History

The Historical and Archaeological Museum continues the tradition of previous Ostrowiec museum institutions. Their beginnings refer to the public museum of local history and geography, which existed from 1926 to 1939 and was managed by the Ostrowiec Branch of the Polish Sightseeing Society (PTK). The later president of the PTK and the first curator of the museum, Mieczysław Radwan (1889–1968), a metallurgical engineer, employee of the Ostrowiec Works, and lecturer at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, a historian and tourist by passion, put a lot of effort into the establishment of the institution.

The PTK Museum primarily collected archaeological artefacts, originating from the complex of Neolithic striped flint mines discovered in Krzemionki in 1922. Over time, these collections began to be enriched with mineralogical, ethnographic, iconographic, and historical items related to the Kielce region. After Mieczysław Radwan, the substantive care of the institution was provided by the custodian, Maryla Żakowska, vice president of the PTK Board. The museum was then located in the PTK headquarters in Ostrowiec at Górzysta 3 Street from 1937 to 1939.

In 1930, the Opatów Branch of the Polish Sightseeing Society established its museum, with a collection profile similar to that of the Ostrowiec Museum. To avoid overlaping in the scope of these institutions’ activities, a decision was made in 1933 to merge them and create two branches, Ostrowiec and Opatów, under the common name of the Museum of the Opatów Region.

The Opatów Branch had historical and archival collections, while the Ostrowiec Branch collected archaeological artefacts (in 1936, almost 925 items), natural history collections (in 1936, 260 items) and artefacts illustrating the history of the metallurgical industry. It also had collections of pottery and ethnographic exhibits, as well as coin hoards from Kunów, Smyków and Karczmiska. In 1936, the collections of both branches included over 1,900 objects.

The Ostrowiec branch enjoyed quite a large popularity among visitors, even though the exhibitions were very modest. The museum had four rooms filled with exhibits placed on the walls and in display cases, which were also used to store collections due to the lack of storage space.

The end of the Opatów Land Museum’s activity came shortly after the outbreak of World War II, when the Germans ordered the liquidation of local museums and the removal of collections to the museum depot in Radom. The most valuable objects were hidden. After the war, some of them were added to the collections of the newly established Regional Museum in Ostrowiec.

In the 1960s, efforts were made to recreate the museum in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. This idea was welcomed by the Museum Council at the Minister of Culture and Art, which accepted the idea of creating a museum facility in the Wielopolski Palace in Częstocice, which belonged to the town. Since 1931, the palace and the surrounding 2.5-hectare park were owned by Ostrowiec Works, which transferred them to the city in 1963.

The renovation of the building began in 1963. Two years later, the first employee was hired, art historian Wojciech Kotasiak, who served as the museum’s director continuously until 2006.

The museum was officially opened on December 3, 1966, but the decree of the Presidium of the Municipal National Council in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, which established the Regional Museum, gave it a statute and defined the scope of its substantive activities, dated September 25, 1970.

The Regional Museum was to refer to the idea of ​​the pre-war Museum of the Opatów Region and gather collections from various fields, placing the greatest emphasis on the monuments and history of the region. In the halls of the Wielopolski Palace, rebuilt for exhibition purposes, six permanent exhibitions were prepared on porcelain, ethnography, geology and mineralogy, and the history of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. A large permanent exhibition was devoted to the history of the workers’ movement in the Kielce region, in accordance with the political doctrine of the Polish People’s Republic.

The incorporation of Krzemionki, which had previously been administered by the State Archaeological Museum in Warsaw, into the organizational structure of the museum became an important moment in its history. The decision in this matter was made by the Minister of Culture and Art on November 20, 1978. As a result of organizational changes, in 1986, the museum was renamed the Historical and Archaeological Museum.

With the takeover of Krzemionki, the museum ceased to be an entity subordinate to the town authorities and came under the management of the Kielce Voivode. In 1999, the museum became an institution managed by the County Office in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski as a result of administrative reform. In mid-2006, there was a change in the position of director. Wojciech Kotasiak, who had held this position for many years, was temporarily replaced by Dr. Jerzy Tomasz Bąbel. From 2007 to mid-2011, Piotr Mrugała was the director of the museum. Until the end of November 2011, Dariusz Wilczak acted as the director. From December 1, 2011 to May 2018, the director of the museum was Włodzimierz Szczałuba. From May to June 2018, these duties were performed by a long-time employee of Krzemionki, archaeologist Kamil Kaptur. From June 2018 to June 2019, the acting director was Ewa Działowska, and then from June to November 2019 it was Beata Kobiałka. On November 4, 2019, Dr. Andrzej Przychodni became the director. On December 20, 2021, the Agreement on the management of the Historical and Archaeological Museum in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski as a joint cultural institution was signed between the State Treasury – Minister of Culture and National Heritage, and the Ostrowiec County. Since January 1, 2022, the Museum has been co-run by the Ostrowiec County and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

The substantive activities of the Historical and Archaeological Museum were concentrated in the following departments: Archaeology, History, Arts and Crafts, Science and Education, Promotion, Archives and Library and the Department of the Chief Inventor. The museum had organised almost 240 temporary exhibitions till 2009. It also engaged in scientific research, museum lessons, workshops, lectures, conferences and concerts, and produced scientific publications and exhibition catalogues. The indicated forms of activity are carried out continuously. At present, the Museum’s activities are mainly carried out in the departments of: Archaeology, History, Arts and Crafts, Nature, Chief Inventory Officer, Education and Promotion, Library, and the Department of Administration, Accessibility and Technical Care of Museum Objects. The museum currently has over 1 800 m2 of exhibition space (excluding exhibits and the area of the Krzemionki reserve). Its collection includes almost 5 600 volumes and 4 200 artefacts.

For almost 60 years of its activity, the Historical-Archaeological Museum has been diligently fulfilling its tasks by collecting, storing, conserving and making available cultural assets connected with archaeology, history, nature and art. The museum’s scientific, collecting and popularising activities cover everything related to the cultural heritage of not only Ostrowiec and its surroundings, but also the entire Świętokrzyskie region.

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