History of The Czartoryski Museum THE BEGINNING OF A DREAM The
Czartoryski Museum was founded in 1796 by Princess Izabela
Czartoryska to preserve the Polish heritage in keeping with the
Princess' motto: "The Past to the Future". The first objects in
the so-called "Temple of Memory" were trophies commemorating the
victory against the Turks at the siege of Vienna in 1683. The
Museum also features historical artefacts from the looted
treasures of the Wawel Cathedral, the Royal Castle and other
objects donates by Polish Families. Izabela also bought the
treasures of the Dukes of Brabant which included his books,
which were to be a particular highlight of the collection.
Influenced by the Romantic artistic movement, she also acquired
objects of sentimental significance that represented the glory
and misery of human life. Among these were Shakespeare's chair,
fragments from the grave of Romeo and Juliet, ashes of El Cid
and Ximena from the Cathedral of Burgos, and relics from Abelard
and Heloise, and Petrach and La