Muz., 2020(61): 224-232 Annual, eISSN 2391-4815

received – 08.2020 reviewed – 08.2020 accepted – 08.2020 DOI: 10.5604/01.3001.0014.3836 THE NEW SILESIAN MUSEUM IN : DISSIPATED IDEA, BLURRED MISSION

Marcin Wądołowski Jesuit University Ignatianum in Cracow

Introduction to the presented thesis, the institution has been presen- tly suffering an organizational crisis resulting from the The industrial section of Upper is currently an area several-year process of loosing its genuine idea stemming of numerous contrasts, a place of dynamically transform- from its new seat and the gradual blurring of the original ing spaces. Museums being institutions rooted in the local concept of its new mission. The inept actions of the yet network of meanings, impacts, and influences, constitute subsequent decision-makers, the violating of the ICOM a social construct vulnerable to instrumental abuse by all Code of Ethics for Museums, and the increasingly stron- the actors of the local political stage. The Silesian Museum ger politically-underpinned activities around the Silesian in Katowice is an example of an institution affected over institution have led to the situation in which the image the last ninety years by many processes that have left their and the good name of the largest and most significant mark on its character. The facet of the Katowice institution museum institution of the Silesia Voivodeship have been has always depended on the historical and cultural context tarnished. of its operation, and in the recent years that context has been essentially revalued. A museum as a carrier of an idea constitutes a peculiar Materials and methods cultural phenomenon that happens to be used in various ways in public-character activities. Each museum boasts its Two methods have been applied in the researching into the own specificity, however all of them refer to one shared sen- process of the gradual blurring of the idea of the Silesian se that allows to perceive a given organization as a ‘muse- museum: desk research, or the analysis of the available um’. The characteristic feature of museums is their rooting data, and participant observation: the question is analysed among a given community that its operations affiliate to. from the perspective of the Silesian community insider and The relation between such a community and its museum an outside academic affiliate of the institution. The fact is a mutual interaction in which the bonding connections that the researcher is well anchored in the cultural climate adjust to current situations. Museum institutions produce of the region and in a daily experiencing of the social re- and transfer definite values created by the kept and cur- alities in which the institution operates, helps understand rently presented assets together with the schemes of their a number of intricate Silesian problems. Someone from display. The above processes are continuously updated, outside the Silesia Voivodeship, unfamiliar with the local thus museums inevitably become members of the historical realities, when assessing the collected data would run the ‘relay’ of subsequent generations. risk of erroneously treating the analysed questions frag- In this paper the analysis of the current situation of the mentarily, since they would not know the interpretative Silesian Museum in Katowice has been provided. According key allowing constructive conclusions.

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1. New Silesian Museum, revitalized post-industrial site of the ‘Katowice’ Coal Mine

