Emeryk Hutten-Czapski Museum

The Emeryk Hutten-Czapski Museum, also known as the Czapski Museum, is a branch of the National Museum in Krakow, housed in the historic Czapski Palace from 1884 at Józefa Piłsudskiego Street. The palace was purchased by Emeryk Hutten-Czapski, a collector, bibliophile, and numismatist, who amassed over 11,000 artifacts in his estate, including coins, medals, and old prints. In 1896, at his request, Tadeusz Stryjeński designed a museum pavilion, the entrance of which was adorned with the Latin inscription "Monumentis Patriae Naufragio Ereptis." After Hutten-Czapski's death in 1896, his wife Elżbieta played a key role in establishing the museum, which opened in 1901. In 1903, the family donated the entire collection to the city, and in 1904, the museum became a branch of the National Museum. The museum's collections were enriched with donations, including those from Wiktor Wittyg and Zygmunt Zakrzewski, which added medieval and Piast dynasty coins. The entire collection was exhibited until 1939, and after the war, the holdings were systematically expanded. In 2013, after renovations, the European Center of Polish Numismatics was opened, showcasing collections of coins, medals, and banknotes. The museum also houses many valuable collections, such as old prints, photographs, and interesting objects, including sculptures and a historic tiled stove, which are attractive to visitors. Currently, the head of the museum, Agnieszka Kosińska, plays an important role in its operations, and the buildings at Piłsudskiego Street house many specialized departments and a conservation workshop. Also noteworthy are sculptures such as Henryk Kunzek's Chimera and Teofila Certowicz's Morpheus, which adorn the museum's surroundings.