Gniezno was the first capital of the Polish rulers from the Piast dynasty and from the year 1000 became the archbishop’s capital. Establishment of the museum in Gniezno is associated with archaeological research, whose aim was to obtain knowledge of the history and documenting the historical origins of the Polish state and its first capital. It was set up in 1956 as the Gniezno branch of the Archaeological Museum in Poznan.

In 1966, at the time of the millennium celebrations of the Polish State, the idea was conceived to broaden the scope of the exhibit and to build a new museum. It became an independent institution in 1973 and work was started on a new building. In 1983 the permanent exhibition was opened and given the name Museum of the Origins of the Polish State.

The museum primarily collects artifacts from the Middle Ages as well as objects related to the history of Gniezno and the surrounding area. It houses the richest collection of Gothic stove tiles in Europe and one of the largest collections of Renaissance tiles in Poland. Among the most valuable exhibits are also items from Gniezno Cathedral, most notably fragments of the Romanesque floor, Renaissance stone stoups and lithurgical vessels.

Museum of the Origins of the Polish State in Gniezno (woj. Wielkopolskie)

www.mppp.pl