The Historical Museum of the City of Kraków (HMK) is one of the oldest Polish museums documentating the historical and cultural heritage of a city. The initiator of the foundation of our Museum over 150 years ago was a great expert in Kraków's history, Professor Józef Łepkowski. The crowning achievement of these campaigns was the decision made by the City Council of Kraków on May 31, 1899 to establish HMK as a branch of the Archive of Ancient Records. On December 18, 1945, the National City Council decided to transform HMK into an autonomous institution.
The Historical Museum of the City of Kraków collects artefacts representing various aspects of material culture, political and economic history, as well as art, traditions and customs of the inhabitants of Kraków spanning from the period of the city's most ancient history up to the present day. HMK's collections allow visitors to explore the city's iconography, the history of its crafts and trade, its everyday life, as well as major cultural and political events. Our historical paintings are extremely illuminating and possess an exceptional educational value. A separate group of artefacts comprises a collection of several hundred of weaponry items used for the defence of Kraków's city walls, as well as battle arms used by the military organizations associated with Kraków during national uprisings.
The photography collection, comprising thousands of historic photographs, from the oldest daguerreotypes, through the glass plate negatives from Ignacy Krieger's studio, to the most recent photographs is of inestimable documentary value. Other collections include: Judaic artefacts, theatre memorabilia, medals and numismatic collectables, period furniture and costumes, Cracovian nativity scenes, all sorts of memorabilia and historic printing and bookbinding equipment.
The Museum comprises of twelve branches. Each one presents a different period of the city's history in its permanent exhibition. It also plays a crucial role in the preservation of Kraków's ancient traditions, e.g. the annual procession of Lajkonik (the Pony of Zwierzyniec), the competition for the most beautiful nativity scene, or the ceremony of enthronement of Fowler Kings.