The Irena and Mieczysław Mazaraki Museum in Chrzanów

ul. Mickiewicza 13,
32-500 Chrzanów

phone 32 753 87 11
Fax 32 623 51 73
page museum

How to get there :

on foot

by car

Opening hours

Monday — Tuesday

8.30 — 14.30

Wednesday

8.30 — 18.30

Thursday — Friday

8.30 — 14.30

Saturday

closed

Sunday

12.00 — 16.00

Ticket Prices

normal 4 PLN reduced 3 PLN

Sculpture “Bust of Róża Loewenfeld”

The sculpture presents a classicist bust of a young woman with a slightly bent head turned to the right. Admittedly, a faint resemblance of the artistic vision of the German sculptor to the actual figure raised doubts, but how many times have images been idealised, beautifying the portrayed individuals and making them look younger?

Jewish wedding ring

The Jewish wedding ring was purchased in 1985 in “Desa”. Its owner is unknown. The ring is decorated with a floral motif and a Jewish inscription, Mazel Tov [Good luck]. It is topped with a model of a building — a symbolic depiction of the buildings in Jerusalem.

Sculpture “St. Stanislaus” (“St. Martin of Tours”?)

The sculpture was made of polychrome and gilded lime wood. It presents the Saint in bishop’s robes, in a lively position: his body is slightly turned to the left and bent, his left leg lunged. The bishop is holding the hem of the coat in his right hand. With his left hand, he is picking up a man with a moustache from the ground, dressed in a short hooded coat and trousers, depicted in a reduced scale.

Hanukkah lamp

It was probably created at the turn of the 20th century. Its base rests on three lying lions. The profiled stem is finished with a figure of an eagle with outspread wings. Eight semi-circular branches are attached to the stem with clips.

Sculpture “In the Theatre Box” by Luna Amalia Drexler

The sculpture represents a figure of a sitting woman depicted from the waist upwards. The woman is holding binoculars and slightly leaning out of the theatre box, assumedly to take a better look of the details of the artistic event in which she is participating. There is a satisfaction, or even reverie visible on her face. Is it because of the play?

Kiddush goblet

Kiddush translates from Hebrew as “sanctification.” The ceremony is celebrated at the beginning of the Sabbath and other holidays, by saying a special blessing over a cup of red sweet wine (or red grape juice).

Welcoming goblet

Welcome cup was a decorative container for drinking beer in guild inns during important celebrations. Its Polish name wilkom comes from the German greeting willkommen [welcome]. Each newly arrived guest had to empty the cup filled with an alcoholic beverage in honour of the guild. The production of such cups developed in Germany in the 2nd half of the 16th century, and later spread throughout Europe.

Besamin tower box

One of liturgical utensils of the Jewish faith is a vessel for scents called a spice tower (Hebrew: bassamim, psumin-byksy) used during Sabbath. This spice tower represents the most common turret type in the shape of a multi-storey synagogue.

Parochet — curtain that covers the Torah Ark

Beautiful curtain that covers the Torah Ark altar in the synagogue, produced in New York shortly before the outbreak of World War II and brought to Poland by Mr. Zvi, son Johoszua Lehr.

Torah scroll

The parchment scroll containing text of the Five Books of Moses, i.e. the Books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy was hand-written in Hebrew, rolled onto two sticks; the so-called ace(i) chaim [shafts of life] made of oak wood was furnished at the ends with pairs of wooden plates with a diameter of 17.5 cm, and handles for rolling the scrolls. The handles are profiled, with a head decorated with ivory buttons in the upper part and an ivory sleeve at the bottom.

Etrog tin

An etrog tin in the shape of a pomegranate with three leaves, oxidised and open in the middle. The exhibit presumably belonged to rich Jews, as only they could afford such a decorated, silver container, used to carry the etrog to a synagogue on the holiday of Sukkot.

Glass decorated with scenes from the legend of St. Hubert

Glass of milky and pink colours, on a small base of a jug-like shape, decorated with a painted hunting scene of the legend of Saint Hubertus.

Sculpture “Bust of Kazimierz Count Potulicki” by Tomasz Oskar Sosnowski

The sculpture comes from the palace in Bobrek and represents one of the Potulicki Counts (the trouble is that it is unclear which one). The name “Kazimierz Count Potulicki” was used in the case of Kazimierz Ludwik Łukasz Count Potulicki of Więcborg, of the Grzymała coat of arms (1793–1871) and his son, Kazimierz Wojciech Count Potulicki of Więcborg, of the Grzymała (1820–1880) coat of arms.

“Obesłanie” – wooden plate bearing the emblem of the guild

Obesłanie (plate bearing an emblem of a guild) was a characteristic element existing in the organisation of individual guilds. It was a sign used to authenticate the message being conveyed. If a messenger summoning, for example, guild members to a meeting, had an obesłanie with him, it was used to confirm that the message was from the guild master. Without this sign, the information was considered unreliable.

Megillat Esther binding

The Megillat Esther binding is a case for storing a parchment scroll of the Book of Esther. The Biblical Book of Esther tells the story of how Esther, the wife of the Persian King Ahasuerus, thwarted the plans of Minister Haman aiming to annihilate the Jews who inhabited the Persian Empire. To commemorate these events, on the 14th and 15th day of the month of Adar the Jews celebrate the joyful holiday of Purim.

Jewish tin plate

This plate could have been used on the Sabbath or, more likely, during the Purim holiday celebrated in the month of Adar, which symbol is fish, used as an decoration motif in this exhibit.

Powder box

A round box with a cover; it was probably used as a powder box, in the colour of milk, decorated with medallions and a blue floral painted pattern. The glass inside the powder box was painted with cobalt, hence the blue colour.

Percussion-cap pistol

The percussion-cap pistol, double-barrelled, with a wooden handle, was made by the Lepage company in Paris. Its fittings are decorated with floral motifs. The exhibit is also signed, which allows one to determine its place of production. Near the chambers, between the barrels...

Stamp of the drapers’ guild

On 30 March 1615, Mikołaj Spytek Ligęza, the heir to Bobrek and Chrzanów, approved the articles of the guild of Chrzanów drapers, establishing, e.g., the rights and duties of the guild members. This charter is stored in the museum collection (just like the charter issued by Andrzej Samuel Dembiński in 1642). The document says, among others, that capmakers, shearers, dyers, hosiers and fullers could also belong to the guild of Chrzanów drapers, as they all used wool in their products, just like drapers did.

Cross from the collection of patriotic jewelry

The exhibit comes from a rich collection of patriotic jewellery in the Chrzanów museum. Such jewellery is often called mourning jewellery as it often came from the period of national mourning that followed on Polish territory the defeat of the January Insurrection of 1863.

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