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Its present name the Museum of Kurpiowska Culture in Ostrołęka
gained in December 1998. Much earlier, in December 1975, it was
set up by the decision of Ostrołęka's Voivode as a Regional
Museum, the last of such kind of institutions after the
administrative reform of the country. The establishment of the
museum was not connected, however, with an administrative decision,
but was a kin of reply to many circles and people actively engaged
who were continuing the efforts of Adam Chętnik after World War
II, initiated by this phenomen of Kurpiowszczyzna in the 30s. That
was when he wanted to set up in Ostrołęka a Forest Museum. In
the beginning of 1960s some engaged people organised an exhibition
on Bema's Forts, where there were collected over 1000 different
exhibits, mainly historical ones connected with the november
uprising. Unfortunately, the collected exhibits were dispersed.
That is why not so many of them could be found in the Museum set
up in December 1975.
The first years were characterised by an intensive collecting
of exhibits and by preparing the base for their storage and
accessibility. At the beginning, the Museum got for its disposal
one storey in an antique tenement at Gen. Bema's Square 8, which
was erected in 1823 - 1825, popularly called "An old
Post-office". In 1980 the whole building was used by the
Museum. The 80s meant intensive work of regional associations and
some engaged people, the result of which was setting up regional
agencies working as departments of The Regional Museum in Ostrołęka.
These were:
In the years 1990 - 1993 there was conducted an overhaul of the
building of "The Old Post-office" and in the yard there
was built an administrative building. This allowed to enlarge
exhibition space and improve working conditions. After a break
which lasted for several years and was caused by a repair, in May
1993, there were made accessible for visiting permanent and
temporary exhibitions. The storage space is extremely insufficient.
It counts for only 263 m2. The situation is even worse in the
branches of the Museum. In Wyszków the branch is situated in an
old tower at the edge of a town park, and temporary exhibitions
are presented on the space of 23 m2. In Przasnysz due to a
favourable attitude of the local government, the Museum is located
in the ground floor of an antique town hall, where are place
offices and where are organised temporary exhibitions. Relatively
the best conditions has Kurpiowska Farm in Kadzidło, built on a
wonderfully afforested parcel of 1,7 ha next to a busy road to
Mazurian district. It is a small skansen presenting a typical
single farm in Kurpie.
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