Apart from the official documents shared by the Sile- 30 December 2004, a notarial deed was signed testifying to sian Museum, the researched material was found in diffe- a swap of land plots between the Silesian Museum and the rent media (TV, radio, press) and in the experience of the Katowice Coal Holding, this leading to the Museum being gi- Author who has been tackling the topic of the institution’s ven a 13.8 ha plot located in the centre of Katowice on the operation since 2014, and has cooperated with it contribu- site of the former ‘Katowice’ Coalmine together with over ting to the works on the monograph showing its history. 20 post-industrial facilities on. The complex included, among As distinct from the earlier factual studies, the present pa- others: the ‘ II’ mineshaft hoist tower, the complex per is critical: based on the collected materials, it is nega- of the ‘Bartosz’ Shaft buildings, the ‘Gwarek’ baths buildings, tive about the direction of changes occurring around the the building of the carpenters’ and electricians’ workshops, Silesian Museum in Katowice the baths of the security services, the uniform warehouse, and the water tower. The new location provided grounds for The new Silesian Museum: new challenges the formulation of the concept of the new Silesian Museum. The ‘Katowice’ Coalmine operated uninterruptedly as The present paper is not focused on thoroughly presenting a coalmine under different names from 1823 until its closing the over 90 years of the history of existence and non-exist- down in 1999. The concept of raising the new edifice of the ence of the Katowice institution. Such considerations have Silesian Museum on its site was the chance to give a ‘second already been tackled in a publication following a confer- life’ to the old mine: for the new spirit to imbue the place. ence and titled A Museum. Presentation Forms and Means Placing a museum institution on the former-mining site provi- IV. History in a Museum 2 published in 2019 by the Leon ded an opportunity to reflect on the multi-generation mining Wyczółkowski District Museum in Bydgoszcz in coopera- tradition of the whole region. A conscious creation of the for- tion with the National Institute for Museums and Public mer mining areas, in consultation with the still living workers Collections, NIMOZ. In order to smoothly reach the present of the plant: witnesses to history, offered an opportunity to moment and focus on the current problems, let us recall preserve at least a part of the cultural heritage that had for that the history of the Katowice institution can be divided almost two centuries given pace to the life of the Silesian into four major stages: community. Leszek Jodliński, former Director of the Silesian 1. The interwar Silesian Museum, shaped and operating Museum, to a great degree responsible for the construction in 1924–39 (destroyed during WW II); of its new building, emphasized that binding the idea of the 2. the post-WWII period of substitutes when the institu- Silesian Museum with an old mine consists in the principle of tion did not exists physically in 1945–84; a creative dialogue: it is not exclusively a former mining de- 3. the restitution and activity in the new political realities serted facility, but more a living space echoing a wider urban in 1984–2004; concept where ‘the old’ meets ‘the new’, at the same time 4. the new Silesian Museum, formed since 2004 in the creating a previously unknown quality.5 new seat on the site of the former ‘Katowice’ coalmine. The post-industrial character of the new seat impacted The departure point for the present analysis is found at the the content of the Museum’s mission phrased as follows: beginning of the last stage of the Museum’s operations. On Obliged by the Region’s heritage, the dynamic of its history,

www.muzealnictworocznik.com MUZEALNICTWO 61 225 multicultural character and the leading role of industry, at the January 2014, the Silesian Museum began operating it. The same time acknowledging its intellectual and artistic accom- process of transferring the collections and interior furnishing plishments, the Silesian Museum undertakes the mission of began, with the official opening of the new seat for visitors creating space for the dialogue with the past and accomplish- taking place on 26 June 2015. ments of the contemporaneity in order to more thoroughly become acquainted with Silesia, , and Europe.6 The process of the idea being dissipated In the architectural concept for the future Museum’s edi- and the mission blurred fice selected through an international competition, whose results were announced on 15 June 2007, it was decided The project of raising the new Silesian Museum in Katowice that the majority of the Museum’s space would be loca- from the very beginning was received with much emotion ted underground.7 A conscious choice of the decision-ma- among Silesian society. The climate that the project aroused kers, it was meant to symbolically echo the mining heritage. showed that today’s can be ranked among ‘hot’ The winning design came from the Austrian Riegler Riewe communities, the concept referring to Claude Lévi-Strauss’s Architekten Studio from Graz. However, the opting for the theory who divided societies into ‘cold’ and ‘hot’. Its as- underground structure was connected with numerous tech- sumptions claim that societies considered as ‘cold’ erase nological challenges, implying higher construction costs to the results of historical factors, defending in this way the start with, and higher operating costs to follow. As seen with balance and continuity. In contrast, societies defined as ‘hot’ the benefit of hindsight, this decision may be considered bravely interpret their own history, pressing for their devel- an error: numerous construction defaults have now turned opment, not put off by the changes.8 into multi-million-worth claims of the Silesian Museum from The process of the gradual increase of bad feelings around the Contractor, having remained the institution’s unresol- the Museum started on the occasion of creating the new ved problem until today. Among the submitted competi- permanent exhibition on the history of which tion designs there were also proposals planning to raise the in its final shape took on the title ‘The Light of History. Upper majority of museum edifices on ground, however the final Silesia over the Ages’. The liberal social climate and search decision rejected them. The example of a different concept for their own identity that characterized Silesian community was the design submitted by the Cracow Artur Jasiński and in the early 21st century, in the debate took into account vo- Partners Architectural Studio Co Ltd who won the third prize ices alternative to the mainstream narrative (suppressed for in the competition. years under Communism). The fiction of monoculturalism The construction of the new building was officially launched of regional memory, resulting from the historical policy of on 5 July 2011. In June 2013, the General Contractor of the Communist Poland, assessing as worthy only the pro-Polish works, i.e. the Polish-Spanish consortium including Budimex elements of the complex history of Upper Silesia, was to be SA based in Warsaw and Ferrovial Agroman SA from Madrid questioned within the Museum’s space. submitted the facility for the final acceptance, while in The historian Marek Czapliński distinguishes four basic

