Description of the attraction
The Abbey Palace in Oliwa is a rococo-style palace located in the Polish city of Gdansk. The oldest part of the building, the so-called "Old Palace", was built in the 15th century in the Gothic style, as evidenced by the preserved brickwork and the Gothic vault. After 1577, the building was expanded to its current size, the so-called "New Palace" appeared, the building served as the residence of the Cistercian abbot Jan Grabinski. The final work on the construction of the abbey was done in 1754-1756, financed by the abbot Jacek Rybinski.
After the partition of Poland in 1831, the area where the palace is located became part of Prussia, the palace passed into the possession of the Hohenzollern family. From 1796 to 1836, Bishop Emland, Karl von Hohenzollern and Joseph von Hohenzollern lived here. From 1836 to 1869, the palace remained empty until Joseph's niece Maria Anna von Hohenzollern settled there. After her death in 1888, the ownership of the palace was seized by the city government of Oliva.
On the initiative of the authorities of the free city of Danzig, a museum was opened in the palace on the occasion of Oliva's birthday on March 18, 1926. Erich Keijser became the first director.
In 1945, the building was completely burned down during the retreat of the Germans. The palace was rebuilt in 1965 to house the Ethnographic Department of the Pomeranian Museum. In 1972, the museum received national status.
Since 1988, the palace has housed the Department of Contemporary Art of the Department of the National Museum in Gdansk. The permanent exhibition includes works by Polish artists of the 19th and 20th centuries (paintings, sculpture, ceramics). Contemporary art exhibitions, conferences and meetings with artists are often organized.
