Sanok Historical Museum


The Sanok Historical Museum is a regional museum located in Sanok, Poland.
It houses the world's largest collection of works by Zdzisław Beksiński. The museum also holds collections of historical and contemporary art. In the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, it ranks third in visitor numbers, following the Łańcut Castle and the Museum of Folk Architecture.
WWW muzeum.sanok.pl

History

The initial efforts to collect artifacts for the future Museum of the Sanok Land were undertaken by, Adam Fastnacht, and, who were students at the at the time. A significant role in establishing the Museum of the Sanok Land was played by the then-mayor of Sanok,, who gathered numerous artifacts and memorabilia in the city hall, which were later transferred to the newly established museum. The institution was formally established in 1934 as the Museum of the Sanok Land, initiated by Dr. Jadwiga Przeworska from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Education and the Sanok starosta, Dr.. Under Polish auspices, the Museum of the Sanok Land operated until 1939 at the Sanok Castle, with its exhibition divided into historical, ecclesiastical, and ethnographic sections. Its mission was to collect, scientifically study, and make accessible the historical artifacts of the Sanok Land. In 1934, a commemorative plaque was installed at the museum's entrance, reading: "In this building, part of the former Sanok Castle built by King Casimir the Great in the mid-14th century, notable for the wedding celebrations of King Władysław Jagiełło on 2 May 1417, rebuilt under King Sigismund the Old by his wife Bona Sforza in the 16th century, the Museum of the Sanok Land was established through the efforts of the Friends of the Sanok Land Society in 1934". Historical research on the Sanok Land was conducted by Adam Fastnacht. In September 1937, an exhibition titled "Sanok Land in Painting, Sculpture, and Photography" was organized.
Following the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, the castle was looted. During the occupation, the castle housed the Kreismuseum in Sanok and the Lemkivshchyna Museum. In August 1944, the museum's collections were again devastated by German forces, who removed approximately 300–400 of the most valuable artifacts, including royal charters for Sanok, paintings, handwritten books, and complete sets of folk costumes.
By order of the Minister of Culture and Art on 9 June 1950, the Museum of the Sanok Land was renamed the Sanok Museum. It later operated as the Sanok Regional Museum. In 1959, the museum celebrated its 25th anniversary.
A branch of the museum, General Karol Świerczewski Memorial House, was opened on 28 March 1987 in Jabłonki, near the general's monument, funded by the city of Sanok.

Collections and exhibitions

In 1937, an exhibition titled "Sanok Land in Painting, Sculpture, and Photography" was held. In 1945, the first post-war joint exhibition of Sanok artists was organized, featuring works by,,,,,, and.
The museum currently holds over 20,000 artifacts, organized into archaeological, iconographic, historical, and conservation departments. It includes the Maria and Franciszek Prochaska Contemporary Art Gallery and the Zdzisław Beksiński Gallery, located in the rebuilt southern wing of the Sanok Castle.
The collection "Pokuttia Ceramics from the Donation of Curator Aleksander Rybicki", housed in the Inn building, represents the largest collection of Pokuttia ceramics in Poland. Donated by Aleksander Rybicki on 28 May 1978, it was exhibited during the Sanok Days in June 1978. On 20 November 1978, the museum received works from the heirs of Polish artists, Tadeusz Makowski, Józef Pankiewicz, Hanna Rudzka-Cybisowa, and Jan Cybis.
The museum's most valuable collections include over 200 preserved Carpathian icons from the Sanok Land, dating from the 16th to 20th centuries, a collection of Pokuttia ceramics, and several hundred paintings by artists such as,, Wacław Zawadowski, Wacław Żaboklicki,, Józef Pankiewicz, Hanna Rudzka-Cybisowa, Jan Cybis, Olga Boznańska, Tadeusz Makowski, and.
In 1973, the museum acquired recipe books from the former pharmacy of.

Awards and honors

  • In 1974, a medal titled "40th Anniversary of the Historical Museum in Sanok" was minted, designed by. In 1984, a medal titled "Historical Museum in Sanok: 50th Anniversary" was minted, designed by Czesław Dźwigaj. In 1986, two medals commemorating the Historical Museum in Sanok branch in Jabłonki, featuring General Karol Świerczewski, were minted, also designed by Czesław Dźwigaj.
  • Honorary Diploma from the Minister of Culture and Art.
  • Badge "Meritorious for the Krosno Voivodeship".
  • "Jubilee Address".
  • Ministry of Culture and Art Award in the competition for the most interesting museum event of the year, for establishing the General Karol Świerczewski–Walter Memorial House exhibition.
  • Entry in the Golden Book of the Society of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy in Sanok.