Schoen Palace Museum in Sosnowiec

The Schoen Palace Museum in Sosnowiec (Pałac Schoena Muzeum w Sosnowcu) is housed in the Schön Palace in Środula, among the trees of Schön Park. The institution was established on 1 March 1985 and since 1989 has operated independently as a museum run by the Sosnowiec municipal authorities. Its permanent displays present contemporary Polish glass and the history of the Schöns, a family of Saxon industrialists.

How the museum came about

It was founded in 1985 as the Museum of the History of the Labour Movement of Upper Silesia and the Dąbrowa Basin, a branch of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom. Since 1989 it has operated as the Museum in Sosnowiec, now under the name Schoen Palace Museum in Sosnowiec. It has occupied the Schön Palace from the start, sharing it with the ceremonial hall of the Registry Office on the ground floor and a restaurant in part of the cellars. At the reception there is a café and a shop selling gadgets related to the works on display, museum publications and glass.

What you will see in the permanent exhibitions

The two permanent exhibitions are “Contemporary Polish Glass” and “The Schöns in Sosnowiec”. The glass collection presents the achievements of Polish glassmaking in the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st century, and is regarded as the only one of its kind in Poland. The exhibition on the Schöns tells the story of the Saxon industrialists in Sosnowiec up to 1945 and their contribution to the development of the town, mainly through photographs and documents.

The museum also holds temporary exhibitions on the history of the town and the region and on art, and its departments deal with archaeology, the history and culture of the town, glass, art and the Dąbrowa Basin Institute. You will find the current programme of changing exhibitions on the museum’s website.

Educational offer

The museum organises museum lessons and workshops for schoolchildren and pre-schoolers. The museum’s website also lists an educational escape room, “Po Drugiej Stronie Szafy” (On the Other Side of the Wardrobe), and activities for children. The museum carries out archaeological research, mainly in the Sosnowiec area.

Practical information

• Address: Chemiczna Street, Sosnowiec-Środula, the Schön Palace in the park of the same name. The park grounds are open to visitors.
• There is a café and a museum shop on site. Check opening hours and exhibition dates on the museum’s website before your visit.
• Sosnowiec is also home to Sielecki Castle.