2. New Silesian Museum, site prior to the rehabilitation

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3. Entry to the permanent exhibition titled ‘The Light of History. Upper Silesia Over the Ages’ memory cultures present among the Silesians: Post-doctoral Degree, Łucja Marek PhD, Prof. Jerzy Myszor, 1. The memory of the ‘exiled’ relevant first of all to the Maria Popczyk PhD, Sebastian Rosenbaum, Prof. Barbara community of Silesian Germans forced to abandon Szczypka-Gwiazda, Prof. Zygmunt Woźniczka, and Prof. Jan Silesia immediately following WW II; Wrabec. Furthermore, the topic was consulted with muse- 2. The memory of ‘Polish Silesians’ relevant to the native um curators from other Polish institutions, e.g. the Warsaw’s population associating themselves with Polish iden- Chopin Museum, the Museum of WW II in Gdansk, or the tity and tradition; POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, in 3. The memory of immigrants who flowed into Silesia order to share observations and experience. In the process following WW II; of long-lasting consultancy, the conceptual guidelines for 4. The memory of ‘Silesian Silesians’ relevant to the na- the future display were worked out, and in June 2012 an tive inhabitants associating themselves firstly with the international competition for the Exhibition’s script was an- local and regional identity. nounced. The Exhibition was to focus mainly on the period Thanks to the permanent historical exhibition at the new between 1790 and 1989, while the narrative’s backbone was Silesian Museum, respective cultural memories of the the industrialization process of the Region. According to the Silesian community were given an opportunity to clash in Competition’s regulations: In its concept, the Exhibition of the discourse of a museum display. The official historical the history of Upper Silesia will echo the displays mounted narrative imposed by the universal school curriculum was at present, and regarded as leading, innovatory in Poland, thus offered an opportunity to be verified versus the nar- Europe, and in the world. It will thus be interactive, benefit- rative on the heterogeneity of Silesian society: not an easy ting amply from modern communication means, multime- verification, though, however priceless in view of the his- dia, richly illustrated with audio and video materials. In its torical truth. Interestingly, in the original plans no historical assumptions, it will tell the history of the Region focusing on display was foreseen. The decision-makers from the early several key moments of the history of Upper Silesia winning 21st century forecast that a separate display related to the its own spiritual, artistic, and social identity, and also lin- history of the region was to be mounted on later stages of guistic to an extent (Exhibition fragments will be described the Museum’s extension.10 However, in 2008, at the insti- in the , in harmony with the principles of gation of the new Director at the time Leszek Jodliński, the the Museum also safeguarding intangible cultural heritage), exhibition on the history of Upper Silesia was incorporated where the appearance of industry had an impact on the sha- into the institution’s functional programmes, and organi- ping of the history of the Region.11 zational activities to implement this plan were launched. The Competition was adjudicated in October 2012: In December 2010, following a great number of formal the First Prize was won by the concept titled Light from and organizational actions, the Silesian Museum initiated Poland submitted by the AdVenture Studio from Katowice. consultation with experts in Silesia’s history and museum However, in the meantime politicians suddenly became in- display theoreticians. The group encompassed: Prof. Barbara terested in the design of the future Exhibition, accusing it of Bazielich, Prof. Ewa Chojecka, Prof. Sylwester Czopek, anti-Polish and pro-German undertone. The then Marshal of Adam Dziurok PhD, Prof. Ryszard Kaczmarek, Irma Kozina the Silesia Voivodeship Adam Matusiewicz (assigned to the

