Silesian Museum in Katowice

The beginnings of the Silesian Museum go back to 1924 , which is the date of establishing Society of Museum of Silesian Land. The society started to collect objects of cultural and spiritual value created in Silesia. Formally, after the resolution was passed by the Silesian Parliament on the 23rd January 1929, the Silesian Museum was set up and in May the first exhibition opened to the public. The museum pieces were displayed on the fifth floor of the Provincial Office and the Silesian Sejm building.

In 1936 the construction of a new building for the museum started. It was going to be one of the most spectacular and modern edifices of that type in Europe. The overall concept of it was developed by its main architect Karol Schayer. Construction works finished in 1939 but the building was never officially opened. As soon as the World War II broke out the Nazi dismantled (tore down) the building – a symbol of Polish identity. The collection suffered as well and its sizeable chunk was destroyed and plundered. The rest that survived was moved to Landesmuseum in Bytom, now called the Upper-Silesian Museum. To the present day the museum has assembled 78 000 items from different fields of art as well as archaeological, ethnographic and historical artefacts and works representing non-professional art. In 1986, two years after the restoration of the museum, an all-Poland competition was announced for a new building (SARP). The first prize went to an architect from Warsaw Jan Fiszer. However, a year after a completely new idea appeared – to adapt the property of the old ‘Katowice’ coalmine with its post-industrial facilities. Opening of the new building, part of which will be underground, is planned for 2012.

Address: 3 Korfantego Street

Opening hours:
Mondays – closed

Tuesdays – Wednesdays – 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Thursdays – 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Fridays – 12:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Saturdays – 12:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Sundays – 12:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.