The Traces of Noble Past in the Private Museum of Brunon Konczakowski

Abstract

Brunon Konczakowski (1881–1959), a merchant from Cieszyn, allocated profits from his commercial activities not only to the development of his business but also to assembling an art collection that reflected the tradition of noble collecting. His holdings included both everyday objects and valuable artifacts of historical significance, such as approximately 200 pieces of non-European weaponry, which he donated to the Polish Army Museum in 1938, as well as around 400 specimens of European arms dating from the 15th to 18th centuries, which enriched the Wawel Royal Castle’s collection after his death. Konczakowski had acquired these artifacts through leading European auctions, antique dealers, and thanks to connections with aristocratic circles. His collection featured rare and historically significant items, including a partisan of Augustus II the Strong and a hetman’s mace—testimonies to the former grandeur and refined aesthetic sensibility of the Polish nobility.