www.muzealnictworocznik.com MUZEALNICTWO 61 227 position by the , PO), having become acquain- community. The story of the Exhibition clearly manifested ted with the proposed suggestions for the future Exhibition, that the competition among Silesian cultures of memory is commented in the press: A document has reached me which still a relevant problem, alive among today’s population of contained suggestions for the organizers of the permanent the Region. The Silesian Museum as a public institution of exhibition on Upper Silesia. Having read it, I must confess the obligatory social responsibility is an active participant that for the first time since I started working here 18 months in this competition. ago, and since I started exerting a public function, I lost my Another issue that contributed to tensions and controver- temper, actually feeling blind range. The material was ex- sies around the Silesian Museum in Katowice was the conti- tremely pro-German, that’s how I felt it. I must admit I was nuously recurring plan to combine it with the Upper Silesian almost about to make respective staffing decisions.12 Museum in Bytom. This was yet another difficult aspect of The permanent Exhibition related to the history of Upper the many-years’ challenging mutual relations between the Silesia in the new Silesian Museum that was being estab- two. Both museums are run by the Local Government of lished was the topic of one of the episodes of the TVP the , that is why in 2010 the idea was Info programme Jan Pośpieszalski: Closer broadcast on put forth that they might be merged to create a single body, 17 January 2013 on the nation-wide Polish public news TV. which could supposedly make the management more effec- The programme was the forum for the confrontation of tive and consolidate the position of Silesian museology on Leszek Jodliński (the then Director of the Silesian Museum), the national museology arena. In order to better identify Jerzy Gorzelik PhD (the then member of the Board of the the merger options, the Cultural Department at the Silesia Silesia Voivodeship), Michał Wójcik (the then deputy to the Voivodeship Marshal Office requested experts opinions from Silesia Voivodeship Council representing Law and Justice, Irma Kozina PhD and Dorota Folga-Januszewska PhD. PiS), Piort Semka (the then editor of the ‘Do Rzeczy’ Both expert opinions favoured the intention of the mer- weekly), and Andrzej Krzystyniak PhD (participating in the ger. In that of Irma Kozina PhD dated 31 August 2011, the debate as a historian and plenipotentiary of Marshal Adam arguments that supported the unification pointed to admi- Matusiewicz). The debate was chaotic, with the moderator nistrative and economic reasons, historical assumptions and unable to present clearly and factually the essence of the the factual museum work, as well as the rank and prestige problem. The arguments raised were most often of a populi- of the main museum institutions of the Silesia Voivodeship. stic undertone (e.g. Michał Wójcik quoted the political prob- Kozina suggested that the best solution would be to profile lem of the activity of the Silesian Autonomy Movement, to- the Bytom institution as a branch of the Silesian Museum tally irrelevant to the Exhibition question, while Dr Andrzej called ‘Museum of Migrations and Biocoenosis Changes’, Krzystyniak was not capable of distinguishing the conception which would provide a chance to the city of Bytom to un- guidelines for the future exhibition from the real elements dergo social and cultural rehabilitation.13 In the opinion of that will create it in the future). The message spread from Dorota Folga-Januszewska PhD dated 30 September 2011 that TV show undeniably tarnished the image of the insti- it was suggested that the idea of joining the two could en- tution that was being created. hance the social effectiveness of the activity of both, and There were other media which decided to become invol- would facilitate the museums’ activity in many aspects: im- ved in the dispute, this heating up the atmosphere, which proving their financial standing, increasing the logistics of hampered an effective implementation of the project. As permanent and temporary exhibitions, as well as enhancing a result of the acute conflict Leszek Jodliński was dismissed the guardianship of the collections.14 from his Director’s position. As a result of the positive expert opinions, the local go- Numerous organizational vicissitudes that occurred aro- vernment of the Silesia Voivodeship began actions aimed at und the shape of the Exhibition of the history of Upper joining both institutions. The vision of the potential union, Silesia delayed the implementation of the project, at the however, aroused the protest of the employees of the Upper same time leading to the modification of its final shape. The Silesian Museum in Bytom who feared the loss of their sub- history of Silesia as seen through the prism of supranational jectivity. Furthermore, the issue was strongly politicized, this industrialization of the Region had not found an adequate leading to the rotations on the positions of the Directors in understanding among the political decision-makers, and had both institutions. As of August 2013, both Museums were to be verified. However, against all the odds the works on managed by the same individual, appointed as assigned by the future display continued. The contract for the design of the Marshal of the Silesia Voivodeship, however not subject the Exhibition related to the history of Upper Silesia was sig- to competition procedure, this violating the principles in the ned with the AdVenture Company in August 2013, while the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums. Thus a personal union of designing works continued until June 2014. Subsequently, both institutions was introduced, without their formal con- works on the Exhibition’s implementation were launched, nection. The individual who held the double Director’s posi- and its final shape was shown at the opening of the new tion was initially Dominik Abłamowicz, and following his dis- Silesian Museum on 26 June 2015. missal in June 2014, the role was taken over by Alicja Knast. The Exhibition ‘The Light of History. Upper Silesia over the In February 2016, the Ministry of Culture and National Ages’, being the largest display in the new Silesian Museum Heritage informed on its negative attitude towards the in Katowice is the outcome of the work of a large team of idea of merging both institutions. In view of that protest, people. Its concept went on altering, was often modified, on 21 March 2016, the Regional Assembly of the Silesia the modifications differently assessed by respective circles. Voivodeship revoked the earlier decision re. the intention Numerous controversies that accompanied its coming to to merge them with Resolution No. V/20/11/2016. Upon being reflect the current identity challenges of the Silesian that decision, the two positions were separated: Alicja Knast

