The Poznań Museum of History (a branch of the National Museum) is located at the very heart of the Old Market Square, in the Town Hall erected in the late 13th and the early 14th century. In the mid-16th century, the Italian architect Giovanni Battista di Quadro redesigned the Town Hall building, giving it a new stately appearance. The building was rendered in a coherent renaissance style, its revamped interior featuring an impressive Grand Vestibule (Renaissance Room). The museum's displays, which occupy the ground, first and second floors, present the city's history from the 13th century to 1954.
Its most valuable exhibits include a 13th-century gilded and enamelled crosier of Limoges, a 1575 desktop clock decorated with the Poznań coat of arms, made by the Poznań clockmaker Jan Stall upon commission from municipal authorities, and a 1651 glass rummer of the shoemakers' guild. The flourishing 16th-century, often referred to as the town's Golden Age, has been covered in the Royal Room. The adjacent Court Room presents items linked to the city's decline, which began in the late 17th century. Much attention has been given to Poznań's 19th-century history, when this part of partitioned Poland ended up under the Prussian rule. A dedicated display features images of Poznań's eminent residents, memorabilia and everyday items. The critical two decades of the Interwar Period are shown through images of the town, documents and portraits of people who shaped its history.
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