The permanent exhibition The Private World of Nicolaus Copernicus  can be viewed on three levels of the Tower. It shows what the life of a great astronomer might have been like at the turn of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The interior of the exhibition is filled with original objects from Copernicus' times as well as their reconstructions and copies. On the first level there is a reconstruction of a medieval kitchen, on the second there is a bedroom, and on the third (in the study) you will be welcomed by Nicolaus Copernicus himself, who, slightly hunched over, devotes himself to his work. You can enter the Tower itself via large oak stairs, on their second floor you will find a wonderful view of the Vistula Lagoon - from the perspective of the top of the wall surrounding the Cathedral Hill.

The north-west tower, called the Copernicus Tower, was built at the end of the 14th century and is the oldest element of the western section of the fortifications. Mentioned in 1499 as the only defensive structure on the Cathedral Hill, it was also used for residential purposes, but only as a substitute. The canons who owned the tower also had houses outside the stronghold walls and they lived there permanently.

Copernicus, after returning from Italy to Warmia, took over the Tower after the deceased canon Marcin Achtsnich and used it until 1543. Without eliminating the defensive value of the tower, the astronomer arranged a modest room in it for the safe storage of the most valuable objects, book collections and manuscripts. In the files of the Warmia Chapter, the name Copernicus Tower appeared for the first time in 1610 and has been constantly used since then. After the war damage of 1626, the Tower was renovated by its next owner, Canon Eustachy Nenchen. In the first half of the 19th century, it was handed over by the Prussian authorities to the Hozjanum Junior High School in Braniewo. Then there was an idea to demolish the tower, but due to the opposition of the Chapter and the Bishop of Warmia, Joseph Geritz, it was returned to the Chapter in 1816. It was renovated again in 1870, and in 1912 the Warmian historian, Eugen Brachvogel, established the first room dedicated to the memory of Nicolaus Copernicus. At the exhibition, he collected numerous documents and their copies, paintings, books and furniture. After damage caused by Soviet troops in 1945, the interior of the tower was thoroughly rebuilt. After clearing the rubble, in the following years, new ceilings and stairs were built inside, the walls were faced, and the roof was covered with ceramic tiles. During these works, small traces of Gothic polychrome were found in the recesses of the wall on the second floor.

Copernicus, while using the tower, did not conduct observations from it, but for many years it was considered such a place. The astronomer made observations from the yard of his house, which was located on a neighboring hill on the western side. In the garden he built a hardened pavimentum on which he set up instruments: a triquetrum, a solar quadrant and an astrolabe. In 1965, the tower was adapted to a museum function and incorporated into the Nicolaus Copernicus Museum complex. Referring to tradition, the permanent exhibition The Renaissance Scholar's Cabinet has been presented inside for many years since 1984 , and the current exhibition The Private World of Nicolaus Copernicus is located on three levels.

Exhibition script:
Zorjana Polenik, Jagoda Semków, Weronika Wojnowska

Scenographic concept of the exhibition:
Zorjana Polenik, Jagoda Semków

Exhibition curator:
Zorjana Polenik, Jagoda Semków

Queries:
Zorjana Polenik, Jagoda Semków, Weronika Wojnowska

Realization of the exhibition:
Zorjana Polenik, Jagoda Semków

Collaboration:
Kram Liwocz, Lorifactor, Paweł Szymański, Props – Sculpture Decorations, Spes Medieval Market

Technical implementation of the exhibition:
Paweł Chorostian, Andrzej Długołęcki, Dariusz Grzesiak

Graphic design of the exhibition guide:
Janusz Goliński

Translation in English:
Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz

Photos:
Bożena and Lech Okoński