National Museum

The Wrocław National Museum's collections are intricately linked to the changes in borders in Central Europe after World War II. Following the annexation of the eastern half of the Second Polish Republic by the Soviet Union, significant portions of Poland's art collections were transferred from cities such as Lviv to other locations, including the National Museum in Wrocław. The cultural heritage that was transported in 1946 consisted of Polish and European paintings dating from the 17th to 19th centuries, as well as the holdings of the Ossolineum, which became part of the Lviv National Museum.

During the Siege of Breslau, most of the historic buildings in Wrocław were destroyed or severely damaged. The Polish Department of Museums and Heritage Protection was tasked with finding a suitable location for the newly arriving cultural artifacts, and the relatively unscathed location of the former Silesian regency office, built in 1883-1886 in the midst of the old city center, was selected on January 1, 1947.

Although the Wrocław National Museum and its collections were new to the city, the tradition of art museums in Wrocław has roots stretching back centuries. The museum's predecessors include the Royal Museum of Art and Antiquity, formed in 1815, the Silesian Museum of Fine Arts created in 1880, and the Silesian Museum of Applied Arts established in 1899. When Poland vanished from the map of Europe at the end of the 18th century, many artifacts produced by Polish artists and artisans were also displayed there.

Admission to the Museum gallery is free of charge every Saturday. The Museum houses a number of permanent exhibitions divided into four distinct departments that showcase art from different periods and historical epochs.

The first department, "Silesian Art of the 12th to 16th century," showcases the Gothic art of Poland, along with the tombs of Silesian princes. The second department, "Silesian Art of the 16th to 19th century," features sculptures, paintings, and decorative arts from the Silesian Renaissance to Romanticism. The third department, "Polish Art of the 17th to 19th century," showcases Polish Baroque portraits, including works by Marceli Bacciarelli and Canaletto. The final department, "European Art of the 15th-20th Century," features works by renowned artists such as Pieter Brueghel the Younger, Agnolo Bronzino, Lovis Corinth, and Wassily Kandinsky.

In addition to these exhibitions, the Museum also houses a collection of "Polish Art of the 20th century," featuring works by prominent artists such as Tadeusz Kantor, Alina Szapocznikow, and Katarzyna Kozyra. In September 2011, the Museum opened a "New Gallery of Contemporary Art" in its remodeled attic.