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4. Fragment of the permanent exhibition on the history of Upper Silesia All photos by M. Wądołowski remained the Director of the Silesian Museum in Katowice, mementoes. His widow, Iwona Świętochowska, commen- while as of 6 April 2016 Leszek Jodliński who had been ted on her meeting with the Museum’s management with Director of the Silesian Museum in Katowice in 2008–13, the following words: Bareja is nothing compared to that. It became Director of the Upper Silesia in Bytom. was embarrassing… thus sending a clear signal that her coo- That, however, was not the end to the turbulences re- peration with the institution had not been going in the right lated to assigning the Director of the Silesian Museum. In direction.17 Although the Museum continues declaring their January 2020, the Board of the Silesia Voivodeship dismissed willingness to commemorate the outstanding film director, 18 Alicja Knast. She was supplanted by Marcin Gwoździewicz it is quite obvious that they are only trying to keep up appe- as Acting Director, not boasting any experience in muse- arances. In order to manifest his protest against the decay um work: this was another obvious violation of the ‘good of the most important museum of the Silesia Voivodeship, practices’ of managing museums formulated in the ICOM the Author of the present paper has also decided to breach Code of Ethics for Museums.16 In June 2020, the Regional any academic cooperation with the institution. Administrative Court in Gliwice ruled that decision of the Silesia Voivodeship invalid, however subsequent instances What next? and moral decay continue an open question. In the current situation the Silesian Museum is perceived The fate of the Silesian Museum in Katowice reflects the as a propaganda tool of the local government (the leader- specificity and dramatism of the situation of the whole ship of the institution has been given to the individuals tru- Upper Silesia and its residents. The social rooting of the sted by the currently leading political forces in the country, major Silesian museum institution bonds its operating with while the conference space of the Museum has been serving the whole network of meanings present among the Silesian for political and propaganda meetings of Poland’s ruling po- community, this giving the institution the continuously up- litical camp). The institution has been gradually abandoned dated vitality, marking out the framework for its current ac- by professionals, while their place has been taken over by tivity.19 The new Silesian Museum in Katowice, similarly as individuals with no background that can safeguard proper all today’s museum institutions, is now facing the challenge quality of museum work. The positions within the Museum of finding the balance between politics and solid activity of have been staffed with individuals that can be politically tru- a museum. One must bear in mind that any political forces sted, this leading to lowering the factual and ethical standar- now in power can change, so one needs to be prepared for ds, and to the collapse of the institution’s prestige. further museum revolutions in Katowice. In late July and early August 2020, quite a resonant me- The problem the Katowice Museum is now facing is the dia controversy broke out, this related to the display of the choice of the way for further development. On the one hand legacy of the Silesian film director Kazimierz Kutz within the it can become a ‘shrine-like museum’.20 However opting for Silesian Museum. Since his death in December 2018 the this concept would imply the glorification of the subjectively institution had clumsily been preparing to display Kutz’s assumed memory culture, thus the presentation of one and

