Museum of Ceramic Techniques in Koło

The Museum of Ceramic Techniques in Koło, founded in 1975 by Czesław Freudenreich, is located in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. The museum focuses on ceramics, particularly faience produced by the Freudenreich family, but also features exhibitions related to the history of the city. The idea of establishing the institution dates back to the 1930s, but due to a lack of funds, the plan was put on hold. Valuable ceramic collections stored at Primary School No. 3 were lost during World War II. A museum that existed in Kościelec from 1948 to 1947 also did not survive, and its collections were transferred to the Greater Poland Museum in Poznań. In 1972, efforts began to gather exhibits for the Chamber of Memorabilia of the Koło Land, which operated until 1975 and was later transformed into the Museum in Koło. In subsequent years, the institution underwent various organizational changes, becoming an independent entity in 1984. The museum conducts archaeological research, which in the 1980s led to the discovery of sites from the Bronze Age and the Roman period. Today, the museum organizes various educational events, festivals, and conducts documentation and research on the history of the Koło Land, including events from World War II. The museum actively collaborates with local institutions and publishes the "Rocznik Kolski" (Koło Yearbook) in cooperation with the Municipal Cultural Center and the Public Library. Among its achievements are numerous awards for its museum activities. The director of the museum since 2018 is Tomasz Nuszkiewicz. In 2022, the museum was awarded the Medal "For Merit to the League of National Defense." The Museum of Ceramic Techniques plays an important role in preserving local heritage and promoting the culture of the region.