Grant Map EU

The 19th-century Czapski Family Palace in Kraków is the place where you will find a collection of over 100,000 Polish coins, medals and banknotes, i.e. the largest collection of domestic numismatic objects in the world. In June 2013, the European Centre of Polish Numismatics was opened here, which is the only museum of this type in Poland and one of the few such institutions in Central Europe devoted to this subject.

Built in the Italian style, the palace was constructed in 1883-1884 by Hubert Antoni to a design by Leonard Marconi. In 1894, this beautiful structure was bought by Emeryk Hutten-Czapski (1828-1896), a renowned collector of Polish coins and medals, a bibliophile, and a collector of graphics, works of art and Polish memorabilia. After his death, and according to his will, a museum was established here. In 1903, this museum was handed over to the National Museum in Kraków.

The collection survived World War II without the tiniest scratch, but for nearly 70 years it was not known to the public due to financial and housing problems faced by the museum. The coins could be seen only during temporary exhibitions. The Czapski Family Palace served for administrative purposes, and the invaluable collection was waiting for better days, in the cellars. In 2009, the National Museum received a subsidy to thoroughly renovate the palace and the unique Museum Pavilion. The furnishings, e.g. library furniture and display cabinets, underwent conservation processes. In the renovated rooms, the Numismatic Study Room with a collection of old prints and manuscripts was arranged. Moreover, professional research facilities have been established here and modern treasuries were opened. Visitors to the museum can admire the most valuable and the most important coins, medals and banknotes. In their journey through the world of numismatics, apart from the traditional descriptions, visitors are assisted by multimedia integrated with the display cabinets. Each exhibit has been magnified many times, described in detail and interpreted, and sometimes even embellished with interesting facts.

The palace’s surroundings have also been taken care of. This applies particularly to the 19th-century garden with an old forest and a collection of architectural elements, which have been gathered for over 100 years. The lapidarium looks interesting especially after dusk, when romantic illuminations are turned on.

The European Centre of Numismatics also offers an educational programme for children and young people. During museum lessons, students become acquainted with the basic notions related to the history of money and its influence on a society’s development. Children learn how to analyse the inscriptions and ornaments on coins, and realise the importance of numismatics as an auxiliary science of history. The numismatic subject matter has become part of the traditional educational series that, for several years now, have been organised in all the branches of the National Museum in Kraków, e.g. “The Museum’s ABCs” and “The Museum Rocking Horse”.