Strongwomen

The Museum of Krakow invites you to a new temporary exhibition at the Hipolit House.

The planned exhibition will take place over 100 years after the decree on voting rights for Polish women was announced and the March Constitution, which legally guaranteed those rights, was enacted. It is important to remember that residents of Krakow played a significant role in the efforts to change the social status of Polish women at the beginning of the 20th century.

Strongwomen (original: "Siłaczki") is the story of the lives of women inhabitants of Krakow from medieval times to the present day. It tells the story of the social, political, moral and cultural changes that were important for the emancipation of women and their aspirations to become fully-fledged citizens pursuing their dreams and helping others to believe in themselves.

A key goal of the exhibition is to highlight the diverse roles women have played in social, artistic, and political life within the city's space, the local community, as well as in the broader context of political and social events that have directly and indirectly impacted Krakow throughout various historical periods, including the present day. It also provides an opportunity to present women's activities within the framework of societal norms of the time, showcasing how much one could be "free" within certain social conventions and how to break free from imposed limitations.

Visitors will learn about the strong personalities of figures like the legendary first female student – Nawojka, as well as the first "Masters of Pharmacy" – the Studziński sisters, Filipina and Konstancja, who were nuns. There's no need to convince anyone of the strong personalities of famous women like actresses Helena Modrzejewska and Antonina Hoffmann or the 20th-century Polish art icon Zofia Stryjeńska, just as with the profiles of emancipationists Maria Dulębianka and Kazimiera Bujwid.

An important figure will also be the Krakow native – pre-war tennis queen Jadwiga Jędrzejowska, whose playing style overpowered her opponents, as well as the pre-war “Vogue” and “Harper's Bazaar” illustrator Alicja Halicka.

The stories of Krakow women will be shown in the context of significant social changes in Europe, such as international movements for women's emancipation, women's involvement in World War I and II, and their activism for the fight for democracy.

Alongside collections from various museums, works by contemporary female artists and one male artist will be exhibited, including:

• Lena Achtelik
• Bettina Bereś
• Antonina Chmielewska-Merynda
• Ewa Ciepielewska
• Marta Frej
• Agata Głogowska
• Ewa Juszkiewicz
• Bogumił Książek
• Maria Lemperk (Mytrofanova)
• Patrycja Piętka
• Jadwiga Sawicka
• Iwona Siwek-Front
• Ewa Skaper
• Beata Sosnowska
• Beata Stankiewicz
• Agata Stępień
• Paulina Taranek
• Erwinia Ziomkowska
• Anna Maria Zygmunt

Collaborations:
Jagiellonian University Museum Collegium Maius
Consulate General of the Republic of Austria
Italian Cultural Institute in Krakow
Cervantes Institute in Krakow
Foundation of the Museum of Herstory of Art in Krakow