History of the museum in Mikołów
The idea of establishing a municipal museum in Mikołów was born in the 1960s, when the Friends of Mikołów Association and the heritage conservation section of the local branch of the Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society began collecting exhibits documenting the history of the town and its surroundings. Over the following years, various initiatives were undertaken to create a separate institution, but none of them brought the expected results.
A significant change took place in 2005, when a group of enthusiasts of Mikołów's history founded the Association of Friends of the Regional Museum. A year later, the City Council established a new entity – the Municipal Museum, which was housed in the former villa of the manufacturer Heinrich Koetz, known as the White House, at 15 Karola Miarki Street.
In 2015, Mayor Stanisław Piechula took steps to enable the Municipial Museum to function as an independent cultural institution. The culmination of the efforts initiated at that time coincided with the celebration of the 800th anniversary of Mikołów. Pursuant to the statute adopted in October 2021, on 1 May 2022, the Municipial Museum was transformed into the Museum in Mikołów (in organisation), with Wojciech Szwiec as its first director.
The year 2024 was a breakthrough for the Mikołów museum. After the completion of the general renovation of the historic villa of the interwar mayor Jan Koj, located at 18 Konstytucji 3 Maja Street – a former official residence from the 1930s – the long-awaited move to the new premises took place.
Exhibitions
The museum building houses an exhibition entitled From the History of Mikołów, devoted to the town's more than 800-year history, as well as a temporary exhibition space and an attic filled with exhibits related to Silesian housing, a former pharmacy and an old school. One of the attractions is a room arranged as the mayor's office, where you can sit at the desk and feel the pre-war atmosphere of the place.
Activities
The Museum in Mikołów continues its activities dynamically, preparing exhibitions, meetings and lectures devoted to local history and the history of Upper Silesia. It organises conferences, historical walks, outdoor exhibitions, workshops and also publishes materials.
On a daily basis, the museum cooperates with non-governmental organisations, including members of the Mikołów Historical Society. One of the museum's initiatives is the Mikołów Antique Market, which takes place in the market square on the first Sunday of every month.
The museum's primary task remains to collect memorabilia of former residents of Mikołów and to promote local history.