DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.33086#0032
1916, the Museum oi Fine Arts was transiormed into the
Nationai Museum in Warsaw. The plans, dating back to
1862, that could not be realized because oi political oppres-
sion, were thus carried out.
In 1918, aiter the regaining oi independence, the Govern-
ment delegated the care oi museums, works oi art and
historicai relics to the Ministry oi Culture and Art and,
later to the Ministry oi Education. Under a government
decree oi 1918, the protection oi all monuments oi the past,
throughout Poland, was entrusted to special conservation
authorities. Legislation passed in 1928 regulated in detail the
problems of preserving works oi art and historical relics
in the country and of their exportation abroad. This law
remained in iorce until 1962 when the Seym passed a new
law on museums and the preservation of monuments.
The setting up of a uniiorm programme for the activities
and development oi museums was a more complex matter,
as museums were the property of various towns, institutions
or even private individuals. It was decided to keep this
state of aifairs and to leave the task of maintaining and
expanding the museums to the free initiative oi various
social agencies. It is true that a Board of Directors ior
State Art Collections was established but its activities co-
vered only the collections in large, state-owned residences:
the Royal Castle in Warsaw, the group of palaces and pa-
vilions in the Lazienki Park in Warsaw and the Wawel
Castle in Cracow. The only museum sponsored by the Board
was the Galiery of Modern Polish Art, incorporated into
the National Museum in Warsaw in 1938.
The attempts at making the work oi museums uniform and
at planning their development, brought no results. It is
true that a Law on Museums was passed in 1935, authorizing
State supervision over all museums, and a Museum Council
was formed, composed of specialists representing various
types of museums and various fields of culture — but this
did not have a bearing on the future of the museums.
Of essential importance, on the other hand, was the social
agency coordinating the activities of museums at that time
and forming plans for their iuture development. This was
the Union of Museums in Poland, reorganized in 1921, with
headquarters in Cracow. Its work consisted chiefly in or-
ganizing annual scientiiic congresses, at which representa-
tives of museums of aii grades and types came together,
and in the publication oi the Pami$tnik Mazeain^ (Mu-
seum Journal). Seven issues of the Journal appeared until
1938, and the 8th issue was published in 1947. In addition
to reports on the work of the Union and on its annuai
sessions, as well as information on the activities of the
various museums, the Journal published articles on mu-
seums in other countries and papers on museoiogy and
the conservation of monuments of art.
Looking at the development of museums in Poland in the
yea.rs 1920—39, it can easily be seen that efforts were
mainly concentrated on fulfilling the principal tasks that
could not be carried out under the conditions of political
servitude. This accounts for the fact that it was oniy then
tnat certain central museums were established in the
country's capital and others were reorganized; this was also
why, just at that time, such vigorous efiorts were made at
29
Nationai Museum in Warsaw. The plans, dating back to
1862, that could not be realized because oi political oppres-
sion, were thus carried out.
In 1918, aiter the regaining oi independence, the Govern-
ment delegated the care oi museums, works oi art and
historicai relics to the Ministry oi Culture and Art and,
later to the Ministry oi Education. Under a government
decree oi 1918, the protection oi all monuments oi the past,
throughout Poland, was entrusted to special conservation
authorities. Legislation passed in 1928 regulated in detail the
problems of preserving works oi art and historical relics
in the country and of their exportation abroad. This law
remained in iorce until 1962 when the Seym passed a new
law on museums and the preservation of monuments.
The setting up of a uniiorm programme for the activities
and development oi museums was a more complex matter,
as museums were the property of various towns, institutions
or even private individuals. It was decided to keep this
state of aifairs and to leave the task of maintaining and
expanding the museums to the free initiative oi various
social agencies. It is true that a Board of Directors ior
State Art Collections was established but its activities co-
vered only the collections in large, state-owned residences:
the Royal Castle in Warsaw, the group of palaces and pa-
vilions in the Lazienki Park in Warsaw and the Wawel
Castle in Cracow. The only museum sponsored by the Board
was the Galiery of Modern Polish Art, incorporated into
the National Museum in Warsaw in 1938.
The attempts at making the work oi museums uniform and
at planning their development, brought no results. It is
true that a Law on Museums was passed in 1935, authorizing
State supervision over all museums, and a Museum Council
was formed, composed of specialists representing various
types of museums and various fields of culture — but this
did not have a bearing on the future of the museums.
Of essential importance, on the other hand, was the social
agency coordinating the activities of museums at that time
and forming plans for their iuture development. This was
the Union of Museums in Poland, reorganized in 1921, with
headquarters in Cracow. Its work consisted chiefly in or-
ganizing annual scientiiic congresses, at which representa-
tives of museums of aii grades and types came together,
and in the publication oi the Pami$tnik Mazeain^ (Mu-
seum Journal). Seven issues of the Journal appeared until
1938, and the 8th issue was published in 1947. In addition
to reports on the work of the Union and on its annuai
sessions, as well as information on the activities of the
various museums, the Journal published articles on mu-
seums in other countries and papers on museoiogy and
the conservation of monuments of art.
Looking at the development of museums in Poland in the
yea.rs 1920—39, it can easily be seen that efforts were
mainly concentrated on fulfilling the principal tasks that
could not be carried out under the conditions of political
servitude. This accounts for the fact that it was oniy then
tnat certain central museums were established in the
country's capital and others were reorganized; this was also
why, just at that time, such vigorous efiorts were made at
29