thousand come from Slavic strongholds of Bydgoszcz and surroundings (old town, ancient strongholds,
Nakło nad Notecią Nakło nad Notecią (Polish pronunciation: ) is a town in north-central Poland on the river Noteć with 23,687 inhabitants (2007). It is the seat of Nakło County, and also of Gmina Nakło nad Notecią, situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivod ...
,
Więcbork Więcbork (; ) is a town in northern Poland, located in the Sępólno County in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. In 2019 it had a population of 5,965. It is located on the shores of Więcborskie Lake within the ethnocultural region of Krajna. ...
). One can notice a fragment excavated in 2007 of the city burgwall from the 11th century, long, wide and thick: it is a unique piece in such a scale in
Pomerelia Pomerelia, also known as Eastern Pomerania, Vistula Pomerania, and also before World War II as Polish Pomerania, is a historical sub-region of Pomerania on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland. Gdańsk Pomerania is largely c ...
or
Kujavia Kuyavia (; ), also referred to as Cuyavia, is a historical region in north-central Poland, situated on the left bank of Vistula, as well as east from Noteć River and Lake Gopło. It is divided into three traditional parts: north-western (with ...
and one of the best preserved.


Ethnography Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...
department

Location: White granary The department, established in 1986, displays collections of
folk culture Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as tales, myths, legends, proverbs, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also includes mat ...
and art, mainly from ethnocultural regions of
Pałuki Pałuki () is a historic and ethnographic region lying in central Poland, part of Greater Poland neighbouring Pomerania and Kuyavia. In terms of administrative division the region lies in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship and Greater Poland Voivo ...
,
Kujavia Kuyavia (; ), also referred to as Cuyavia, is a historical region in north-central Poland, situated on the left bank of Vistula, as well as east from Noteć River and Lake Gopło. It is divided into three traditional parts: north-western (with ...
,
Krajna Krajna is a forested historical region in the north of Greater Poland in Poland, situated in the border area between the Greater Poland, Kuyavian-Pomeranian and Pomeranian Voivodeships. The region consists of parts of Złotów, Piła, Sęp ...
,
Tuchola Forest The Tuchola Forest, also known as Tuchola Pinewoods or Tuchola Conifer Woods, (the latter a literal translation of ; ; ) is a large forest complex near the town of Tuchola in northern Poland. It lies between the Brda and Wda rivers, within the ...
,
Kashubia Kashubia or Cassubia ( or ; ; or ) is an ethnocultural region in the historic Eastern Pomerania (Pomerelia) region of northern Poland. It is inhabited by the Kashubian people, and many in the region have historically spoken the Kashubian langua ...
and
Kociewie Kociewie is an ethnocultural region in the eastern part of Tuchola Forest, in northern Poland, Pomerania, that is inhabited by the Kociewians. Its cultural capital is Starogard Gdański, the biggest town is Tczew, while other major towns include ...
. There are around 3000 items registered, mainly craft exhibits (
blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
ing,
pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. The place where such wares are made by a ''potter'' is al ...
,
carpentry Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, Shipbuilding, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. C ...
,
basket weaving Basket weaving (also basketry or basket making) is the process of weaving or sewing pliable materials into three-dimensional artifacts, such as baskets, mats, mesh bags or even furniture. Craftspeople and artists specialized in making baskets ...
and plaiting).


Graphics Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of the data, as in design and manufa ...
department

