History Museum of Kielce

The idea of establishing a museum dedicated to the history of the city dates back to the beginnings of museology in Kielce.

The history of the city first appeared at exhibitions and in the collections of Polskie Towarzystwo Krajoznawcze (Polish Tourist Association) whose museum was created in Kielce in 1908. The museum is located in a historic, neoclassical building and its interiors hold many interesting exhibits, many of which have been donated by the local inhabitants from their family memorabilia.

The permanent exhibition allows visitors to follow the captivating past of the city from the times before the city charter, through early medieval days, followed by the time Kielce was owned by the Bishops of Kraków, moving on to more recent history when the city was the centre of the voivodeship and the governorate, when Poland fought for independence, followed by the time of the Second Republic, World War II and the post-war period. The exhibits include, among others, medieval coins, weapons, fragments of pottery, objects of everyday use, paintings, photographs, and even the famous SHL motorcycle.