The Poznań museum is one of the largest institutions of its type in Europe.

The 2000 year old Celtic Carnyx – a military bronze wind instrument and a ceramic rattle dating back to the times of the Lusatian Culture, approximately 3000 years ago are the oldest exhibits of the Poznań Museum of Musical Instruments, where you can see approximately 2500 showpieces from various epochs and continents.
The Museum of Musical Instruments in Poznań was founded in 1945 by Zdzisław Szulc, a merchant and traveler, collector and musical researcher, and the first curator of the Poznań museum. In fact, his private collection of approximately 80 instruments that survived World War II gave grounds to the museum we know today. Professor Włodzimierz Kamiński and Jacek Podbielski are the other two curators whose lives were closely linked with the history of the museum. Today, the place is managed by Janusz Jaskulski. All the curators have taken great care in making the museum what it is today: not only a home to many renowned exhibitions but also an important early music centre.
The museum is divided into four sections: professional European instruments, European folk instruments, non-European instruments and miscellanea – where you can find manuscripts, old prints and concert programs, records and memorabilia of famous musicians.

Celtic Carnyx, a military instrument dating back to 200/100BC and one of only four surviving instruments of its type in the world, is one of the most precious and ancient instruments held by the museum, next to a 3000-year old ceramic rattle from the period of Lusatian Culture and the collection of lutes from 15th to the 20th century.
The Poznań museum holds the only 18th century baroque harpsichord preserved in Poland and a great collection of approximately 170 pianos and  grand pianos, together with a precious collection of harps made by the world’s most famous masters. Some of the exposition is dedicated to the memorabilia of Frederick Chopin’s stay in Wielkopolska, including amongst others the piano he played at Prince Radziwill’s Antonino residence in 1827 and 1829.

Folk instruments from virtually every corner of the world play an important part in the museums overall collection. They come from Hungary, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria and Poland. The non-European section comprises the instruments originating in Tibet, Nepal, India, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, the Far East, South-East Asia, Oceania, Mexico and Australia. America is represented by the instruments of North and South American Indians and the mechanical instruments section contains music boxes, hurdy-gurdies, jukeboxes, gramophones and pianolas.

Apart from looking after and expanding its collection, the museum’s management is also involved in organizing temporary exhibitions and in other scientific research and educational activities. The museum’s collection and the library provide precious resources for Polish and foreign instrument historians and musicologists. The museum’s specialist library holds approximately 4000 volumes and the museum has its own instrument maintenance and conservation workshop and a 180-seat concert hall, where numerous concerts and festivals are held every year.


The Museum of Musical Instruments
45 Stary Rynek
Open: Tuesday – Saturday, 11:00 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday 10:00-3:00pm.



text and pictures: Museum of Musical Instruments