www.muzealnictworocznik.com MUZEALNICTWO 61 229 only just and sublime vision of the history of Silesia that the public to their own reflection on the Region, whichdoes would not leave room for individual interpretations of the not only require lack of legal limitations; actually, the con- public.21 dition of even greater importance is access to competitive The second available scenario is the concept of a ‘mu- thinking.23 seum-forum’, or a ‘critical museum’, as defined by Piotr Regrettably, as has been shown by the reality of the last Piotrowski. With such an assumption, a museum is treated several years, the final climate of the contemporary Silesian as an institution:undertaking important, often also contro- Museum depends on the decisions of politicians who do versial problems acute in a given community, and related not care about ethical standards of museum curators and to its history, but to the present day too. A critical museum the quality of work performed by the institution, focussing is an institution working to boost democracy grounded in only on their own political interest. In this very way we a dispute, but also a self-critical institution, revising its own have been witnesses to the destruction of a contemporary tradition, facing its own authority and the historical and museum being a guardian of the regional post-industrial artistic canon it shaped.22 heritage, as well as to the blurring of the museum mis- By becoming a ‘museum – forum’, the Silesian Museum sion which has been subdued to short-sighted decisions could perform the role of an important opinion-forming in- of the political authority. Under the current socio-politi- stitution, providing at the same time space to present -dif cal circumstances the crisis of the institution’s activity will ferent visions and ways of thinking of Silesia, this inspiring intensify.

Abstract: A critical assessment of the contemporary of the present in order to better know Silesia, Poland, and state of the new Silesian Museum in Katowice has been pre- Europe. Regrettably, inept actions of the decision-makers, sented. In the Author’s view, the institution has currently chaos related to the position of the Museum’s Director, fa- reached an organizational crisis resulting from the process iled attempts to merge the Museum with the Upper Silesian of losing its genuine idea rooted in its new seat and from the Museum in Bytom, lack of understanding for the supranatio- gradual blurring of the concept of its new mission. nal, universal message related to the region’s history, have The reflections presented in the paper are based on data led to losing the genuine idea and blurring of the selected analysis: the official documents produced by the Silesian mission. The crisis that the Silesian Museum has been su- Museum in Katowice, media materials which comment on ffering is politically underpinned, and results from the use its activity, as well as on the participant observation from of museum institutions instrumentally by the authorities in the perspective of an insider: of the Silesian community and order to fulfill their short-term goals. of an institution’s academic affiliate. The decision makers of the Silesian Museum will in the The ambitious and modern vision of the new Silesian near future have to choose between two operating formulas: Museum basing on the rehabilitation of the post-industrial they can either follow the conservative way, implying stagna- area of the former ‘Katowice’ Coal Mine constitutes a chan- tion and becoming a closed ‘shrine-like museum’, or aspire ce to enjoy the ‘second life’ by the post-mining sites. The to be a venue for the Silesian dialogue, turning into an open Katowice institution undertook the mission of creating ‘museum-forum’. space for the dialogue with the past and accomplishments

Keywords: Silesian Museum, Katowice, idea of a museum, museum mission, critical museum, ‘shrine-like museum’, ‘museum-forum’.

