MAIN BUILDING OF THE MUSEUM
Since May 2014, the museum has been located in the historic tenement house at Łukasiewicza 10. The building, constructed at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, was occupied by the citizens of Strzyżów of Jewish origin until the Second World War. After the war it was used, among others, as municipal housing and by the City Social Welfare Center.
The main building currently houses seven exhibition rooms:
The main building currently houses seven exhibition rooms:
- a room devoted to prof. Zygmunt Leśniak, the history of gathering museum collections and schooling in Strzyżów. A notable part of the exhibition is a corner devoted to the Democratic Home Army – a secret and illegal organisation of local youth whose goal was to oppose communism. The room also houses a paleontological exhibition.
- a theatrical temporary exhibition “The House and Art of Wojciech Weiss” directed by Jarosław Figura. The exhibits include furniture and other objects which once belonged to the amous artist and were donated to the museum by his relatives. The unique atmosphere of the artist’s dwelling is enhanced by lights, music and audio effects.
- a room devoted to former city authorities, portraits of mayors from the 19th and 20th centuries. The interior of a 19th/20th century tenement house is displayed in this room as well.
- a room divided into three sections: 1) an exhibition devoted to citizens of the area, including a writer and painter Karolina Urbanowicz from the neighboring Kożuchów, as well as other locals who emigrated to the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries, 2) a temporary exhibition titled "Strzyżów. History of the city and its inhabitants" 3) an archaeological exhibition devoted to prehistory, the medieval period and modern times of the Strzyżów area.
- rooms commemorating Franciszek Chrapkiewicz from the neighboring Godowa, a world-renowned scientist and biochemist currently residing in France. The exhibition is housed in two rooms and displays items such as mementos, medals, documents, the Professor’s university robes. His office was recreated as part of the exhibition.
- an ethnographic room dedicated to artifacts representing the local folk culture from the 19th and 20th centuries. The exhibits are mostly tools, furniture, everyday objects, pieces of clothing, and wooden sculptures.
NAZI RAILWAY TUNNEL
A Nazi shelter tunnel with adjacent buildings (such as barracks, personnel bunkers and watchtowers) is located on the eastern side of the city. The tunnel was one of two railway headquarters called Fűhrerhauptquartier – Anlage Sűd, constructed by the occupying force for Adolf Hitler during the Second World War. The other tunnel was built in the nearby villages Stępina and Cieszyna.
The railway complex was designed and built by the Nazi Todt Organization between spring of 1940 and summer of 1941. Of the buildings which were part of the Strzyżów headquarters, only the railway shelter tunnel and the back stairs survived until today.
The railway tunnel is situated underground. Its total length is 438 meters and its circular cross-section equals 8,87 meters. The side walls are part concrete, part reinforced concrete. The roof was made of brick. The entrance and exit to the tunnel have barriers of reinforced concrete with rectangular portals which are 5,4 metres wide and 4,5 metres high. Upper parts of the doors to the tunnel still have original iron ventilators.
On the 27th and 28th of August 1941, the Strzyżów bunker sheltered Hitler’s train "Amerika" when he visited Poland to meet with Mussolini in Stępina. In 1944 the tunnel was overtaken by guerrilla fighters of the Polish Home Army.
The railway complex was designed and built by the Nazi Todt Organization between spring of 1940 and summer of 1941. Of the buildings which were part of the Strzyżów headquarters, only the railway shelter tunnel and the back stairs survived until today.
The railway tunnel is situated underground. Its total length is 438 meters and its circular cross-section equals 8,87 meters. The side walls are part concrete, part reinforced concrete. The roof was made of brick. The entrance and exit to the tunnel have barriers of reinforced concrete with rectangular portals which are 5,4 metres wide and 4,5 metres high. Upper parts of the doors to the tunnel still have original iron ventilators.
On the 27th and 28th of August 1941, the Strzyżów bunker sheltered Hitler’s train "Amerika" when he visited Poland to meet with Mussolini in Stępina. In 1944 the tunnel was overtaken by guerrilla fighters of the Polish Home Army.
CITY GALLERY
The City Gallery is located in the attic of a tenement building at Rynek 15, in the south-eastern corner of the city center. The two rooms of the gallery house various temporary exhibitions, the space is also utilized to host workshops and meetings organized by the museum.
SYNAGOGUE
What is currently the Public Library of the city, used to be a synagogue until 1964. The building dates back to the 18th century. Inside it you can find a permanent exhibition titled “History of Judaism in Strzyżów” which is arranged in the bema. That central area is the only place in the building with the original polychrome still intact.