Location: ''Leon Wyczółkowski's house'' The section was created in 1982. It contains approximately 13000 exhibits in several collections: old and contemporary Polish graphics, foreign graphics,
bookplate An , also known as a bookplate (or book-plate, as it was commonly styled until the early 20th century), is a printed or decorative label pasted into a book, often on the front endpaper, to indicate ownership. Simple typographical bookplates are ...
s, applied graphics,
drawing Drawing is a Visual arts, visual art that uses an instrument to mark paper or another two-dimensional surface, or a digital representation of such. Traditionally, the instruments used to make a drawing include pencils, crayons, and ink pens, some ...
s and
monotyping Monotyping is a type of printmaking made by drawing or painting on a smooth, non-absorbent surface. The surface, or matrix (printing), matrix, was historically a copper etching plate, but in contemporary work it can vary from zinc or glass to a ...
s. The largest section is the collection of Polish contemporary graphics (after 1945). A vast majority of displays come from
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
,
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
,
Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...
,
Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its bank (geography), left-bank tributary, the Brda (river), Brda, the strategic location of Byd ...
and
Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...
, to a lesser extent from
Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...
,
Katowice Katowice (, ) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Katowice urban area. As of 2021, Katowice has an official population of 286,960, and a resident population estimate of around 315,000. K ...
,
Łódź Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...
,
Gdańsk Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...
or
Lublin Lublin is List of cities and towns in Poland, the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the centre of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin i ...
. Graphics from the Polish
interwar In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...
period include works of Kraków and Warsaw art schools as well as Poznań's,
Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...
's and
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
's. The oldest collections comprise works by 19th-century Polish artists:
woodcut Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas that ...
s and
lithographs Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the miscibility, immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by ...
from Warsaw, Lviv and Vilnius. The collection of foreign graphics covers mainly works by German, French and English artists from the 16th to the 20th century. Graphic charts, drawings and sketches are exhibited, in particular by authors like
Walter Leistikow Walter Rudolf Leistikow (1865–1908) was a German landscape painter, graphic artist, designer and art critic. Biography His father was a pharmacist who owned a Kräuterlikör manufacturing plant in Kujawien that provided much of the family's ...
from Bydgoszcz, involved in the
Berlin Secession The Berlin Secession was an art movement established in Germany on May 2, 1898. Formed in reaction to the Association of Berlin Artists, and the restrictions on contemporary art imposed by Wilhelm II, German Emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II, 65 artist ...
art movement. As long as drawings are concerned, an extensive collection of Bydgoszcz artists is represented. In addition, one can appreciate works of outstanding Polish painters, such as Piotr Michałowski,
Jan Matejko Jan Alojzy Matejko (; also known as Jan Mateyko; 24 June 1838 – 1 November 1893) was a Polish painter, a leading 19th-century exponent of history painting, known for depicting nodal events from Polish history. His works include large scale ...
and Maksymilian Piotrowski (authors associated with Bydgoszcz) and contemporary artists including, inter alia, Jan Cybis, Tymon Niesiołowski or Edward Dwurnik.


History department

Location: Dutch Granary The department collects iconographic and photographic documents and materials related to the history of Bydgoszcz, together with
militaria Militaria, also known as military memorabilia, are military equipment which are collected for their historical significance. Such items include firearms, swords, sabres, knives, bayonets, helmets and other equipment such as uniforms, military ...
,
phaleristics Phaleristics, from the Greek mythological hero Phalerus (, ''Phaleros'') via the Latin ('heroics'), sometimes spelled faleristics, is an auxiliary sciences of history, auxiliary science of history and numismatics which studies Order (distinction ...
and handicraft items. Among the oldest objects dealing with Bydgoszcz past, one can highlight: the oldest town
seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...
preserved from the 16th-17th century, a 17th-century ceremonial sword of the Court of Justice, a unique silver insignia of a rifle brotherhood from the end of the 16th century and a 1590
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...
mortar cast in
Gdańsk Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...
for the city oldest pharmacy ''Under the Golden Eagle'' (), still standing today at No.1 Old Market square.


Music collections

This section created in 2005 gathers around 6000 objects: phonographic exhibits, publications, Edison and
Pathé Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...
records and instruments (
phonograph A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration Waveform, waveforms are recorded as correspond ...
s, gramophones and ancient
radio receiver In radio communications, a radio receiver, also known as a receiver, a wireless, or simply a radio, is an electronic device that receives radio waves and converts the information carried by them to a usable form. It is used with an antenna. ...
s).


Numismatics Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals, and related objects. Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also inclu ...
collections

