Museums
Chamber of Tradition and Old Culture in Siewierz
Siewierz, Silesian
- Rainy-day option
Highlights
- Frank family manor from around 1800 with a mansard roof
- Municipal seat after Siewierz lost its town rights in the 19th century
- Nearly 2,000 exhibits: archaeology, crafts, art
- Models of the late 18th-century castle and the 16th-century town hall
- Tourist information point and the Siewierz Land Artists' Gallery
About this place
South of the parish church in Siewierz, at 5 Kościuszki Street, stands a neat manor house with a mansard roof and dormers – the Old Commune Building. Since 2005 it has housed the Chamber of Tradition and Old Culture, a small museum about the days when Siewierz was the capital of a duchy ruled by the bishops of Kraków. The collection numbers nearly 2,000 objects, and its highlights are scale models of the castle and the vanished town hall.
History: the Franks' house and the commune office
The house was built around 1800 for the Frank family. After 1863, when the tsarist authorities stripped Siewierz of its town rights, residents bought the building and made it the seat of the commune authorities, which stayed here until the 1940s. The house has two storeys and rusticated corners, with a double-bay interior and a central hall. It stands on the historic Bishops' Road linking Siewierz with Kraków – from 1443 to 1790 the bishops of Kraków were also Dukes of Siewierz.
What to see
- Model of Siewierz Castle as it looked at the end of the 18th century – a good primer before visiting the ruins of the bishops' stronghold.
- Model of the 16th-century town hall, which has not survived.
- Archaeological finds, old crafts, art and handicrafts.
- Gallery of Siewierz Region Artists with work by local artists.
The building also houses a tourist information point (since 2011) and is the base of the Knightly Banner of the Duchy of Siewierz, a re-enactment group recalling the town's ducal past. The museum sells souvenirs and books about the region.
Tripto tips
- Hours: according to the municipal website, in season (May–September) the museum opens Monday to Friday, 10:00–15:00; out of season, visits by prior phone arrangement. Hours may change depending on visitor numbers and events (as of October 2026).
- Tickets: adults PLN 6, children, school pupils and local residents PLN 4.
- Plan: allow 30–45 minutes. Start here, then walk on to the ruins of the bishops' castle and the stone Church of St John the Baptist, built before 1144.
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