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Opening hours of the Reading Room

Monday: 9⁰⁰-14⁰⁰
Wednesday: 9⁰⁰-17⁰⁰
Thursday: 9⁰⁰-14⁰⁰
15 July - 16 August: closed

The Collection

Holdings of the Branch Office in Cieszyn consist of materials dating back to the 14th century and comprise, to name a few, papers of Cieszyn dukes, archives of territorial administration, judicature, guilds, schools, credit unions, enterprises and cooperatives, societies and unions, companies and personal papers.

Most valuable documents stored in the archives are 270 parchments with wax seals from 1388 on, which concern the Duchy of Cieszyn, along with the records of the Cieszyn Chamber (Komora Cieszyńska) (1438-1920). Among the oldest materials one must mention the city records of Cieszyn (1519-1944) or of Strumień (1503-1793). Moreover, important part of the collection constitute records of the District Office in Cieszyn (K.K. Bezirkshauptmannschaft Teschen) (1850-1918) and also the 19th century school records. The Branch Office preserved the records of the first Polish authorities after gaining independence in 1918. They are indispensable in investigating the activities of the National Council of the Duchy of Cieszyn (Rada Narodowa Księstwa Cieszyńskiego), the Land Government of the Duchy of Cieszyn (Rząd Krajowy Księstwa Cieszyńskiego) and the School Commision of the Duchy of Cieszyn. Few holdings lived through the years of the German occupation with the exception of the archives of the District Office (Der Landrat des Kreises Teschen), of the Public Prosecutor's Office (Staatsanwaltschaft beim Landgericth Teschen) and of the Jailhouse in Teschen. Post-WW II files include collection of the District Office and the District People's Council from the years 1945-1950 along with the papers of the former presidiums of communal people's councils of the Cieszyn district.

Beside the aforementioned fonds, one cannot omit the papers of the communes in the Cieszyn district, which provide abundant data on conditions in several towns from medieval to modern times. A special note deserve also the collection of cadaster books of the Duchy of Cieszyn (1741-1922) along with the archives of several notary offices from the area.

Historians will find as equally important the collections of Cieszyn guilds and personal papers of Barbara Poloczkowa, Wiktor Karger and Emanuel Guziur, who played a key role in the history of the Branch Office and of the Cieszyn region.