The Archives of the History of the National Museum in Krakow were established in 1973 in order to gather the dispersed documentation in one place. In the early years, the main emphasis was placed on the consolidation of the historical resources – records created until 1950. Then the collection grew through the acquisition of the most precious records, the documentation of the activities of the National Museum in Krakow under the directorship of Władysław Łuszczkiewicz (1880-1900) and his successor – Feliks Kopera (1901-1950).

Currently, the NMK Archives comprise the entire documentation relating to the activities of the National Museum in Krakow since its inception up to the present. Apart from the administrative files, these materials refer to the organization of exhibitions and issues related to the storage of museum exhibits. The file documentation is supplemented with posters and banners, press clippings, photographs, audio and video recordings, printed exhibition catalogues, guidebooks, brochures and exhibition visitors' books that allow for a comprehensive insight into the institution's activities.

The NMK Archives also preserve the legacy of the employees of the National Museum in Krakow as well as the documents of the institution and organizations related to it. In addition, as a result of projects carried out by the Artists' Archives and Numismatic Archives, the NMK Archives also comprise the legacy of artists and collectors. The most valuable collections preserved at the NMK Archives are the already mentioned documents created by the Museum office before World War II and immediately after it, the collection of newspaper clippings collected since 1879, the pre-war files of the Polish Association of Museums and the legacy of Feliks Jasieński.

Currently, the Archives holdings number approximately 300 linear meters of files and are still growing.


Text by Diana Błońska