Location: European Museum of Money The collections comprise
coin A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by ...
s,
banknote A banknote or bank notealso called a bill (North American English) or simply a noteis a type of paper money that is made and distributed ("issued") by a bank of issue, payable to the bearer on demand. Banknotes were originally issued by commerc ...
s,
medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be in ...
s and commemorative medals. The coin section gathers items from
mints A mint or breath mint is a food item often consumed as an after-meal refreshment or before business and social engagements to improve breath odor. Mints are commonly believed to soothe the stomach, given their association with natural byproducts ...
operating in Poland over the time, from the
Piast The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of King Casimir III the Great. Branches of ...
era to modern times. Some coins exhibited have been manufactured at the very place (1594–1688) on Mill Island: half-
thaler A thaler or taler ( ; , previously spelled ) is one of the large silver coins minted in the states and territories of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg monarchy during the Early Modern period. A ''thaler'' size silver coin has a diameter o ...
s,
thaler A thaler or taler ( ; , previously spelled ) is one of the large silver coins minted in the states and territories of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg monarchy during the Early Modern period. A ''thaler'' size silver coin has a diameter o ...
s, silver money from 1650 and two
ducat The ducat ( ) coin was used as a trade coin in Europe from the later Middle Ages to the 19th century. Its most familiar version, the gold ducat or sequin containing around of 98.6% fine gold, originated in Venice in 1284 and gained wide inter ...
s from 1660. More than 400 specimens cover a collection of medals related to Bydgoszcz (from the 19th century to the present day). The collection of banknotes includes, among others, the first Polish paper money released by the Supreme Council during the
Kościuszko Uprising The Kościuszko Uprising, also known as the Polish Uprising of 1794, Second Polish War, Polish Campaign of 1794, and the Polish Revolution of 1794, was an uprising against the Russian and Prussian influence on the Polish–Lithuanian Common ...
in 1794.


