Museums are resuming operations after an almost 1.5-month closure caused by a surge in coronavirus cases. Their staff hope to see no further disruptions through the end of the year. As the partial lifting of health and safety measures was only announced last week, many museums did not manage to open immediately after the 1-3 May holiday.

The institutions that did fling their doors open in the morning of 4 May include the Wielkopolska Museum of Independence along with its branches: the Museum of the Wielkopolska Uprising of 1918-1919 in the Guardhouse in the Old Market Square, the Museum of Wielkopolska Martyrdom in Fort VII, the Museum of Armaments and the "Poznań" Army Museum in the Citadel. Their ranks will be joined by the Museum of the Poznań Uprising of June 1956, housed in the Castle, which plans to reopen on Friday, 7 May.

The hours of all branches of the Wielkopolska Museum of Independence will be Tuesday to Saturday, 10am-5pm (last admission at 4:15pm) and Sunday 10am-4pm (last admission at 3:15pm). The Poznań authorities fallout shelter at ul. Słupska 62 in Krzyżowniki will be open on the last Saturday of the month. Museums will adhere to a strict sanitary regime and comply with all relevant safety measures.

4 May saw the reopening of the Archaeological Museum at the Górka Palace in the Old Market Square and the Genius Loci Archaeological Reserve in Cathedral Island. The opening hours of the Archaeological Museum will be Tuesday to Thursday, 10am-5pm, Friday and Saturday, 11am-6pm, and Sunday 12-4pm. The museum will be closed on Mondays.

The hours of Genius Loci Archaeological Reserve will be Tuesday to Thursday, 10am-4pm, Friday to Saturday, 10am-6pm and Sunday, 10am-3pm. It will be closed on Mondays. In accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, museum capacities will be capped at 30 visitors in the Górka Palace and 10 visitors in the Genius Loci Archaeological Reserve.

The National Museum of Poznań and all of its branches reopened on Wednesday, 5 May. Their opening times are Tuesday-Thursday, 10am-5pm, Friday, 11am-8pm, Saturday and Sunday, 11am-5pm. Note that the National Museum is currently holding the exhibition: Poland. The Power of Images, which had only been on view briefly as museums were forced to shut down shortly after its opening. To offset the closure, the exhibition will run until 27 June. In addition, its Saturday hours will be extended to 8pm.

Wednesday, 5 May marked the return of the Armoured Weaponry Museum. Due to persisting Covid-19, a cap on visitor numbers applies.

Another 5 May reopening was that of the Archdiocesan Museum. Its opening hours are Tuesday to Thursday, 11am-5pm, Friday, 10am-5pm and Saturday, 10am-3pm. The Museum maintains three permanent collections, which so far had only been on display for a few days. These are: About the Sacred. Fascinating Silesian Art of the 14th-16th c., Lux umbra Dei by Tadeusz G. Wiktor, and The Slit by Grzegorz Niemyjski.

Finally, Porta Posnania is back, also since Wednesday 5 May. Its new hours are Tuesday to Friday, 11am-6pm, and Saturday-Sunday, 10am-7pm.

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translation: Krzysztof Kotkowski

© Wydawnictwo Miejskie Posnania 2021