Polish National Museum

Photograph featuring one of the rooms on the first floor of the Rapperswil Castle. At that time, the Polish National Museum occupied the entire Rapperswil Castle.

Polish National Museum (1870-1927)
The Museum was founded in 1870 by the Polish emigrant, Count Władysław Broël-Plater, with considerable support from his Swiss friends gathered around the writer Gotfried Keller. They aided the Polish insurgents of the January Uprising, and vehemently supported the Polish emigrants’ efforts to create a Polish culture and history centre. After the collapse of national uprisings, the Polish expats set for themselves the principal goal of protecting the Polish culture which reinforced the national identity. The Museum in Rapperswil gained the status of Polish National Museum. The Museum’s collection, formed through gifts from all over the world, grew considerably, and Rapperswil became the centre of the Polish diaspora. It amassed the testimonies of Polish culture, and coordinated political activities aimed at restoration of Poland’s independence.