Muzeum na wolnym powietrzu w Katowicach (1929–1955). Idee, plany i realizacja
Open Air Museum in Katowice (1929–1955). The Idea, Plan and Realization

Summary/Abstract: Although the first open-air museum was opened to the public at the end of the 19th century, the concept became popular in Poland only after the country had regained its independence in 1918. During that time, the idea was born to creatie a Silesian village heritage park, and the person who rose to the challenge was Tadeusz Dobrowolski, a conservator of monuments and the director of the Art Department at the Silesian Voivodeship Office since 1927. He saw that the industrialization of the region was rapidly consuming more and more examples of the old wooden architecture – a crucial argument in the discussion on the Polish identity of Upper Silesia. The area of the Kosciuszko Park in Katowice was selected as the location for the new heritage park. It is the place where in 1933 the court granary from Gołkowice and in 1938-1939 – the church of St. Michael Archangel from Syrynia were reconstructed. The outbreak of the war shattered all further opportunities to expand the display. The issue of creating the Silesian village heritage park in this spot was brought up again in the 1950s. Finally, out of the many propositions for its location, the decision was made to choose the westernmost part of the Voivodeship Park of Culture and Recreation in Chorzów.

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