National Museum in Kielce

The National Museum in Kielce (MNKi) is an institution with over 100 years of tradition, housed in a 17th-century palace that once served as the residence of the bishops of Kraków. The museum boasts rich collections in the fields of painting, artistic crafts, folk art, archaeology, and natural history. Among its permanent exhibitions are historic interiors from the 17th and 18th centuries, the Sanctuary of Marshal Józef Piłsudski, the Gallery of Polish Painting, and the Numismatic Cabinet. The museum organizes numerous temporary exhibitions, concerts, and workshops, and in 2009, it obtained the ISO 9001:2008 Certificate and adapted the palace for people with disabilities. The history of the museum dates back to 1908, when it was established by the Kielce branch of the Polish Sightseeing Society, with Szymon Tadeusz Włoszek as its first director. The first exhibit was a specimen of a fossilized tree, and by 1910, the museum already had 1,986 cataloged objects. In 1945, after the war, the museum was reestablished, resulting in new exhibitions and an enrichment of its collections. In 1975, it was granted the status of a National Museum, becoming one of seven such museums in Poland. The National Museum in Kielce houses many valuable works, including paintings by artists such as Jacek Malczewski, Olga Boznańska, and Stanisław Wyspiański. The museum also conducts educational activities, organizing workshops and family events. It is worth mentioning that the museum also has branches, such as the Henryk Sienkiewicz Museum in Oblęgorek and the Archaeological Museum in Wiślica. An interesting fact is that the Sanctuary of Marshal Józef Piłsudski was established in 1938. Over the years, the National Museum in Kielce continues to evolve, and its collections and educational programs attract an increasing number of visitors.