Ethnographic Museum in Wrocław

The Ethnographic Museum in Wrocław is a branch of the National Museum in Wrocław devoted to the folk art of Lower Silesia. It is housed in the former Summer Palace of the Bishops of Wrocław at Generała Romualda Traugutta 111-113, in the Przedmieście Oławskie district, close to Zgody Square.

From a closed department to an independent museum

Before 1948 Wrocław had no separate ethnographic museum. In 1948 an Ethnographic Department was set up at the then State Museum, still closed to visitors. From 1953 the department began operating as a public institution, initially presenting temporary exhibitions devoted to the culture of the Lower Silesian countryside. In 1954 it became part of the Silesian Museum and operated in the Royal Palace. In 1955 the first permanent exhibition opened there, devoted to Lower Silesian folk art, and in 1958 it was supplemented with a second permanent exhibition on rural material culture.

Move to the Bishops' Palace

In 1999 the entire Royal Palace was taken over by the Wrocław City Museum, so the Ethnographic Museum had to find a new home. In 2004 it moved to the former Summer Palace of the Bishops of Wrocław on Traugutta Street, and the first permanent exhibition at the new site opened in May 2006.

Collections

The core of the collection is the folk culture of the Lower Silesian countryside, gathered systematically from 1953 to 1956, including from the Kłodzko region and the areas around Lwówek Śląski, Legnica and Wołów. The museum also presents the culture of settlers who arrived after the war from the former eastern territories of Poland, including Polesia and the area around Stanisławów, as well as the culture of the Lemkos and the Greek minority.

Exhibitions and online resources

Alongside the permanent exhibition on the ethnography of the region, the museum shows the exhibition "Lower Silesians. Memory, Culture, Identity". Online it makes available the photographic archive of Augustyn Czyżowicz and materials from the "Museum Online" project, including a digital photo archive and recordings of lectures, which can also be used without visiting in person.

Accessibility

The building is accessible to wheelchair users. The museum also offers audio description, materials in Polish Sign Language, and the option to change the font size and switch on a high-contrast mode on its website.

Practical information

• Address: Generała Romualda Traugutta 111-113, Wrocław, Przedmieście Oławskie district
• Tickets are bought through the museum's online booking system
• Also nearby are Hydropolis and the Museum of Post and Telecommunications in Wrocław
• It is worth checking opening hours and the current exhibition programme on the museum's website before visiting