Oberschlesisches Landesmuseum

Established in 1983, the Upper Silesian Museum (Oberschlesisches Landesmuseum) is primarily a museum of cultural history collecting, evaluating and presenting objects especially from those parts of Silesia, today belonging to the Wojewodships Opolskie and Slask, as well as to the Czech Republic. The museum regards itself as a shop window for the Silesian regions presenting the country’s art, culture and history giving an impression of Silesian regions` history and culture and thus informing about today’s Poland and the Czech Republic. The museum operates to improve international understanding and good German-Polish-Czech neighbourhood. It receives institutional funding from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia that already took over the patronage for the Upper Silesian people in Germany in 1964.

Representative at the Upper Silesian Museum is the Foundation House Upper Silesia (Stiftung Haus Oberschlesien), founded as a private foundation in 1970. The Foundation House Upper Silesia and the Upper Silesian Museum are conveniently located in Ratingen between Essen and Düsseldorf. Düsseldorf, the capital of North-Rhine-Westphalia, has an international airport, an important inland harbour and four institutes of higher education.

Main focus of the museum are the Silesian parts of the country on the upper Oder river, the specific mining and heavy industry industrial area as well as adjacent areas ranging from the High Ash Mountains (Altvatergebirge) to the Beskids.

Since July 1998, the Upper Silesian Museum presents its exhibitions in a new building with some 2.000 square metres. The permanent exhibition can be found on the second floor. It gives an impression of Upper Silesia’s culture and history. Precious porcelain, artistic iron casting and textiles are presented in the basement.The first floor offers room for special exhibitions.

A library belongs to the foundation Haus Oberschlesien as well. The information center Silesia-Moravia-Bohemia offers precious editions of Silesian authors, complete publications of new Polish almanacs on Upper Silesian cultural institutions, as well as further important material on the region’s culture and economy. The collection’s focus is not only on Silesia’s different provinces, but also on its adjacent regions Bohemia, Moravian and other Polish and Czech regions.

The museum offers guided tours and programmes for school classes and interested groups. People of all ages may take part in special activities which are often offered in the afternoon.