Art Department

The department comprises the following collections: * Old and contemporary Polish and foreign paintings; * Sculptures; *
Relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...
s; *
Design A design is the concept or proposal for an object, process, or system. The word ''design'' refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, and is sometimes used to refer to the inherent nature of something ...
; * Artistic photography. The collection of old Polish painting includes works from the end of the 18th century to 1939, covering several styles It displays works by artists such as:
Teodor Axentowicz Teodor Axentowicz (; 13 May 185926 August 1938) was a Polish-Armenian painter and university professor. He was also the rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. As an artist, Axentowicz was famous for his portraits and scenes of Hutsul lif ...
,
Józef Chełmoński Józef Marian Chełmoński (7 November 1849 – 6 April 1914) was a Polish painter of the Realism (art movement), realist school with roots in the historical and social context of the late Romanticism in Poland, Romantic period in partitioned Pol ...
,
Daniel Chodowiecki Daniel Niklaus Chodowiecki (16 October 1726 – 7 February 1801) was a Polish painter and printmaker with partial Huguenot ancestry, who is most famous as an etcher. He spent most of his later life in Berlin, and became the director of the Ber ...
,
Olga Boznańska Olga Boznańska (15 April 1865 – 26 October 1940) was a Polish painter of the turn of the 20th century. She was a notable painter in Poland and Europe, and was stylistically associated with the French impressionism, though she rejected this lab ...
,
Julian Fałat Julian Fałat ( Tuligłowy, near Lwów, 30 July 1853 – 9 July 1929, Bystra Śląska) was one of the most prolific Polish watercolorists, one of the country's foremost landscapists, and a leading impressionist. Life Fałat studied at the ...
,
Wojciech Gerson Wojciech Gerson (; 1 July 1831 – 25 February 1901) was a Polish painter, educator, architect and art critic who was one of the foremost representatives of the Polish school of Realism during the foreign Partitions of Poland. He served as long ...
,
Maurycy Gottlieb Maurycy Gottlieb ; 21 February 1856 – 17 July 1879) was a Polish-Jewish realist Painting, painter of the Romanticism in Poland, Romantic period. Considered one of the most talented students of Jan Matejko, Gottllieb died at the age of 23. Car ...
, Wlastimil Hofman, Władysław Jarocki,
Juliusz Kossak Juliusz Fortunat Kossak (15 December 1824 – 3 February 1899) was a Polish historical painter and master illustrator who specialized in battle scenes, military portraits and horses. He was the progenitor of an artistic family that spanned fou ...
,
Franciszek Ksawery Lampi Franciszek Ksawery Lampi, also known as Franz Xaver Lampi (22 January 1782 – 22 July 1852), was a Polish Romantic painter born in Austria of ethnic Italian background. He was associated with the aristocratic circle of the late Stanisław II ...
,
Jacek Malczewski Jacek Malczewski (; 15 July 1854 – 8 October 1929) was a Polish symbolist painter who was one of the central figures of the patriotic Young Poland movement. His works combined the predominant style of his time with historical motifs of Pol ...
,
Jan Matejko Jan Alojzy Matejko (; also known as Jan Mateyko; 24 June 1838 – 1 November 1893) was a Polish painter, a leading 19th-century exponent of history painting, known for depicting nodal events from Polish history. His works include large scale ...
, Piotr Michałowski, Józef Pankiewicz,
Władysław Podkowiński Władysław Podkowiński (; 4 February 1866  – 5 January 1895) was a Polish master painter and illustrator associated with the Young Poland movement during the Partition period. Career Podkowiński was born in Warsaw and began his artist ...
,
Ferdynand Ruszczyc Ferdynand Ruszczyc (1870–1936) was a Polish painter, printmaker, and stage designer. He was a member of the aristocratic Ruszczyc de Lis family. Biography Born in the village of Bohdanów (then Russian Empire, now Belarus), Ruszczyc spent h ...
, Kazimierz Sichulski,
Henryk Siemiradzki Henryk Hektor Siemiradzki (24 October 1843 – 23 August 1902) was a Polish painter. He spent most of his active creative life in Rome. Best remembered for his monumental academic art, he is particularly known for his depictions of scenes from th ...
, Jan Stanisławski, Józef Szermentowski,
Wojciech Weiss Wojciech Weiss (4 May 1875 – 7 December 1950) was a prominent Polish painter and draughtsman of the Young Poland movement. Weiss was born in Bukovina to a Polish family in exile of Stanisław Weiss and Maria Kopaczyńska. He gave up mu ...
,
Stanisław Wyspiański Stanisław Mateusz Ignacy Wyspiański (; 15 January 1869 – 28 November 1907) was a Polish playwright, painter, poet, and interior and furniture designer. A patriotic writer, he created symbolic national dramas accordant with the artisti ...
, Maksymilian Piotrowski, Stefan Filipkiewicz and Antoni Kozakiewicz. Contemporary Polish painting is dominant in the museum, including in particular works by
regional In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
artists. One can find also foreign paintings by German, Italian, Dutch, Spanish and French painters. Worth noticing is the display of works from
Walter Leistikow Walter Rudolf Leistikow (1865–1908) was a German landscape painter, graphic artist, designer and art critic. Biography His father was a pharmacist who owned a Kräuterlikör manufacturing plant in Kujawien that provided much of the family's ...
, born in
Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its bank (geography), left-bank tributary, the Brda (river), Brda, the strategic location of Byd ...
and one of the co-founders of the
Berlin Secession The Berlin Secession was an art movement established in Germany on May 2, 1898. Formed in reaction to the Association of Berlin Artists, and the restrictions on contemporary art imposed by Wilhelm II, German Emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II, 65 artist ...
: the museum possesses Leistikow's largest collection in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. In the sculptures section, one can appreciate exhibits from the 20th century, by artists such as:
Xawery Dunikowski Xawery Dunikowski (; 24 December 1875 – 26 January 1964) was a Polish sculptor and artist, notable for surviving Auschwitz concentration camp, and best known for his Neo-Romantic sculptures and Auschwitz-inspired art. Biography Dunikowski wa ...
, Edward Haupt, Stanisław Horno-Popławski, Jerzy Jarnuszkiewicz, Antoni Kurzawa,
Konstanty Laszczka Konstanty Laszczka (born 3 September 1865 in Makowiec Duży; died 23 March 1956 in Kraków) was a Polish sculptor, painter, graphic artist, as well as professor and rector (academia), rector of the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. Las ...
, Ferdinand Lepcke,
Władysław Marcinkowski Władysław Marcinkowski (June 16, 1858 in Mieszków, Greater Poland VoivodeshipDecember 10, 1947 in Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultur ...
, Adam Myjak, Olga Niewska,
Edward Wittig Edward Wittig (September 20, 1879 – March 3, 1941) was a Polish sculptor and university professor, notable for designing many monuments in Warsaw. Born in Warsaw, Wittig went on to study art at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna under the ...
, Aleksander Dętkoś and Bydgoszcz artists (Teodor Gajewski, Michał Kubiak and Piotr Triebler). Other collections include small sculptural objects, plaques, cast medals and artistic photographs.


