Museum of People's Musical Instruments in Szydłowiec
Museum of People's Musical Instruments in Szydłowiec
Museum of folk musical instruments in Szydłowiec is a unique institution in the national and world scale, devoted entirely to Polish folk instrumentation. The museum is located in the Gothic-Renaissance castle from the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, once the headquarters of the Szydłowiecki and Radziwiłł family, picturesquely located on an island surrounded by a moat.
History and collections
The museum was established in 1968 as a branch of the Świętokrzyskie Museum in Kielce, and for visitors 1975. In 1976, it obtained the status of an independent specialist institution, and in 1977 the UNESCO International Folk Music Council recognized them as the first museum in the world dedicated to folk musical instruments for one country.
Currently, the museum has over 3,000 museums, including a rich collection of folk instruments from various regions of Poland and from other European countries. The collection includes violin, duda, cymbals, ligawy, pipes, harmonies, music boxes, as well as soldering tools, furniture and documents related to the history of Szydłowiec.
exhibitions and activities
Permanent exhibition of the museum entitled "Instruments ... - see and hear tradition" Idiophones, membranophones, Chordophones and aerophones. The exhibition is enriched with multimedia, archival recordings and interactive positions, enabling visitors to know the sound of individual instruments.
The museum also conducts educational activities, organizing workshops, museum lessons, traditional music concerts and a nationwide competition for the construction of folk musical instruments.
