Sea Fishing Museum in Świnoujście

The Sea Fishing Museum is housed in the former town hall at Rybak Square (Plac Rybaka), one of the oldest buildings in Świnoujście. Inside are shown the fauna of the Baltic, old fishing tools and ship models, and the history of the town.

The former town hall

The building was created as a town hall and, according to the museum's website, is the oldest building in the town. The two-storey building with a high roof was built from spring 1805 to summer 1806, in Neoclassical forms, and the heritage register gives its dating as 1805. The design by the master builder Meyer was judged good as early as 1792, but work began only in 1804.

In 1839 an openwork turret was added on the roof to a design by Weihardt, and in July of that year, after many disputes over the cost, a clock was installed on it. Above the entrance from the Armii Krajowej Street side the town's coat of arms was placed: the Pomeranian griffin with an anchor. The town hall initially housed the magistrate, the court, the customs office, the tax office and other offices, and after they moved out, the first floor of the building was taken by the Regional Museum, established in 1911. After the war the town hall again served the town authorities, and at the beginning of the 1970s it was handed over to the Sea Fishing Museum. The building is entered in the heritage register.

What to see in the museum

The exhibition is divided into three departments, spread over successive floors.

• Natural history department - the fauna of the Baltic, the Szczecin Lagoon and the Pomeranian Bay, animals of the cold Arctic waters and of warm seas, as well as an amber exhibition.
• Maritime department - fishing tools, models of fishing vessels and other ships, and navigational instruments.
• History department - documents, photographs, ceramics, furniture and coins telling the history of Świnoujście.

The museum also shows temporary exhibitions, including original pre-war postcards of the islands of Uznam and Wolin from its own collections. Reprints of the series “Świnoujście on Pre-war Postcards” are available to buy. A virtual tour of the interiors is available on the museum's website.

Practical information

• Address: Plac Rybaka 1, Świnoujście.
• Hours according to the museum's website: Monday closed, Tuesday-Saturday 9:00-17:00, Sunday 10:00-15:00. Check them on the museum's website before your visit, as they may differ on public holidays.
• Telephone given on the museum's website: 91 321 24 26.

Nearby

• Świnoujście Port - about 0.5 km.
• Christ the King Church - about 0.3 km.
• Spa Park - about 0.9 km.
• Świnoujście Lighthouse - about 2.3 km.