Endnotes 1 W. Gluziński, U podstaw muzeologii [Rudimentaries of Museology], PWN, Warszawa 1980, p. 113. 2 Z. Bednarowska, Desk research; use of the potential of the already available data to conduct marketing and social research, ‘Marketing i rynek’ 2015, No. 7, pp. 18-22. 3 M. Wądołowski, Historia w muzeum jako element dziejów instytucji muzealnej – casus Muzeum Śląskiego w Katowicach [History in a Museum as an Element of the History of a Museum Institution: the Case of the Silesian Museum in Katowice], in: Muzeum. Formy i środki prezentacji IV [A Museum. Forms and Pre- sentation Means IV].Historia w muzeum 2 [History in a Museum 2], Muzeum Okręgowe im. Leona Wyczółkowskiego w Bydgoszczy, Bydgoszcz 2019, pp. 57-68. 4 L. Szaraniec, Muzeum Śląskie 2006–2012 [The Silesian Museum 2006–2012], ‘Muzealnictwo’, 2006, nr 47, pp. 120-123. 5 L. Jodliński, Nowe Muzeum Śląskie. Architektura, rewitalizacja terenów postindustrialnych, program wystawienniczy [The New Silesian Museum. Archi- tecture and Rehabilitation of the Post-industrial Areas; Exhibition Programme], in: Sztuka i przemysł. Paradygmat innowacji – dziedzictwo kulturowe na obszarach przemysłowych Niemiec i Polski [Art and Industry. The Paradigm of Innovation: Cultural Heritage in the Industrial Zones of Germany and Poland], I. Kozina (ed.), Muzeum Śląskie, Katowice 2013, pp. 36-40. 6 D. Piękoś, Misja Muzeum Śląskiego, https://bip.muzeumslaskie.pl/misja-muzeum-slaskiego [Accessed: 11 August 2020]. 7 L. Szaraniec, Nowy gmach Muzeum Śląskiego w Katowicach [The New Edifice of the Silesian Museum in Katowice], ‘Muzealnictwo’ 2007, No. 48, pp. 158-166. 8 C. Lévi-Strauss, Myśl nieoswojona [The Savage Mind], A. Zajączkowski (transl. to Polish.), Wydawnictwo KR, Warszawa 2001, pp. 351-352. 9 M. Czapliński, Pamięć historyczna a tożsamość śląska [Historical Memory versus Silesian Identity], in: Dynamika śląskiej tożsamości [Dynamics of Silesian Identity], J. Janeczek, M. S. Szczepański (ed.), Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego, Katowice 2006, pp. 56-66.

