Muzeum Warmii i Mazur w Olsztynie

About the museum

Construction of the castle began around 1345 on the orders of the Warmian Chapter, and by 1353, when the Chapter granted town rights to Olsztyn, it was most probably largely complete. It was the seat of the administrator of the Chapter’s estates and an important point of defence against Lithuanian and Teutonic raids. In 1516–1521 the administrator of the Olsztyn komornictwo (district) was Mikołaj Kopernik (Nicolaus Copernicus), who lived in the north-eastern wing of the castle, carried out astronomical observations here and prepared the defence against the Teutonic Knights. An astronomical table made by him has survived on the gallery; it is the only surviving astronomical instrument of his making.

After 1772 the castle passed into the ownership of the Prussian state, and in 1807 it hosted Napoleon. In 1921 a regional museum of an ethnographic character was set up in it. In 1945 the castle became the seat of the Masurian Museum, which today is called the Museum of Warmia and Masuria. The institution also runs branches in Olsztyn and other towns of the region.

The Museum of Warmia and Masuria presented in the castle, among other things, an exhibition devoted to Mikołaj Kopernik, a gallery of painting, archaeological collections and militaria. From 14 September 2026 the castle is closed for three years because of the planned renovation financed from the FEnIKS programme; the museum encourages visitors to visit its other branches.

Highlights

• Gothic castle of the Warmian Chapter from the 14th century
• Mikołaj Kopernik’s quarters and astronomical table
• Former seat of the administrator of the Chapter’s estates in Olsztyn
• Collections of archaeology, painting and militaria
• Branches in the region, including the Museum of Nature and the House of the Olsztyn Gazette (Dom Gazety Olsztyńskiej)

Permanent exhibition

• Mikołaj Kopernik – mieszkaniec zamku olsztyńskiego – Modernised permanent exhibition on Mikołaj Kopernik’s stay in the castle; not accessible during the renovation.

Founded

1945

Director

Piotr Żuchowski

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