The Museum in Zelów – Center for Documentation of the History of the Czech Brethren

The Museum in Zelów – Center for Documentation of the History of the Czech Brethren is located in the adapted attic of the Evangelical Reformed Church and in its sacristy, which serves as an archive, archival workshop, and library. The museum collects and exhibits objects of spiritual and material culture related to the history of the Czech Brethren, placing particular emphasis on organizing exhibitions and educating young people through museum lessons. Until 2010, it was headed by its founding director, Rev. Mirosław Jelinek, and currently, the curators are Dr. Jacek Kriegseisen and M.A. Dariusz Czwojdrak. The museum's uniqueness is enhanced by the archive of the Evangelical Reformed parish in Zelów, which is the only nineteenth-century non-Catholic archive to have survived World War II. It contains 239 archival units, including 71 parish registers, making it a valuable source for genealogical research. The museum also possesses a collection of coffin cartouches related to funeral ceremonies, with 64 preserved specimens, the oldest of which dates back to 1841. Originally used to identify the deceased, the cartouches now serve commemorative and research purposes in genealogy. The museum also features a classroom from the time of Jan Amos Comenius, enriched with educational equipment donated by the Komenský Museum in Přerov. Permanent exhibitions present topics related to the history of the Czech Reformation, daily life in Zelów, and the influence of various denominations on the local community, including Catholics, Lutherans, and Jews. The museum also organizes occasional exhibitions, such as those commemorating the anniversary of Jan Łaski. An additional interesting fact is the patronage of the former President of the Czech Republic, Václav Havel, over the museum. The museum is open to visitors after prior telephone contact, and admission is free.