The Museum of the Silesian Land in Opava is housed in a neo-Renaissance building from the late 19th century. It is the oldest museum in the Czech Republic. There are exhibitions here: natural, historical and ethnographic showing the heritage of Silesia within the present Czech Republic and Austria.
The beginnings of the Museum date back to 1814, when local junior high school teachers founded the first institution whose activities focused primarily on natural objects in the area. The museum changed its form many times and at the end of the 19th century it received a new building from the Austrian Emperor Franz Josef. Today it is the main building of the institution.
Four exhibitions are presented here. The first of them concerns the nature of Silesia. Minerals, botanical and zoological specimens as well as paleontological finds were collected here. The second exhibition is a journey through the history of Silesia from prehistoric times to the present day. On the basis of archaeological finds, documents, weapons or objects used in homes, changes were shown to the local population. The third section presents the ethnography of Silesia. Here, home furnishings, folk costumes, instruments and examples of folk art were collected. The last of the exhibitions is devoted to the artistic and cultural life of Silesia from the eighteenth century to the First World War and shows the shaping of the identity of the local population.
Attractions inside
