Zagłębie Museum in Będzin

About

Zagłębie Museum in Będzin makes available to visitors cultural property and documentation relating to the history of the region. It is housed in two sites: the castle at Zamkowa Street and the Mieroszewski Palace at Gzichowska Street. In addition, museum sites include the Będzin Underground, the former Jewish prayer house “Mizrachi” at Potockiego 3, the city walls, and Castle Hill. The institution operates under a statute adopted by the Będzin City Council and approved by the minister of culture and national heritage. The museum's premises also host the Jan Dorman Foundation, the Polish Numismatic Society (Zagłębie Branch), the Union of Combatants of the Republic of Poland and Former Political Prisoners, as well as an inn and the 1st Company of the Black Knight of the Będzin Castellany.

Muzeum Zagłębia in Będzin was established in 1956 on the initiative of the Society for the Care of Castle Hill, the Society of the Museum of the Dąbrowa Basin in Będzin, and the Municipal Social Committee for the Reconstruction of the Castle. The institution was opened to mark the 600th anniversary of Będzin receiving town rights on 22 July 1956. In 1945–1983, the museum was located only in the castle and was the first museum institution in the Zagłębie Dąbrowskie. In 1983, a second site was opened in the 18th-century palace-and-park complex of the Mieroszewski family in Będzin (in Gzichów ). The current director is Wioletta Lisowska.

The core responsibilities of Muzeum Zagłębia include:

- acquiring cultural property and documentation related to regional history through purchases, allocations, bequests, donations, deposits, and through field research;

- maintaining scholarly records, inventorying, and classifying collections;

- storing collections under conditions ensuring their safety and accessibility for research;

- organising and conducting scholarly research within the disciplines represented;

- organising permanent exhibitions, temporary exhibitions, and travelling exhibitions;

- making collections available for scholarly, educational, and exhibition purposes;

- preparing and publishing inventories, catalogues, exhibition guides, and other scholarly and popular-science publications;

- maintaining a library in relevant and auxiliary disciplines and providing access to its holdings for researchers, students, and teachers;

- substantive and training cooperation with other museums;

- cooperation with individuals and social organisations whose aims align with the museum's statutory tasks;

- organising other forms of cultural activity such as concerts, theatre performances, competitions, training sessions, conferences, author meetings, and other initiatives (including outdoor events) promoting the palace-and-park complex, the castle, and their collections.

The museum's organisational structure includes the following departments:

- Honorary Cross of the Bytom Marksmen's Brotherhood for museum director Anna Smogór for cooperation (2001).

- “Badge for merits to the Union of Combatants of the Republic of Poland and Former Political Prisoners” for museum director Wioletta Lisowska (2018). Awards

- Third prize (archaeological exhibitions category) for organising the exhibition In a Lusatian settlement and a medieval stronghold in the “Museum Event of the Year – Sybilla 2006” competition (2007).

- Third prize for organising the exhibition Historical weapons in the “Museum Event of the Year – Sybilla 2005” competition (2006).

- Award of the Mayor of Będzin and the City Council for lifetime achievements in artistic creativity, promotion and protection of culture (2016).