Stanisław Fischer Museum in Bochnia

The Stanisław Fischer Museum in Bochnia is housed in the former Dominican monastery at Rynek 20. The monastery lost its religious function after a fire in 1751 and was later put to secular uses, including as the seat of the authorities.

History of the museum

The museum was founded in 1959 thanks to Stanisław Fischer, a teacher and regional activist, one of the Righteous Among the Nations. Fischer gave the museum his own collection: old folk sculpture and painting, early printed books and manuscripts, guild memorabilia, militaria and archaeological finds. Today the museum is run by the municipality.

Collections

The exhibitions cover archaeology and the history of Bochnia, with particular attention to the story of the salt mine, as well as ethnography, including non-European (Africa, Asia, South America). A separate section is devoted to art: works by, among others, Teodor Axentowicz, Olga Boznańska, Julian Fałat, Jacek Malczewski and Leon Wyczółkowski, and by local artists. Since 1983 the museum has organised the Thursday Museum Meetings, which are lectures on humanities subjects.

The visit combines well with the Bochnia Salt Mine, less than a kilometre away, or with the Butterfly Museum.

Practical information

• Address: Rynek 20, 32-700 Bochnia.
• Hours according to the museum's website: closed on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10:00-15:30, Thursday 11:30-19:00, afternoons at weekends. The hours change, so check them at muzeumbochnia.pl.
• Telephone: 14 612 32 85.