Muzeum Lubuskie im. Jana Dekerta w Gorzowie Wielkopolskim

About the museum

The Muzeum Lubuskie opened on 8 September 1945 as the first museum institution in the so-called Recovered Territories. The idea for its creation came from the starost (county head) Florian Kroenke; the aim was to collect and save monuments from destruction and looting. Before the war a museum founded in 1884 had operated in Landsberg, but its collections had been destroyed or scattered. In 1975, after the creation of the Gorzów Voivodeship, the institution received the status of a regional museum, and since 2000 it has borne the name of Jan Dekert.

Since 1947 the museum’s seat has been the villa of the manufacturer Gustav Schroeder, built in 1903–1904 in an eclectic style at today’s ul. Warszawska 35 and surrounded by a historic garden. The museum also includes a Baroque granary from 1723 on the Warta, the Muzeum Grodu Santok (Santok Stronghold Museum), which presents the archaeology of one of the important early Piast strongholds, and the Zagroda Młyńska (Mill Farm) in Bogdaniec with a mill from 1826.

The collections cover artistic crafts, including the largest display of pewterware, numismatics, old painting and sculpture, Polish contemporary art (the Arsenał Circle collection), the history of Gorzów, archaeology and the ethnography of the region. The institution also carries out archaeological research, runs a scientific library and conducts educational activities.

Highlights

• Schroeder Villa with Biedermeier-style interiors and a garden of over 3 ha
• Largest display of pewterware (konwisarstwo) from the 17th–20th centuries
• Exhibition “Gorzów on the Paths of History” in the historic granary from 1723
• Collection of Polish contemporary painting of the Arsenał Circle, 1955
• Santok Stronghold – an early medieval stronghold on the Warta and Noteć
• Mill Farm in Bogdaniec with a mill from 1826 and bread-baking workshops

Permanent exhibitions

• Gorzów na szlakach historii – A series of exhibitions in the Granary on the founding and development of the town, 19th-century industry, wars and natural disasters, everyday life at the turn of the century and the pioneering years of Polish Gorzów after 1945.
• Krąg Arsenału 1955 – The largest part of the museum’s collection of Polish contemporary painting, with paintings, drawings and prints by artists associated with the Nationwide Exhibition of Young Fine Art of 1955.
• Konwisarstwo – The largest display of pewterware from the 17th–20th centuries in the Villa and Garden Complex, including church and guild objects and household vessels.

Founded

1945

Operated by

Samorząd Województwa Lubuskiego

Director

Ewa Pawlak

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission on Wednesdays at all branches; admission to the museum garden is always free.

The prices given apply at the Villa and Garden Complex, the Granary and the Mill Farm (the Santok Stronghold Museum has its own price list). Temporary exhibitions: PLN 12 standard, PLN 8 reduced. Tickets can also be bought online.

Accessibility

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

The villa at ul. Warszawska 35 has steps at the main entrance and is not adapted for wheelchair users; the temporary exhibition room in the annex is accessible by ramp. The Granary has a step-free entrance, a stair platform leading to a lift and an adapted toilet on the ground floor (the third floor is hard to reach). The Santok Stronghold Museum has a step-free entrance and an adapted toilet on the ground floor, and the Mill Farm has hard-surfaced paths to the ground floor of the mill and an adapted toilet in the basement. No branch has an induction loop or a free Polish Sign Language interpreting service, and no accessible parking spaces have been designated. Assistance dogs are admitted. People with disabilities may be accompanied by a companion aged at least 16.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Kids’ birthday parties

The museum runs museum lessons and workshops (including ceramics and bread-baking at the Mill Farm) and “birthdays with a class”. Children under 8 may visit only accompanied by adults.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Coat check

Backpacks, bags and outer garments must be left in the cloakroom or in the place indicated by staff.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Interiors can be rented for conferences, workshops, concerts and photo sessions: in the Villa and Garden Complex the main hall, the first-floor hall, the Coat of Arms Vestibule, the neo-rococo lounge and the balcony (photo session PLN 250); in the Mill Farm the exhibition rooms (PLN 200) or the outdoor space (PLN 100).

Plan your visit