The Weaver’s House - Sulkowski Dukes’ Castle

The Weaver’s House, a branch of the Historical Museum in Bielsko-Biala, is located in the Górne Przemieście district which dates back to the first half of the 15th century and was inhabited by Bielsko’s clothiers. The traditions of the house, which now accommodates the museum, go back to the 18th century. There used to be a clothmaker’s living quarters and workshop here until the beginning of the 20th century, but there is no detailed information about the residents. We know that the Bartke family lived here in the second half of the 18th century, followed by the Bathelt family in the 19th century. After 1873 the building was owned by Carl Nowak, and following his death, by his widow, Marie. At the beginning of the 20th century it accommodated the workshop of shoemaker Antoni Polończyk, and this remained here until the outbreak of the Second World War. The building was simply an ordinary townhouse in the post-war period. Antoni’s son, Wiktor Polończyk, donated the house to the State Treasury in 1974 with the aim of creating a museum. Following long-term maintenance and reconstruction works, the museum was opened to the public in 1992.