Regional Museum in Jawor

The Regional Museum in Jawor occupies the former Bernardine monastery at ul. Klasztorna 6, close to the Church of Peace. The Gothic hall church with its cloisters and garth is itself the main exhibit: it preserves a late Gothic cycle of Passion paintings from around 1520, described as the largest set of its kind in Poland. Add Silesian sacred art, Jawor gingerbread and the story of the UNESCO-listed Church of Peace.

History: from monastery to Heimatmuseum

The monastery complex was built in 1489–1492 for the Bernardines, i.e. the Observant Franciscans. It comprises the hall Church of Our Lady and a monastery with its medieval room layout, cloisters, garth and dansker (latrine tower). The museum continues the tradition of the Heimatmuseum Jauer, founded in 1929 in a villa donated by Prof. Carl Koschwitz. After the war the museum reopened in 1949, and in the 1960s the collections moved into the former monastery. Following renovation in 1978–1986, it reopened in December 1986.

What to see

• The Passion wall paintings from about 1520 in the church and in the cloisters on the ground and first floors – according to the museum, one of only a few such ensembles in Central Europe.
• The Gallery of Silesian Sacred Art with religious painting from the 15th to the 18th century, shown inside the church together with 16th- and 17th-century wall paintings.
• The Gallery of Transferred Wall Paintings, rescued from other buildings before they were destroyed.
• "Crossing the Impossible" – an exhibition on the Church of Peace in Jawor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• "Jawor Gingerbread" and "Old Crafts" with gingerbread moulds and pieces of Baroque Jawor goldsmithing.
• "Secrets of the Jawor Armoury" with weapons, the oldest from the 14th century.
• "Treasury of the Sudetes" – minerals and gemstones, prepared with the Museum of the Bohemian Paradise in Turnov.
• Exhibitions on robber knights in the Duchy of Jawor, the prehistory of the Jawor area, the monastery garden and the Mercedes-Benz factory in Jawor.

Curious facts

The museum also runs the tower of Jawor's Piast Castle, open since 2013 – it offers a panorama of the town. Its educational programme includes weaving, glass-painting and gingerbread workshops.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: according to Via Fabrilis project materials, the museum is open Wednesday to Sunday – 10:00–16:00 from November to March and 10:00–17:00 from April to October. Confirm current prices by phone: +48 76 870 30 86.
• Time needed: allow 1.5–2 hours for the exhibitions and cloisters.
• Combine: the UNESCO-listed Church of Peace is in the same town, and the castle tower rounds off a visit to Jawor.