Department of

Technology Technology is the application of Conceptual model, conceptual knowledge to achieve practical goals, especially in a reproducible way. The word ''technology'' can also mean the products resulting from such efforts, including both tangible too ...
history

This section located at the ''Exploseum'' gathers documents related to the activity in Bydgoszcz of the ''
Bromberg Dynamit Nobel AG Factory Bromberg Dynamit Nobel AG Factory also known as Bromberg DAG AG Factory or DAG Fabrik Bromberg was one of the largest arms factory of Dynamit Nobel during the Nazi Germany, Third Reich: covering , it was the second most extensive DAG factory at th ...
'', exhibiting employee passes, tool tokens, everyday objects dealing with the plant operation. The collection also includes 300 zinc plates from the personal file of former factory workers. The department displays also replicas of warfare: weapons and firearms from antiquity to modern times. A noticeable part of the collection has been digitalized, presenting oral history, with memories from the entire
WWII World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
period regarding the work at the Bydgoszcz factory. In addition, one can discover collections of items related to other technogical domains:
transport Transport (in British English) or transportation (in American English) is the intentional Motion, movement of humans, animals, and cargo, goods from one location to another. Mode of transport, Modes of transport include aviation, air, land tr ...
, environment and
communication Communication is commonly defined as the transmission of information. Its precise definition is disputed and there are disagreements about whether Intention, unintentional or failed transmissions are included and whether communication not onl ...
.


Department of Medecine and Pharmacy history

Location: 5 Gdańska Street The core of the section comprises the exhibits purchased on 27 July 2017 from the private Museum of Pharmacy located in the ancient ''Pod Łabędziem'' Pharmacy at 5 Gdańska Street. This collection is mainly composed of items from western Poland and Germany, dating from the 17th to the end of the 20th century. The museum is planned to open end of 2020. Various objects will be in display: vessels, mortars,
weighing scale A scale or balance is a device used to measure weight or mass. These are also known as mass scales, weight scales, mass balances, massometers, and weight balances. The traditional scale consists of two plates or bowls suspended at equal d ...
s,
laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratories are found in a variety of settings such as schools ...
equipment, pharmacy furniture, forms, documents on pharmaceutical and medical topics, packaging for medicines, postcards and medical
tool A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by animals, animals use simple tools, only human bei ...
s. One of the most valuable exhibit is the original
galen Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus (; September 129 – AD), often Anglicization, anglicized as Galen () or Galen of Pergamon, was a Ancient Rome, Roman and Greeks, Greek physician, surgeon, and Philosophy, philosopher. Considered to be one o ...
ic laboratory from the late 19th century, preserved in situ and unique in Poland. It originally produced drugs from plant, animal and mineral raw materials. The 1875 pharmacy furniture comes from the pharmacy ''Pod Łabędziem'' in
Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...
. It was brought to Bydgoszcz at the beginning of the 21st century so as to replace the original furnishings, which was beyond repair after being nationalized in 1951.


Library

Location: 4 Mennica Street Books and
magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...
collections date back to the 1880s. The most valuable item of the book collection from that period is the ''Jahrbuch der Historischen Gesellschaft für den Netzedistrikt zu Bromberg, from 1891–1895'' (''Yearbook of the Historical Society for the
Netze District The Netze District or District of the Netze ( or '; ) was a territory in the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 until 1807. It included the urban centers of Bydgoszcz (''Bromberg''), Inowrocław (''Inowraclaw''), Piła (''Schneidemühl'') and Wałcz ( ...
in Bromberg''). The inventory of the library collections began in January 1925. In the 1960s, the collection was organized with an alphabetical and subject-systematic catalog and a catalog of periodicals. Since 2009, a computer catalog is also available.


See also

* District Museum Building, Bydgoszcz *
Bromberg Dynamit Nobel AG Factory Bromberg Dynamit Nobel AG Factory also known as Bromberg DAG AG Factory or DAG Fabrik Bromberg was one of the largest arms factory of Dynamit Nobel during the Nazi Germany, Third Reich: covering , it was the second most extensive DAG factory at th ...


References


Bibliography

*


External links


Site of the Regional Museum "Leon Wyczółkowski"

History of the regional museum

Exploseum site
{{Notable buildings in Bydgoszcz
Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its bank (geography), left-bank tributary, the Brda (river), Brda, the strategic location of Byd ...
Buildings and structures on Gdańska Street, Bydgoszcz Museums in Bydgoszcz Buildings and structures completed in 1878