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10 Information derived from the unauthorised invterview with Lech Szaraniec conducted by the Author on 1 October 2014 in Katowice. 11 Regulamin konkursu na scenariusz wystawy stałej historii Górnego Śląska w nowej siedzibie Muzeum Śląskiego w Katowicach [Regulations of the Competi- tion for the Script of the permanent exhibition on the History of Upper Silesia in the new seat of the Silesian Museum in Katowice], http://bip.muzeumsla- skie.pl/zalacznik_496.html [Accessed: 10 January 2017]. 12 A. Matusiewicz, Marszałek śląski Matusiewicz o Muzeum Śląskim: Skandaliczny scenariusz [Silesia Marshal Matusiewicz on the Silesian Museum: An Outra- geous Script], https://dziennikzachodni.pl/marszalek-slaski-matusiewicz-o-muzeum-slaskim-skandaliczny-scenariusz/ar/629739 [Accessed: 3 August 2012]. 13 I. Kozina, Sporządzenie opinii na temat zasadności połączenia Muzeum Śląskiego z Muzeum Górnośląskim w celu stworzenia instytucji muzealnej pn. „Muzeum Śląskie” ze specjalistycznymi oddziałami [Opinion on the Justification of the merger of the Silesian Museum with the Upper Silesian Museum in order to establish a museum institution called the ‘Silesian Museum’ with specialized divisions], 2011, pp. 3-18 – materials commissioned and shared by the Culture Department at the Silesia Voivodeship Marshal Office. 14 D. Folga-Januszewska, Opinia o zasadności połączenia Muzeum Śląskiego w Katowicach z Muzeum Górnośląskim w Bytomiu w celu stworzenia instytucji muzealnej pn. „Muzeum Śląskie” [Opinion on the Justification of the merger of the Silesian Museum with the Upper Silesian Museum in order to establish a museum institution called the ‘Silesian Museum’] 2011, pp. 2-27 – materials commissioned and shared by the Culture Department at the Silesia Voivo- deship Marshal Office. 15 Resolution No. V/20/11/2016 of the Silesia Voivodeship Regional Assembly of 21 March 2016 meant to revoke Resolution No. IV/49/5/2014 of the Silesia Voivodeship Regional Assembly of 7 April 2014 on sharing public information on the intention and causes of merging the Silesian Museum in Katowice with the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom. 16 Art. 1.12 of the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums related to appointing a museum director reads as follows: The director or head of the museum is a key post and when making an appointment, governing bodies should have regard for the knowledge and skills required to fill the post effectively. These qualities should include adequate intellectual ability and professional knowledge, complemented by a high standard of ethical conduct. 17 J. Krzyk, P. Jedlecki, Nie ma miejsca dla Kazimierza Kutza w Muzeum Śląskim. „Może zabiorę go też z cmentarza” [There is No Room for Kazimierz Kutz at the Silesian Museum. ‘Maybe I Shall Take Him Away from the Cemetery, too’], ‘’ 31 July 2020, https://katowice.wyborcza.pl/ katowice/7,35063,26171025,nie-ma-miejsca-dla-kutza-w-katowicach-moze-zabiore-go-tez-z.html?disableRedirects=true [Accessed: 11 August 2020]. 18 https://muzeumslaskie.pl/pl/aktualnosci/muzeum-slaskie-otwarte-upamietnienie-wybitnego-rezysera [Accessed: 26 August 2020]. 19 M. Wądołowski, Nowe Muzeum Śląskie – tradycja a współczesność [The New Silesian Museum: Tradition versus Contemporaneity], in: Nowe, lepsze – co ciekawego w historii [New, Better: What Is Interesting in History?], M. Lisak, E. Klimczak (ed.), Fundacja Biznesu i Nauki, Kielce 2017, pp. 108-122. 20 K. Barańska, Muzeum w sieci znaczeń. Zarządzanie z perspektywy nauk humanistycznych [A Museum in a Network of Meanings. Managing as Seen from the Perspective of the Humanities], Kraków 2013, p. 114. 21 J. Wertsch, Voices of Collective Remembering, Cambridge 2002, p. 44. 22 P. Piotrowski, Muzeum krytyczne [A Critical Museum], Dom Wydawniczy Rebis, Poznań 2011, p. 9. 23 A. Bloom, The Closing of the American Mind: How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today's Students, T. Bieroń (transl.,into Polish), Poznań 1997, p. 296.

Marcin Wądołowski PhD Doctor in sciences on culture and religion, a historian, a sociologist, a museum curator; winner of the Jan and Wojciech Wawrzynek Prize awarded for the work The Silesian Museum in Katowice: between Tradition, the Present Day, and the Future; (2018) grantholder of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage in managing culture and supporting culture employees; a grantholder of the Herder-Institut in Marburg; his academic focus is history and Silesian culture, museology, regional studies; e-mail: [email protected]

Word count: 3 782; Tables: –; Figures: 4; References: 23 Received: 08.2020; Reviewed: 08.2020; Accepted: 08.2020; Published: 09.2020 DOI: 10.5604/01.3001.0014.3836 Copyright©: Some rights reserved: National Institute for Museums and Public Collections. Published by Index Copernicus Sp. z o.o. This material is available under the Creative Commons – Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY- -NC 4.0). The full terms of this license are available on: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode Competing interests: Authors have declared that no competing interest exits. Cite this article as: Wądołowski M.; THE NEW SILESIAN MUSEUM IN KATOWICE: DISSIPATED IDEA, BLURRED MISSION. Muz., 2020(61): 224-232 Table of contents 2020: https://muzealnictworocznik.com/issue/12766

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