On December 14, we invite you all to the Pusłowski Palace at Westerplatte 10 Street where the Jagiellonian University Museum and the JU Institute of Musicology organised a new exhibition. The remarkable subject of this exhibition is the life of Xawery Pusłowski.

It seems impossible to talk about modern history of the Jagiellonian University and, above al, the JU Museum Collegium Maius without mentioning Xawery Pusłowski (1875-1968). Moreover, it is especially important to remember this personage in the anniversary year - the centenary of Polish independence.

Donator. Patriot. Philanthropist.

A few days after Poland proclaimed independence in 1918, Pusłowski as a lieutenant of the Polish army as reassigned to the position of aide to General  Emil Gołogórskim. In 1919, when the Paris peace conference began, designed to give final answers about the political shape of Europe and the entire world, Pusłowski was order to serve under Prime Minister Ignacy Paderewski. He accompanied the prime minister for the entire duration of the conference and when Paderewski’s government collapsed, he remained at his side as a liaison officer. Later on, when Wojciechowski became the president, Pusłowski was appointed as the deputy aide to the Polish resident and chief of the military chancellery.

During the interwar period, he was the chief of protocol of Kraków city presidents for several years. He organised the Kraków visits of Herbert Hoover - after he finished his presidential term and acted as the president of the American Relief Fund, Marschall Pétain, King Charles II of Romania, the maharajas of Kapurthala and Dharampur, and several others. He also was also engaged in the social and cultural life of Kraków. Pusłowski was one of the persons whose efforts made the construction of the modern National Museum in Kraków possible.

The fate brought the Jagiellonian University Museum and Xawery Pusłowski together in 1953 when he endowed the Jagiellonian University with real property at Westerplatte 10 Street and  a collection of 100 works of art selected from the Pusłowski family property. The collection had a significant value and was an enormous contribution to the newly created Jagiellonian University Museum. Thanks to Pusłowski, the Alma Mater came into possession of paintings by Matejko, Malczewski, Mehoffer, Boznański, as well as Massys, Cranach, Delcaroix, and many other artists.

The exhibition “Xawery Pusłowski. Citizen of Kraków, Poland, the world” will be open in the Pusłowski Palace, Westerplatte Street 10, until January 31, 2019, from Mondays to Fridays at 10-16 and on Saturdays at 10-14.