National Museum in Szczecin

The National Museum in Szczecin is the largest cultural institution in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship and, according to Wikipedia, looks after more than 150 thousand objects. Its main seat is the building at Wały Chrobrego 3, and the museum also has four branches in the city centre and an exhibition in Gryfice. The collections range from archaeology and medieval sculpture to African and contemporary art.

Where the museum came from

The institution was established on 1 August 1945 as the Polish Municipal Museum in Szczecin. It took over the remains of the collections of the former Stadtmuseum and Pommersches Landesmuseum. In the autumn of 1947 the museum gained the status of a regional institution as the West Pomerania Museum, and in 1970 it was raised to the rank of a national museum. In the 1970s further buildings joined the museum: the Old Town Hall and the former commandant's office of the Szczecin fortress garrison.

Where the branches are

The building at Wały Chrobrego 3 is the centre of the architectural ensemble on the Oder, designed by Wilhelm Meyer-Schwartau. The museum's website calls it one of the best-known and most prestigious buildings in the city. It stands on the Chrobry Embankment, with which it forms a single whole.

The museum's other seats are:

• the Museum of Regional Traditions in the Baroque Palace of the Estates' Diet at Staromłyńska 27, built in 1726-1727,
• the Museum of Contemporary Art in the Neoclassical building of the former garrison commandant's office at Staromłyńska 1,
• the Museum of the History of Szczecin in the Gothic Old Town Hall at Księcia Mściwoja II 8,
• the Przełomy Dialogue Centre at Plac Solidarności 1, built in 2012-2015 on the square where the events of December 1970 took place,
• the Exhibition of the West Pomeranian Narrow-Gauge Railways in Gryfice at Błonie 2.

What to see in the main building

The permanent exhibitions in the main building include “Mystery of Light. Medieval Art in Pomerania”, “Hidden Meanings. Art in Pomerania in the 16th and 17th Centuries” and “Ancient Roots of Europe. The Dohrn Collection of Szczecin”. Wikipedia also lists three African exhibitions, including “In an African Village”, because the Szczecin museum has the largest collection of evidence of the material culture of non-European countries in Poland.

Among the most valuable collections Wikipedia lists the Madonnas with Child from Gardno, the Romanesque columns from Kołbacz, the crucifix from Kamień Pomorski and the “beautiful Madonna” from Bukowo. In all, the branches run about 20 permanent exhibitions as well as temporary ones.

After your visit you can walk on to the Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes or go down to the Oder towards the port.

Practical information

• Address of the main seat: Wały Chrobrego 3, Szczecin.
• Hours according to the museum's website: closed on Mondays, 10.00-16.00 on Tuesdays and Sundays, 10.00-18.00 from Wednesday to Saturday. On some public holidays the museum is closed, and the exhibition in Gryfice has its own hours.
• Tickets are bought at the box offices of the branches, and a ticket is valid for one entry to one branch. The current price list is on the museum's website.
• The viewing tower of the main building is sometimes closed because of renovation, so ask about it before your visit.