Wystawa stała Muzeum Historycznego Miasta Krakowa

PERMANENT EXHIBITION AT KRZYSZTOFORY PALACE – THE SEAT OF THE HISTORICAL MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF KRAKÓW The new permanent exhibition which is currently under construction at the headquarters of the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków, i.e. at Krzysztofory Palace is being created over sixty years after the Museum’s first permanent exhibition titled Kraków’s History and Culture through the Ages was launched in 1952. The entire exhibition space then was 324 sq m. The following thematic scheme was used to accommodate that show in the Palace’s exhibition rooms: Kraków’s Prehistory; the Pre-Charter Era and the Great Charter of 1257; Municipal Government; Population of Kraków in the Past; Social Differences and Antagonisms; Trade; Kraków Guilds; the City’s Defences; Kraków Marksmen’s Confraternity – the Fowler Brotherhood; Material and Spiritual Culture; Local Customs and Rites; National Uprisings; Kraków in the Era of Galician Autonomy; Academic Research, Art and Culture; the Development of the Labour Movement; Lenin in Kraków; World War I; the Sanation Rule; Revolutionary Movements; the German Occupation; Liberation of Kraków by the Red Army; the Six-Year Plan; the Construction of Nowa Huta. The second permanent exhibition at Krzysztofory Palace opened in 1979. Its visual setting was supposed to subtly highlight the interiors’ palace character, and exhibition space expanded to 896 sq m. This time, the following topics were covered: Legends and Traditions; Municipal Government; Kraków Marksmen’s Confraternity – the Fowler Brotherhood; the City’s Defences; the Guild Inn; Goldsmithery; Trade; National Uprisings; the Labour Movement; Kraków during World War I and Its Liberation in 1918; Kraków during World War II; the Palace Chapel; the Duchy of Warsaw Salon, the Biedermeier Salon, the Burgher Dining Room. The exhibition remained in that form until 1997, which is when it was thoroughly reorganized and upgraded. The new exhibition space, however, was smaller than the one opened in 1979, amounting to 710 sq m. It comprised the following sections: Baldassare Fontana’s Room; the socalled Royal Chamber; the Municipal Authorities’ Room; the Guild Inn; Handicraft; Trade; National Uprisings; the Palace Chapel; Kraków in the Era of Autonomy; World War I – the Polish Legions – Liberation of Kraków in 1918; Kraków in the Times of the Second Polish Republic; Views of Kraków. Currently (2012) that exhibition no longer exists. The complete refurbishment of Krzysztofory Palace compelled its closing down – a process that was implemented by the gradual liquidation of exhibition rooms which were being prepared for renovation works, or temporarily adapted to the needs of the museum staff. From 2007 onward, a team of museum staff members have been working on the scenario for the new permanent exhibition which will be located on three levels: the basement of Krzysztofory Palace, its ground floor, and its first floor, which adds up to almost 2,000 sq m of exhibition space. In addition, staircases, mezzanines, and a number of other rooms which are not directly included in the permanent exhibition project provide what the team refer to as “neutral space” that can be used for the presentation of minor topics.