We would like to invite you for our exhibition “Our identity” – permanent exposition of Department of History and Culture of Region of Municipal Museum in Żory.

This exhibition is a meditative journey in time and space. During this voyage through next rooms we discover not only a new pictures or get involved scientifically, but first of all : we collect the crumbs of mossaic of identity. Throughout further research of this exposition we find out the answers for questions: Where do we derive from? What are our roots? Who are we?

---

 

 

A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

The keynote of exposition “Our identity” is a desire to notice the problem of identity of people inhabiting eastern part of Silesia, nowadays Silesian voivodeship and eastern part of Opole voivodeship. Multi-layered exposition pays attention to complicated history of Silesia and a fact that multiculturalism is our treasure. It doesn’t give made-up answers, rather it makes people think, it tries to demolish stereotypes. The basic purpose is to bring closer the culture and history of Żory, beginning with medieval times throughout to modern times, to make people fond of immerse into the history of Żory and whole upper Silesia and it’s also an attempt to answer the question “who are contemporary Żory and Silesia inhabitants? Where do we come from, where are our roots and where do we go?”.

---

 

 

A few words from commissioner of the exhibition “Our identity”

Identity is a circumscription of existence. I am, so I’m conscious who I am. Ascertainment is not so obvious after clashing with reality. Our identity is most often denoted by our daily needs and the closest surroundings. Only after confrontation with outer world, no matter how distant, we pay attention to this basic problem. I wonder who I am, every time when someone foreign appears. Europe is changing, migrating and facing problems – it is also the Europe from our surroundings. In contact with something foreign, different, we search for our own designatum. We seek for arguments and explanation of our being.

Exhibition “Our identity” is an attempt to face those searches. It speaks about identity of place and people but also tries to catch an aspect of identity in historical and social manner. Exposure travels in time, showing us the most curious threads of daily life associated with next generations. Narration is led from the point of seeing contemporary times – here and now; it’s the starting point of wondering.

Every generation is shown by particular room, distinctive for given period of history. We go through the chamber with an equipment of our grand-granddads, kitchen of granddads, living room from flat of our parents, ending on youthful room from ‘80s. A long walk, whereas which exhibits become characteristic signs. Recognising of items and places has to remind us, where do we come from and so who are we.

Unique room on this path is a mayor’s office. It’s a theatrical staging, which has to surprise and show this town, with an epoch in the background and to finally notice the uniqueness of people, who made them.

Inseparable feature building an identity is a history of the place and people. We often are not conscious of how really it is. Żory- classic town, in which not only people got mixed (those inhabiting this town for decades) but also cultures and in this way : an identity too. In a mirror of “others” we can look to see ourselves better and clearer. “Mirror of time” – another element of this exhibition is an historical and social look deep into our identities. It reminds about them, decribes and builds and grounds forever. It says : we come from here, that’s who we are, we differ but we still live together because the place bounds us.

The last and probably the most unique point of this exhibition is “Szuflandia”, which name should be associated with an iconic movie by Juliusz Machulski. In every drawer there are hidden pieces of identity which are basically unique exhibits – emotional capsules of time. Symbolical place – there’s a need to make a decision, open something, see and read to find an answer. It’s a place built in time. In this place there are going to be things shared temporarily or given to the Museum as a gifts. They were chosen because of their uniqueness, amount of emotions or surprising history, which are going to be an elements of a fascinating “game”, that has many hidden things.

---

 

 

The exhibition is realized due to involvement of people and institutions:

CURATORS

• Lucjan Buchalik (Muzeum Miejskie w Żorach)

• Jacek Struczyk (Muzeum Miejskie w Żorach)

 

AUTHORS OF TEXTS/COVERAGES

• Lucjan Buchalik (Muzeum Miejskie w Żorach)

• Edward Burcek

• Joanna Cyganek (Muzeum Miejskie w Żorach)

• Jan Delowicz (Muzeum Miejskie w Żorach)

• Tomasz Górecki (Muzeum Miejskie w Żorach)

• Jadwiga Konat-Zgódka

• Eryka Krawczyk

• Katarzyna Podyma (Muzeum Miejskie w Żorach)

• Zofia Przeliorz

• Jacek Struczyk (Muzeum Miejskie w Żorach)

• Maria Wróbel

• Ludwik Wróbel

 

AUTHORS OF GRAPHICS/PHOTOS/FILMS

• Anna Flaga (Muzeum Miejskie w Żorach)

• Jacek Struczyk (Muzeum Miejskie w Żorach)

• Piotr Flaga

• CG2

• Alicja Maciejewska

• Janusz Janik (TV Żory)

• Stanisław Szwarc

• Mariusz Wiera-Rymarczyk

• Marek Jan Karaś

 

AUTHORS OF THE EXHIBITION'S ARRANGEMENT

• Pracownia Sowa-Szenk.pl

 

REALIZATION

THE MUNICIPAL MUSEUM'S EMPLOYEES

• Małgorzata Dec

• Magdalena Bogdan

• Anita Czerner-Lebedew

• Jadwiga Tabor

• Tomasz Górecki

• Danuta Kolarska

• Justyna Kloczkowska

• Marta Szafraniec

• Agnieszka Sokół-Piszczek

• Karolina Ługowy

• Marzanna Sobik

• Ewa Macura

• Mirela Babilas

• Andrzej Mroczek

• Marietta Kalinowska-Bujak

• Mateusz Więch

• Tatiana Hojczyk

 

 

REALIZING COMPANIES

• CLUE

• Centrum Techniczno-Aranżacyjne Władysław Ciemnicki

• CG2

• Trio Plus. Krzysztof Sobik

• Przedsiębiorstwo Realizacji Inwestycji NEST

• Biuro tłumaczeń MEDITEXT

• CIRI

 

VOLUNTEERS

• Grzegorz Buchalik

• Luiza Flaga

• Szymon Wójcicki

 

CO-OPERATING PEOPLE AND INSTITUTIONS

• Waldemar Socha (Urząd Miasta Żory)

• Łukasz Górski (Urząd Miasta Żory)

• Bogusława Koczar (Kancelaria Radców Prawnych Bogusława i Józef Koczar)

• Andrzej Zabiegliński (Katowicka Specjalna Strefa Ekonomiczna)

• Józef Chmiel

• Grzegorz Utrata

• prof. Irena Bukowska-Floreńska

• Józef Podkowik

• Piotr Sikora

• Wiesław Sienkiewicz

• Damian Staniec

• Dawid Sadlok

• Towarzystwo Miłośników Miasta Żory

• Fundacja Sztuka

• Zespół Zamówień Publicznych UM Żory

• Biuro Promocji, Kultury i Sportu UM Żory

• Katowicka Specjalna Strefa Ekonomiczna