Transformation of religious buildings into museums in Poland. History and scale of the phenomenon

Marta Rusnak

doi:10.5277/arc150307

Abstract

In Poland the desacralization of buildings for exhibition purposes may at first seem a marginal phenomenon. However, the fact that at least 84 such transformations have been carried out in Poland since World War II suggests something different. This paper aims at depicting the chronological development of this phenomenon, its scale and its architectural structure, i.e. the sort of buildings that have become adapted. It also tries to pinpoint the reasons why the pace of this process does not change even though nowadays both desacralization and search for new exhibition spaces are widely discussed topics. Yet another goal of this study was to find churches, synagogues and monasteries that could be used for further research, which in time may allow to form more detailed conclusions.