Letter late than never: Commemorative Euro note issued to celebrate 100th birthday of Wrocław Post Office museum
A new Euro banknote has been unveiled to celebrate the centenary of the Museum of Post and Telecommunications in Wrocław.
The special collectors’ edition zero Euro note was presented at a ceremony on Saturday along with a monograph by Tomasz Suma detailing the 100 year history of the institution.
The special collectors’ edition zero Euro note was presented at a ceremony on Saturday along with a monograph by Tomasz Suma detailing the 100 year history of the institution.
A promotional stamp was also issued by Poczta Polska.
The museum was first opened on January 25th 1921 but the centenary celebrations were delayed due to COVID restrictions, now the museum is once again open to the public.
Initially housed in Warsaw, the museum moved to Wrocław in 1956 to the city’s historic old post office building which was also the first skyscraper in the city.
Initially housed in Warsaw, it moved to Wrocław in 1956 in the city’s historic old post office building that was the first skyscraper in the city.
When built in 1929 it was the home of the German ‘Deutsche Reichspost’ and after the war it was used by the University of Agriculture. Now, as well as the museum the complex hosts a hotel and luxury apartments as well as a post office.
There are also works created by Czesław Słania the most prolific stamp and banknote engraver in the world.
Among its wide variety of artefacts and documents, the museum hosts five permanent exhibitions: the history of the Polish post office, signage and mailboxes, horse-drawn postal vehicles, an exhibition of telegraphs and telephones, and finally an exhibition dedicated to radio and television.
There are also works created by Czesław Słania the most prolific stamp and banknote engraver in the world.
Among its wide variety of artefacts and documents, the museum hosts five permanent exhibitions.
As part of the dedicated section are examples of Słania’s light-hearted humour, where according to the museum’s website ‘a careful observer using a magnifying glass can discover the so-called secret writings, or rather pranks of Mr. Słania.
Other items on display at the historic museum include signs and boxes from the Russian, Prussian and Austrian partitions as well as the first automatic Polish mailbox for the Syrena from 1924.
In the exhibition dedicated to horse-drawn postal vehicles are three models: a two-cabin stagecoach from the 19th century (pictured), a stagecoach for 9 passengers made in 1938-39 modelled on the ‘Berline mit Coupe Carska’ German Post Office from 1873 and a van for transporting letters and parcels from 1925.
In the exhibition dedicated to horse-drawn postal vehicles are three models: a two-cabin stagecoach from the 19th century (pictured), a stagecoach for 9 passengers made in 1938-39 modelled on the ‘Berline mit Coupe Carska’ German Post Office from 1873 and a van for transporting letters and parcels from 1925.
The commemorative banknote will go on sale for 20 PLN on June 20 with just 1,000 available to collectors.
