Established in 1879, the National Museum in Krakow is the second largest museum in Poland. The collection of works of European and Polish art that Muzeum Narodowe has gathered makes it one of the most interesting museums of Europe. Originally, the Krakow Municipal Council contributed two rooms in the recently reconstructed Cloth Hall to the needs of the museum. The collection began to expand rapidly: it became a popular custom to donate an occasional gift or leave a legacy of the family's works of art in one's last will. Historic heritage items, mainly Polonica, were also arriving from compatriots living abroad. Keeping pace with the museum's rapid development, the city successively donated other buildings. Today the museum consists of eleven departments located in historic buildings in the centre of Krakow.
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