For years, the Silesian Museum of Fine Arts in Wrocław (German: Schlesisches Museum für bildende Künste in Breslau) was a key cultural institution in the region and one of the most important centres for the presentation of art in Central Europe. Established in the 19th century, it survived numerous political changes, wartime destruction and post-war challenges before finally disappearing from the map of Wrocław in the 1960s. The decision to demolish it, despite objections, led to the complete erasure of this remarkable building from the urban space.
Silesian Museum of Fine Arts – origins
Plans for the creation of a new museum headquarters appeared as early as the mid-19th century. The initiative was realised thanks to a building committee established in 1869. Prior to this, an architectural competition was announced in which the designers had almost a year to present their concepts. The design chosen was that by Otto Rathey, an architect from Berlin. Construction, which began in 1875, took five years. Unfortunately, Rathey died in the middle of the work and Karl Grosser, who would later become famous as the creator of the Monopol Hotel, took charge of further construction. The grand opening of the museum took place in 1880, in the presence of Kaiser Wilhelm I.
Postcard from the early 20th century. Source: City Museum of Wrocław
Architecture of the building
The style of the museum building was reminiscent of ancient Greek temples. In front of the main entrance there was a portico supported by ten Ionic columns, which gave the building a monumental character. Inside, fourteen spacious exhibition halls were designed for the display of various art collections. The lavish sgraffito decoration of the new building was done by Otto Lessing, while the painting was done by Hermann Prell. In 1901, an equestrian statue of Emperor Frederick III was unveiled in front of the building, further emphasising the prestige of the institution.
Museum collections
The basis of the museum collection was the collection of the Königliches Museum für Kunst und Altertümer (German: Königliches Museum für Kunst und Altertümer), which from 1815 was housed in the former Augustinian monastery on Piaskowa Island in Wrocław. In the early years of the Silesian Museum of Fine Arts, it collected mainly works of sacred art and German paintings, including works by Lucas Cranach the Elder, Andreas Achenbach and Adolph von Menzel. The collection also included works of Western European art, such as paintings by Sander Botticelli. At the beginning of the 20th century, the museum was enriched by modern works, including works by Picasso and Van Gogh.
The fate of the Silesian Museum of Fine Arts during the war
The museum functioned for most of the Second World War, but as hostilities intensified, the exhibits began to be gradually taken away. From 1943 onwards, the collections were systematically hidden in more than 80 locations in Silesia to protect them from destruction. The museum library, meanwhile, was moved to the Herder Institute in Marburg. During the siege of Breslau (Festung Breslau), the building was severely damaged by bombing – the roof was destroyed, the interiors were partially burnt down and the windows were stripped of glass. However, colourful frescoes were preserved in the stairwell.
The museum in the early 20th century and in 1964. Fot. Dolnośląskie Archiwum Cyfrowe and Knut Schjetne
Post-war reality
After the end of the war, the museum’s headquarters were moved to the former Silesian District building. Most of the collections, however, were dispersed and destroyed, including as a result of looting. Some of the surviving exhibits went to the National Museum in Wrocław, while the most valuable works were transferred in 1946 to the National Museum in Warsaw. These included paintings by Sandro Botticelli (‘Madonna with Child, John the Baptist and Angel’), Lucas Cranach the Elder (‘Adam and Eve’), Jacob Beinhart (‘Saint Luke painting the image of Mary’), as well as the Pietà of Lubiąż, the Polyptych of the Annunciation with the Unicorn and the Beautiful Madonna of Wrocław.
Demolition and commemoration
Although there were claims that the museum building could and should be saved, the communist authorities decided to demolish it. In 1964, the ruins were finally removed, and the Primary School No. 67 was established in its place in 1969. To this day, however, names such as Museum Street and Museum Square are reminders of the former edifice.
The building in 1896 and the same place today. Source: Polona National Digital Library and Google Maps
The building in 1913 and the same place today. Source: Bildarchiv Foto Marburg and Google Maps
Legacy of the Silesian Museum of Fine Arts
The Silesian Museum of Fine Arts was an institution that shaped the cultural life of Wrocław for years. Although it no longer exists physically, its legacy has survived in the surviving collections, which are now in the most important Polish museums.
Source: miejscawewroclaw.pl, wroclaw.pl
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