Stanisław Dunajewski Ślęża Museum in Sobótka

The Stanisław Dunajewski Ślęża Museum in Sobótka is housed in the Abbot's House, a former hospital building erected in 1568 by the Canons Regular of St Augustine. It is a municipal institution devoted to the history and nature of Mount Ślęża, one of the best known mountains in Lower Silesia.

From Heimatmuseum to a municipal museum

The institution was established in 1962 and is considered a continuation of the Heimatmuseum founded in Sobótka in 1926. Both institutions, the former and the current one, were housed in the same building, the Abbot's House. The first permanent exhibition in the new museum opened in 1966.

The Abbot's House

The building that houses the museum was erected in 1568 as a hospital house. It was built by the Canons Regular of St Augustine. The brick structure in the Renaissance style is entered in the register of immovable heritage sites and is itself part of the exhibition, worth viewing even before stepping inside.

Permanent exhibitions

The museum presents three permanent exhibitions. The first, "Ancient Beliefs", is devoted to the beliefs and spiritual culture of the Ślęża area as a former centre of worship. The second, "Nature of the Ślęża Massif", gathers collections on the geology, fauna and flora of the mountain. The third element is a lapidarium in the grounds adjoining the building, made up of fragments of historic architectural elements and sculptures from churches in Sobótka and the surrounding area.

Patron and gallery

Since 1992 the museum's patron has been Stanisław Dunajewski, a soldier of the Polish Army and the Home Army, who founded the institution. Since 1995 the Ślęża Museum Gallery has also operated alongside the museum. Artists who have exhibited there include Wiesław Ochman, Edward Lutczyn, Jerzy Duda-Gracz, Stasys Eidrigevicius, Franciszek Maśluszczak and Tomasz Sętowski.

Nearby

The museum lies almost in the shadow of Mount Ślęża, so a natural addition to the visit is a trip to the mountain itself and its reserve, described as the Mount Ślęża Nature Reserve, and to the summit of Mount Ślęża. Nearby is also the Sobótka-Górka Palace, and a little further away the medieval castle on Mount Ślęża.

Practical information

• Address: ulica Świętego Jakuba 18, Sobótka.
• The museum operates year-round, but it is worth checking opening hours and admission days before a visit, either on site or by phone.
• The visit covers the interior of the Abbot's House with its permanent exhibitions and the lapidarium in the grounds adjoining the building.