Chrzanów: City History, Jewish Heritage and Sacred Art

Chrzanów reveals several tangible traces of its past: the medieval layout of the market square, the collections of the city museum, and the architecture and artworks of St. Nicholas Church. A self-guided quest explores the city’s history, with Henryk Loewenfeld as your guide. When planning your trip, it makes a difference whether you want to explore the collections in depth, join a seasonal group tour, or discover the city at your own pace.

The Market Square and City History at the Museum

Chrzanów retains the medieval, grid-like layout of the market square, with streets leading off it. In the past, city life centered on this square; both features connect the market with the city’s older structure.

The 16th-century Lamus Dworski is now home to the Muzeum w Chrzanowie. In the Chrzanów exhibition, you can see two of the five city books from 1908 to 1936 held by the museum. The exhibition also includes a model of a church and its immediate surroundings at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. Chalices and patens are displayed as church furnishings.

Tools of the trade and guild memorabilia bring the history of crafts and trade to life. These include books and seals, a counter in the shape of a book, guild emblems, a sash, and the banner of the butchers’ guild. Before planning a visit specifically to see these items, check with the museum to find out which are currently on display.

Jewish History and the Cemetery

The Judaica collection is among the most valuable collections of the Muzeum w Chrzanowie. It presents the material and spiritual culture of the Jewish community, which accounted for more than half of the city’s population until the outbreak of the Second World War.

The Jewish cemetery in Chrzanów dates back to the mid-18th century and preserves evidence of Jewish burial culture. Many gravestones feature symbolic images; some particularly elaborate examples date from the early 19th century. The inscriptions are almost exclusively in Hebrew. Several dozen gravestones also bear additions in Yiddish, German and Polish.

Educational walks and tours of the cemetery are offered seasonally for organized groups from 15 April to 15 October. In favorable weather, they may occasionally be available outside this period as well. They take place during museum opening hours, Monday to Friday, between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Booking is by telephone; check availability and arrangements with the museum in advance.

Sacred Art and Independent Exploration

St. Nicholas Church has a Gothic presbytery, or Gothic chancel, and a Baroque chapel dedicated to St. Stanislaus. The church also houses a mosaic of the Madonna and Child. In 1888, Pope Leo XIII gave it to Henryk Loewenfeld, who donated the image to the church.

The self-guided quest Śladami Loewenfelda offers another way to explore the city’s history. Henryk Loewenfeld guides you through the history of Chrzanów from the late 19th to the early 20th century. The route takes less than two hours and starts at the main entrance to the Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna, 10C Broniewskiego Street. Before setting off, check whether the current download or app listing is available. Chrzanów is also on the Szlak Miejsc Papieskich na Ziemi Chrzanowskiej.

Your preferred way of exploring can also help you choose a holiday apartment in Chrzanów: the quest is self-guided and takes less than two hours, while cemetery tours are for organized groups and run seasonally.

Discover more destinations: Libiąż, Babice, Oświęcim, Alwernia, Lgota, Zagórze, Młoszowa, Trzebinia.

For the broader travel overview: Chrzanów.