DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.33086#0048
exhibitions devoted to great historic events, to national
heroes, scholars and artists, and exhibitions in the field oi
natural history and technology. The Association oi Art Histo-
rians has cooperated with the museums in the preparation
of exhibition programmes. Exhibitions in smaller centres
often were connected with lectures, concerts, public readings,
etc. In the past few years, a totai of some 1,200 temporary
and touring exhibitions were organized annually, including
more than 500 temporary exhibitions, 200 to 300 touring
exhibitions, and over 400 special educational exhibitions.
A new stage in the social and educational work opened in
1961 when the Administration of Museums and of the Pre-
servation of Monuments launched the watchword: "Mu-
seums — the Universities of Culture". This brought about
not only intensified educational work but a search for new
forms as well. Besides the traditional forms of work, such
as guided tours, lectures and special exhibitions, museums
now organize youth circles and sponsor contests for young
people; they prepare exhibitions together with libraries; on
the occasion of touring exhibitions, they organize sales of
books; they establish contacts with factories and offices,
organize evenings of poetry and music combined with public
discussions, as well as comprehensive programmes including
exhibitions, theatre performances, concerts, i^ctures, etc. The
most essential form of work within the framework of the
"Museums — Universities of Culture" programme is a syste-
matic series of lectures or courses with strictly defined
subjects, often concerning problems of a given region. All
these activities require adequate space and, in particular,
a lecture room with the necessary facilities. The inaugura-
tion of "Universities of Cuiture" in museums is therefore
connected, in most cases, with the establishing of a lecture
room, reading room and conference room, sometimes oi
a cafe. Among the first museums to establish "Universities
of Culture" were those in Zielona Gora, Gdansk, Kielce,
Rzeszow, Bytom and Lubiin — and the operation began
to spread ever wider. An Inter-Museum Coordination Com-
mission was formed in Cracow to streamline the social
and educational programmes, and the National Museum has
undertaken, with the cooperation of sociologists, a research
programme broadened so as to include the problems of
spreading culture in rural areas. Close cooperation exists
between the museums of Cracow and those in the Voi-
vodship of Opole. In Warsaw, a Museum Coordination Com-
mission has been in existence since 1958. Among other
things, it has undertaken a most important programme of
cooperation with museums and cultural institutions in the
Voivodships of Warsaw, Olsztyn and Kielce, and has esta-
blished cooperation with the Cultural Coordinating Com-
mission of the four south-eastern Voivodships of Lublin,
Biaiystok, Kielce and Rzeszow. Museums carry on lively
publishing work connected with their educational activities.
Within two decades, there have appeared more than 1,600
educational publications, issued by museums.
In the past few years, annual museum attendance has
reached 16 million visitors.
45
heroes, scholars and artists, and exhibitions in the field oi
natural history and technology. The Association oi Art Histo-
rians has cooperated with the museums in the preparation
of exhibition programmes. Exhibitions in smaller centres
often were connected with lectures, concerts, public readings,
etc. In the past few years, a totai of some 1,200 temporary
and touring exhibitions were organized annually, including
more than 500 temporary exhibitions, 200 to 300 touring
exhibitions, and over 400 special educational exhibitions.
A new stage in the social and educational work opened in
1961 when the Administration of Museums and of the Pre-
servation of Monuments launched the watchword: "Mu-
seums — the Universities of Culture". This brought about
not only intensified educational work but a search for new
forms as well. Besides the traditional forms of work, such
as guided tours, lectures and special exhibitions, museums
now organize youth circles and sponsor contests for young
people; they prepare exhibitions together with libraries; on
the occasion of touring exhibitions, they organize sales of
books; they establish contacts with factories and offices,
organize evenings of poetry and music combined with public
discussions, as well as comprehensive programmes including
exhibitions, theatre performances, concerts, i^ctures, etc. The
most essential form of work within the framework of the
"Museums — Universities of Culture" programme is a syste-
matic series of lectures or courses with strictly defined
subjects, often concerning problems of a given region. All
these activities require adequate space and, in particular,
a lecture room with the necessary facilities. The inaugura-
tion of "Universities of Cuiture" in museums is therefore
connected, in most cases, with the establishing of a lecture
room, reading room and conference room, sometimes oi
a cafe. Among the first museums to establish "Universities
of Culture" were those in Zielona Gora, Gdansk, Kielce,
Rzeszow, Bytom and Lubiin — and the operation began
to spread ever wider. An Inter-Museum Coordination Com-
mission was formed in Cracow to streamline the social
and educational programmes, and the National Museum has
undertaken, with the cooperation of sociologists, a research
programme broadened so as to include the problems of
spreading culture in rural areas. Close cooperation exists
between the museums of Cracow and those in the Voi-
vodship of Opole. In Warsaw, a Museum Coordination Com-
mission has been in existence since 1958. Among other
things, it has undertaken a most important programme of
cooperation with museums and cultural institutions in the
Voivodships of Warsaw, Olsztyn and Kielce, and has esta-
blished cooperation with the Cultural Coordinating Com-
mission of the four south-eastern Voivodships of Lublin,
Biaiystok, Kielce and Rzeszow. Museums carry on lively
publishing work connected with their educational activities.
Within two decades, there have appeared more than 1,600
educational publications, issued by museums.
In the past few years, annual museum attendance has
reached 16 million visitors.
45