Collection of the Regional Museum in Wałbrzych

Collection description

Holding institution (official language):: Archiwum Państwowe we Wrocławiu, Oddział Kamieniec Ząbkowicki

Scope and content:: The Waldenburg Regional Museum Collection consists of materials related to the Seyler Foundation’s orphanage, artisan guilds and education in Waldenburg (now Wałbrzych) and nearby localities. It is grouped into:

1. Privileges/charters, a chronicle of the city of Waldenburg, acquisition of city rights, certificates and letters of legitimate birth, enfranchisements; 1641–1849.

2. General issues regarding the guilds, contentious affairs involving local artisans, craft skills training completion certificates; 1607–1874.

3. The linen drapers’ and weavers’ guild affairs, privileges/charters, statutes, craft training certificates; 1604–1731.

4. The brewers’ guild affairs, rules and regulations, statutes, records/minutes, reports, speeches, invitations, craft training certificates, accounts; 1604–1892.

5. Ecclesiastical affairs, offertory receipt (acknowledged), register of the deceased; 1677–1852.

6. Seyler’s Orphanage House expenditure register, 1824–33.

7. Legitimate birth certificates, records from the former City Museum.

Archival history:: The materials were gathered by the Regional Museum of Waldenburg until 1945. After World War 2, the resource was taken over by the State Archive of Wroclaw, Branch of Wałbrzych, located in Boguszów-Gorce. Once the branch was dissolved, the dossier was removed in 2004 to the Branch of Kamieniec-Ząbkowicki, and re-established as a separate fund there.

Administrative/biographical history:: The Regional Museum of what was then Waldenburg (now Wałbrzych) was established in 1926. It initially took over the collection of the Society for Ancient Artefacts of the Land of Waldenburg; subsequently, as a separate cultural unit, the Museum amassed and protected materials related to the history, culture, and economy of the city and the region. Functioning to this day, the Museum has systematically absorbed artefacts and objects related to the historical past, geography, geology, archaeology, culture, and industry. After World War 2, a portion of the resource was transferred to Wroclaw’s State Archive.

Access, restrictions:: The collection is available in the reading room of the State Archive of Wroclaw, Kamieniec-Ząbkowicki branch.

Author of the description:: Anna Grużlewska, Leszek Ziątkowski; University of Wroclaw; 2015