The Museum of the History of the City of Poznań is located in a truly iconic setting in Poznań – the Town Hall, in the heart of the Old Market Square. It is a must-visit when exploring the Old Town and tells an extraordinary story of the city and its inhabitants.
The museum currently occupies the lower floors of the Town Hall, but there are plans to expand the exhibition in the future. Even now, the number and variety of exhibits are impressive. Among them are the original Poznań pillory, where people were punished over the centuries by whipping or even having their noses cut off; medieval episcopal robes from the Cathedral Island (Ostrów Tumski); city documents attesting to the city’s status; and everyday objects from various eras, including more recent items.
The original mechanical goats from the Town Hall tower, now retired in the museum, always attract considerable attention. Another fascinating story concerns a large, illuminated red star. For several decades it hung on the obelisk at Poznań’s Citadel as a symbol of Soviet domination, before mysteriously disappearing on a foggy night in 1989. It was rediscovered 20 years later in a fire brigade storage facility, as it was the firefighters who carried out this risky retrieval.
The Gothic cellars of the Town Hall are themselves a remarkable heritage site. Visitors should look up to examine the keystone of the vault – the carved stone at the highest point. Instead of a Polish eagle, it bears a Czech lion, which is evidence that the first Town Hall was constructed during the reign of King Wenceslaus of Bohemia.
