Towarzystwa Naukowego w Płocku - Mazowieckie Czasopisma ...

SUMMARY
150 YEARS OF THE MUSEUM IN PŁOCK
The museum in Płock is one of the oldest in Poland and even in Europe.
It was one of the first three museums in Poland and was founded by the Scientific
Society attached to the Provincial School. On the 21-st of December 1821 the Goverment
of the Kingdom of Poland confirmed the name of the museum: School
Public Museum of the Płock Province. Archaeologic, ethnographical and numismatic
objects prevailed among several thousand exhibits gathered there. At that time the
Płock centre carried on the scientific research to elaborate the history of the
which was called „The Museum of Płock Mazovia". In 1912, in two rooms there
Płock province and to establish the state of possession in all domains.
During November Uprising against tsar's Russia, the museum was closed similarly
to other Polish institutions.
In 1907 the Płock Scentific Society came to life together with the museum
was organized the first exhibition showing the history of the region. The enterprise
to create the museum gained such a common social support that in 1923 the
exhibition grew bigger to thirteen rooms. In 1929 the ethnographic — archaeological
and natural department was opened. Its seat was in the purchased building
at 2 Narutowicza Square.
The museum led the interesting archaeological and ethnographical research and
organized temporary exhibitions and lectures. School excursions constituted a considerable
group among the visitors.
During the Second World War the museum was closed down. Contrary to other
Polish institutions, the Nazi neither destroyed nor grabbed the museum collections.
They were going to organize a German museum in Płock which was annexed to
the Reich and renamed Schróttersburg. However, they did not manage to realize
their purpose. 39 members of the Scientific Society were killed during the war.
Among them there was the Reverend Wacław Skierkowski, the most outstanding
Płock explorer of folklore, Prof. Kazimierz Gelinek the manager of the archaeological-ethnographical
departament, was taken to the concentration camp in Gusen.
After the liberation, during the rebuilding of the war devastations, the Płock museum
played an important part as a didactic-educational institute. On the 30-th
of December 1949 the museum was nationalized.
The proper conditions for its development the museum obtained in 1960. Just
then in connection with the building of the petrochemical works in Płock, the
authorities decided to restore the Castle of Mazovian Princes for the new seat of
the museum. Since then started the intensive development of the Płock institute.
As early as in 1963 the museum got the name „The Mazovian Museum in Płock".
In 1968 it was appointed the district museum for the Warsaw province. Due to
this function the museums in: Liw in Węgrów district, Mława, Opinogóra in
Ciechanów district, Pułtusk, Siedlce, Sierpc, Warka in Grójec district and in
Żyrardów, are subordinated to the Płock museum.
During the last ten years the number of the museum employees increased from
5 do 45 with 15 graduates among them. The laboratory of preservation and the
photographical laboratory were opened and the number of exhibits increased from
3 000 to 20 000. The museum gathers the exhibits from Mazovia and possesses the
petrochemical department and the Secession art department which are unique in
Poland. The directions of the museum development are established by the Scien-
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