Exhibition presents the history and the phenomenon of Podgórze – a multicultural and multinational town, its spectacular industrial success, as well as its mythology and legends.
The history is presented in a chronological and issue-oriented layout, from the Early Middle Ages until modern times. In addition to historical artefacts (including authentic documents, military, engravings, illustrations, drawings and photographs), the exhibition also features models, installations, digital reconstructions and multimedia presentations.
The main focus of the exhibition is the place that, in less than 100 years, transformed from a suburban farming settlement with industrial potential into a modern town, inhabited by an aware, progressive community; a town that was intended to be Austrian, but instead became the place where the process of Poland regaining its independence in 1918 began.
In every ground floor room and the vestibule, there are presentations of the most important socio-cultural, economic and political issues that had a significant influence on the shaping of the cultural image of Podgórze and its legacy, currently visible in the surviving witnesses of the bygone times, but also affecting the contemporary historical awareness of Krakow’s residents. Part of the exhibition is the children’s path, which is an integral part of the overall exhibition, also including the educational room on level -1. Each of the rooms has been given a name and was divided into thematic zones.
