Muzeum Etnograficzne we Wrocławiu

About the museum

The Ethnographic Museum was established in 1954 and is a branch of the National Museum in Wrocław. Its collections number over 20 thousand objects documenting the life of rural Lower Silesia over the last three hundred years, including the culture of the region’s former inhabitants and of the settlers who arrived after 1945. Since October 2004 the museum has been seated at ul. Traugutta.

The building was erected in 1732–1737 as the summer palace of the Wrocław bishops, designed by Christoph Hackner on the initiative of Cardinal Philipp Ludwig von Sinzendorf. In 1766, after the expulsion of Bishop Schaffgotsch, the palace was confiscated. In the 19th century part of the buildings was taken over by a chicory factory, and in 1880 the industrialist Egmond Websky rebuilt the building in the neo-Baroque style as a residential villa. In 1907 it housed a civil registry office.

During the Second World War the interiors were burned out. The palace was rebuilt in 1962–1965 to a design by Jan Grudziński, and until 2004 it served as the Dom Aktora (Actor’s House), after which the museum took it over.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition ‘Dolnoślązacy. Pamięć, kultura, tożsamość’ (Lower Silesians: Memory, Culture, Identity)
• Lower Silesian folk art of the 19th century, including glass painting and sculpture
• Traditional crafts: coopering, weaving, pottery, blacksmithing and gingerbread-making
• Collections documenting the culture of settlers from the former Kresy
• Baroque summer palace of the Wrocław bishops, from the 18th century

Permanent exhibition

• Dolnoślązacy. Pamięć, kultura, tożsamość – The permanent exhibition tells the story of the cultural heritage of Lower Silesia before and after the Second World War, showing the folk culture of former inhabitants and of settlers from the Kresy.

Founded

1954

Operated by

Muzeum Narodowe we Wrocławiu

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Admission to the permanent exhibition is free on Saturdays.

Prices for tickets to the permanent exhibition are given; a ticket for the temporary exhibition alone costs the same (PLN 10 standard, PLN 8 reduced).

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: not available
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

A hard-surfaced approach with a ramp leads to the building, and parking spaces for people with disabilities are located at the main entrance. The doors are not wide enough, and the routes inside are not entirely free of obstacles; the staircases have handrails. The ticket office has an induction loop and an FM system, headphones for noise reduction are available, and there is a toilet adapted for people with disabilities. The museum works with a Polish Sign Language (PJM) interpreter, and there is an information film in PJM on the website. There is no tactile or audio system for blind visitors.

Kids & families

Families can buy a family ticket for PLN 5 per person for the permanent exhibition; children under 7 enter free of charge. The museum has an education department (edukacja@muzeumetnograficzne.pl).

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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