| Popis: |
Two attempts were made to found the Museum in Żory, each time when the anniversary of the town’s founding was being celebrated. The Municipal Cultural Centre then organised exhibitions devoted to the town’s history. Since the interest in celebrations dropped off once they were finished, the museum was never founded. In 1999 the concept was changed, and African culture started to predominate. The interest in such an exhibition was huge, and thus the Municipal Museum was founded in December 2000. It has two branches, one devoted to the history and culture of the region, and one devoted to non-European cultures. At the beginning, museum professionals were aware of the fact that the museum’s existence depended on social acceptance. It was decided to focus on animation activities, which effectively attracted a lot of visitors. At the same time, both the regional and West African collections were created. Since the museum was founded quite recently, the majority of the collection is made up of objects from the 2nd half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. Having its own premises was a serious problem for the museum. After many years of struggle, an agreement was concluded with the Katowice Special Economic Zone (KSSE) to add a wing to the historical Haering villa from 1908 which it owned. In autumn 2014 the construction work finished and the museum gained its own premises. The museum presents two permanent exhibitions: "Our identity" and "The Polish way of learning about the world". The former presents the history and culture of the region and town, from their beginnings until today. The latter is devoted to research carried out by Polish scientists in various parts of the globe. The museum acquires objects mainly through its own field work, as well as from collections gathered by Polish scientists during their research. Purchasing historical and expensive objects at antique shops and markets is rare. |
