Silesian Museum in Katowice

Above ground you see only glass cuboids, the brick buildings of a former mine and a headframe. The actual Silesian Museum is hidden underground: its galleries occupy underground levels beneath the site of the closed "Katowice" coal mine. It is the fullest account of Upper Silesia in one place — from Matejko and Wyspiański, through the naive art of miners, to the region's history told without censorship.

History: the museum the Germans tore down

The museum was founded by the Silesian Sejm on 23 January 1929, with Tadeusz Dobrowolski as its first director. Karol Schayer designed a modern H-shaped building for it, with air conditioning and escalators — construction was completed in 1939 and the opening planned for 1940. It never happened: after occupying Katowice, the Germans moved the collections to Bytom and between 1941 and 1944 demolished the almost finished building down to its foundations. The museum was revived only in 1984, in the former Grand Hotel on Korfantego Avenue, and in 2015 it moved to the site of the "Katowice" mine (formerly "Ferdinand") in the Bogucice district.

Underground architecture

The new home was designed by the Austrian practice Riegler Riewe Architekten from Graz, winners of an international competition in 2007. The idea was simple: interfere as little as possible with the post-industrial landscape. Above ground stand the lobby, an administrative building and glass skylights, while the exhibitions occupy levels −2 and −4. The complex has more than 25,000 m² of floor space, including 6,000 m² for exhibitions, and one hall is 12.5 m high. The building was nominated for the 2015 Mies van der Rohe Award. Restored mine buildings have new roles: the engine house holds a restaurant, the clothing store the Centre for Polish Scenography, and the top of the "Warszawa II" shaft tower has a viewing terrace.

What to see

The collection numbers more than 118,000 objects, of which about 1,400 are shown in six permanent exhibitions:

• "The Light of History. Upper Silesia over the Ages" — the largest display (1,364 m²), also covering the region's German heritage and topics silenced under communism;
• Polish Art 1800–1945 — including Matejko, Chełmoński, Malczewski, Wyspiański and Boznańska;
• Polish Art after 1945 — from Kantor and Nowosielski to Beksiński and Hasior;
• Gallery of Non-Professional Art, with works by miner-painters;
• Gallery of Silesian Sacred Art and the Laboratory of Theatrical Space.

Did you know?

The first paintings for the gallery were bought as early as 1927, among them Jan Matejko's "Ostafi Daszkiewicz" and two canvases by Chełmoński. In 2012 the museum opened its first permanent route for blind and partially sighted visitors. Nearby, in the same Culture Zone, stand the home of the NOSPR orchestra and the International Congress Centre.

Tripto tips

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–20:00, and closed on Mondays. Allow 2–3 hours for a first visit, or half a day with the temporary exhibitions; if you are short of time, choose "The Light of History" and one painting gallery. Check ticket prices and whether the viewing tower is open (after renovation in 2023–2026) on the museum's website before you go. There are two car parks — at ground level (120 spaces) and underground (220 spaces); the first 3 hours are free, and each additional hour costs PLN 5. From the Spodek arena and the main roundabout it is a few minutes' walk.