Museum of Cieszyn Silesia

The Silesian Cieszyn Museum, founded in 1802 by Father Leopold Jan Szersznik, is one of the oldest museums in Central Europe. Its headquarters, located in the Municipal Palace of the Larisch Counts, is an example of Baroque-Classicist architecture. Built between 1790 and 1796 after the great fire of Cieszyn, the building features rich details such as barrel vaults, Tuscan columns, and representative halls, including the Egyptian Hall, which hosted grand balls. The museum houses extensive collections in archaeology, ethnography, history, art, and technology, with over 24,000 books in its library and valuable documents such as incunabula. Exhibits include medieval relics, Gothic and Renaissance sculptures, militaria, and a collection of photographs documenting life in Cieszyn over the years. The museum conducts various educational activities, organizing museum lessons and events such as the Cieszyn Museum Night and art fairs, as well as outdoor events celebrating local traditions. An interesting fact is that the Silesian Cieszyn Museum has hosted emperors and aristocrats, and its history is closely tied to that of Cieszyn and Cieszyn Silesia, from the time when the palace was the residence of the Larisch Counts to the modern era, when the building's restoration was completed in 2002.