Kacianora – Muzeum Kata
Private museum in a 15th-century cellar at the Main Market Square (Rynek Główny), with more than 100 instruments of torture and punishment and guided tours.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Kacianora Museum is a private institution of the collector and history enthusiast Mariusz Aab. In 2010 he signed a lease agreement with the city for premises at Rynek Główny 29, and in May 2011 the renovation of the cellar began, intended to restore its original shape. The museum opened on 8 November 2013 as the Museum of the Executioner and Historical Instruments of Torture (Muzeum Kata i Historycznych Narzędzi Tortur).
The exhibition is located in a 15th-century cellar about six metres deep. Inside, a wooden structure with beams and mezzanines has been built, and the combination of wood, stone and light creates the atmosphere of a dungeon. The museum's website also recalls several episodes from the history of Kraków's punishments and executions, including the last public execution in the square in 1794 and the end of torture in Kraków after the death of the executioner Antoni Strzelbicki in 1782.
The collection numbers more than a hundred objects, from small to very large, from the heretic's fork to the Nuremberg Maiden. The instruments served to humiliate the condemned, to extract confessions or to carry out sentences. The visit is guided by a guide who explains how the exhibits work and tells about the role of the executioner in Kraków's history.
Highlights
- More than 100 instruments of torture and punishment, according to the museum the largest such collection in Poland
- Nuremberg Maiden, witches' chair, Spanish donkey and bed of justice
- Chastity belt, stocks, Judas cradle and confessional
- 15th-century cellar about 6 m deep, with a wooden structure and mezzanines
- Guided tours in Polish or English
Permanent exhibition
- Kolekcja narzędzi tortur i kar – More than a hundred instruments of torture, punishment and execution in a 15th-century cellar, shown with the guide's commentary.
- Founded
- 2013
- Operated by
- Aab-Projekt (prywatne muzeum Mariusza Aaba)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 30 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 25 zł |
| Guide (1 hour, in Polish or English) | 75 złAdditional service; book through the form on the museum's website. |
Price list from the museum's website: standard ticket PLN 30, reduced PLN 25, guide PLN 75 per hour.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum welcomes school pupils, adults and families; more intense demonstrations using the exhibits are prepared for adults.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tour, during which the guide explains how the exhibits work and tells the history of Kraków. Booking of the time and language (Polish or English) through the form on the museum's website. For school groups and organised groups the museum also offers workshops on old crafts and demonstrations with the participation of knightly brotherhoods. |
