Towering in the Bielsko-Biała city centre, the Castle is the oldest and largest construction of historical importance, erected in the old town of Bielsko. The oldest part of the Castle dates back to the 14th century. Over the next centuries the Castle gradually developed and transformed. It is a city castle in its nature, incorporated into the system of Bielsko fortifications from the beginning, at the same time providing their strongest section. Over the centuries it performed the function of a Silesian border-stronghold, first guarding the borders of Cieszyn and Oświęcim district duchies and then in the second half of the 15th century it protected the Czech and Polish state border and from 1526 - the Austrian-Polish border. Starting from the close of the 16th century, its defensive role was declining and the Castle gradually transformed into a nobleman's mansion. The present appearance of the castle dates back to the last, thorough reconstruction undertaken in the second half of the 19th century, which entirely wiped out its previous characteristics of style.

Erected by the Piasts, the rulers of the Tesin Dutchy, the Castle was used as one of their residences for over two centuries. Since 1572 it was the centre of administration and trade of an independent Bielsko state, governed by noble families of the Promnitz, Schaffgotsch, Sunnegh, Solms and Haugwitz. The Bielsko Dutchy existed until 1849, the year when new administrative division was introduced to do away with old feudal structures. The Dutchy was incorporated into an administrative unit called the Bielsko poviat starosty. The Castle itself, along with a number of surrounding estates, remained the property of the Sulkowski family until 1945. After World War II the Castle was taken over by the Polish State and used as the seat of cultural institutions. Since 1983 its only tenant has been the Bielsko-Biała Museum.

The Bielsko-Biała Museum, with its main location in the historical Bielsko Castle has maintained museum traditions conceived at the beginning of the 20th century, when two separate museums were established.

The Museum in Biała was opened on 3rd December, 1904 in the City Hall, where it functioned until 1920. Then the activities of the Museum were suspended. It was not until 1932 that the Museum was reopened. Functioned until the outbreak of World War II when the Museum closed down.The Bielsko Museum was opened to the general public on 25th February, 1906 in the building of Old Town Hall at 9 Rynek, where it operated without a closure until 1941. At that time it was one of the largest museums of regional type in Poland, the third in Silesia, preceded by those functioning in Katowice and Cieszyn. In 1941 the Nazi authorities joined the two municipal museums in the so-called Heimatmuseum, which was housed in Biała in the former guild house. There it survived until the end of World War II.

The Municipal Museum in Bielsko opened to the public on 14th February, 1947. Since the seventies of the 20th century there have been established its local branches: the Julian Fałat's Villa (1973), The Museum of Textile Technology, at present the Museum of Technology and Textile Industry (1979) and the Weaver's House (1992). Since 2001 the museum has been called the Museum in Bielsko-Biała.

source www.muzeum.bielsko.pl

See other Castles in Silesian Voivodeship