Nature and Hunting Museum in Uzarzewo

The Museum of Nature and Hunting in Uzarzewo, a branch of the National Museum of Agriculture and Food Industry in Szreniawa, was established in 1977 on the initiative of the Provincial Hunting Council in Poznań. In 1982, it officially became a branch of the museum. The institution is housed in a historic manor from the mid-19th century, surrounded by a 6-hectare park, which gives it a unique architectural context. The manor, an eclectic structure built in 1860 and designed by an artist close to Stanisław Hebanowski, features three floors, a tower, and distinctive wings. The museum's interiors showcase a rich exhibition dedicated to hunting and gamekeeping in Greater Poland, along with a collection of exhibits such as hunting weapons, medal-winning trophies, taxidermied animals, and documents related to the history of hunting. A new pavilion, expanded in 2010, houses the Adam Smorawiński Collection, which includes exotic trophies and 78 species of preserved parrots. In 2022, a permanent exhibition of watercolors by Jan Bogumił Sokołowski, regarded as a pioneer of practical bird conservation and a popularizer of natural knowledge in the region, was opened. The manor's architectural style and the park, designed by Augustyn Denizot, give the place a unique atmosphere, while its history and collections explore the cultural significance of hunting in the Polish landscape. Interestingly, the park in Uzarzewo, designed by Denizot, shares similarities with other significant Polish landscape designs, highlighting the artistic and historical value of the site. The museum is an important point on the cultural map of Greater Poland, combining architecture, nature, and hunting heritage.