THE BIULETYN INFORMACYJNY ZARZĄDUMUZEÓW I OCHRONY ZABYTKÓW BULLETIN,1955–1987

Abstract

In 1955–1987, the Directorate of Museums andMonument Preservation (until 1959: Central Directorateof Museums and Monument Preservation), a structuralunit of the Ministry of Culture and Art, published BiuletynInformacyjny, a bulletin dedicated to documenting theactivity of museums in Poland. In 1955-1959, it was calledBiuletyn Informacyjny Centralnego Zarządu Muzeówi Ochrony Zabytków, while in 1959–1987, it was publishedunder the name Biuletyn Informacyjny Zarządu Muzeówi Ochrony Zabytków. It was published as a bimonthly ora quarterly with a limited circulation (400–600 copies),and was delivered to museums. The following served as itssubsequent Editors-in-Chief: Mieczysław Ptaśnik (until 1972),Stanisław Brzostowski (until 1976), and Franciszek Midura(until 1987). The core content of the publication coveredshort factual information reporting on definite achievementsof particular museums or Minister’s initiatives, as well aslonger papers authored in their majority by the EditorialStaff and museum curators who submitted their materials.Informative texts were included in the sections whosenames altered. The most important of them were as follows:I. ‘Research and Academic Discoveries’, II. ‘Publications’,III. ‘Exhibitions’, IV. ‘New Acquisitions’, V. ‘EducationalActions’, VI. ‘Conservation Works’, VII. ’Foreign Cooperation’,VIII. ‘Foreign Museums’, IX. ‘Conferences’, X. ‘Communiqués’,XI. ‘Papers’. Despite bearing features of a journal publishedunder the ideological and political control of the Communistregime, the Biuletyn Informacyjny Zarządu Muzeów i OchronyZabytków bulletin essentially constitutes a reliable source forthe history of Polish museology in 1955-1987.