Exhibitions at the Kashubian Museum

The exhibits in our Museum are displayed in seven exhibition rooms within the main building. On the ground floor, visitors can view key objects related to the traditional occupations of the local population, while the upper floor showcases the folk art of the Kashubians. The main occupations of the Kashubian people were agriculture and fishing, a fact reflected in our exhibitions. Most of the collected artifacts date primarily from the 19th century.

We invite you to take a virtual tour of our Museum:

Agriculture (Ground Floor, Room I)

In this room, we present the basic tools associated with cultivating the land. These include framed scratch ploughs, double-handled ploughs, a ring roller, beam harrows, and cultivators—one of which, featured in the exhibition, was made from a stripped tree root and fitted with three iron nails.

For mechanical cultivation, which was practiced in Kashubia, various supporting tools were used. On display, there are two yokes (double harnesses used for oxen or cow-drawn ploughs) and „kleki” (single harnesses). An interesting fact is that horse-drawn ploughs were introduced relatively late in Kashubia. This was partly due to the unsuitability of horses for the local conditions. Horses are heavy animals and the region's terrain, comprised largely of peat bogs and soft, marshy soil, caused them to sink during fieldwork. A practical and effective solution to this problem were so-called "horse shoes" (not to be confused with iron horseshoes), which were large, flat attachments placed on a horse’s hooves before fieldwork. These unique items are also featured in our exhibition.

A special section of the room is dedicated to the Christmas-time masqueraders known as „gwiżdże”. Traditional items, such as a straw coat and a crown of the „gwiazdor” (Father Christmas) are displayed here, as well as animal costumes like those of a horse, stork, goat, and billy goat. Masks made of fur and cardboard depict characters like a devil, beggar, chimney sweep, and soldier.

The tradition of „gwiazdka” in Kashubia involves costumed figures visiting village homes around Christmas time to stage a unique folk performance using these traditional props. Today, this custom survives primarily in rural areas, where ties to tradition remain especially strong.

Household (Ground Floor, Room II)

This room features tools used for measuring agricultural produce, storing food, processing it, and basic kitchen equipment. You will find a grain barrel hollowed out from a tree trunk, as well as a „korzec” (traditional dry measure) and „mace” (baskets woven from pine roots). Also, there are tools used in grain processing such as a hand mortar for peeling grains into groats and rotary quern stones.

In every household, a scale was indispensable. In Kashubia, both pan scales and a unique type of balance known as a „dezmer” were used. The „dezmer” is a wooden rod with a fixed weight on one end and the item to be weighed suspended from the other.

When preparing food, wooden troughs were used for kneading bread dough and flat wooden paddles were used to remove bread from ovens. Bread was typically baked by housewives themselves. An interesting collection includes butter churns, known locally as „kierzenki”. The most notable of these is a cradle-style churn, which was found in most Kashubian households. There is also a diverse array of wooden butter molds and rollers used to create decorative patterns on butter.

Household life

The exhibition includes tools and objects used to process both animal and plant-based products, as well as other implements commonly found in a traditional Kashubian household.

What Did People eat in Kashubia?

In all communities, food plays an important role, not only because it is necessary for survival, but also due to the many social and cultural practices tied to it. The types of food consumed depended on local resources, economic status, religious practices, and the plants and animals available in the area.

Since most Kashubians were Catholic, many of their food customs were closely linked to their faith. For example, during periods of fasting, typical meals included swede and carrot dishes, sour rye soup („żur”)various groats, salted herring, and fish with potatoes. It was also believed that vegetables like swedes, beets, and carrots should be harvested around the holiday of St. Hedwig to ensure their proper sweetness. The Kashubian ritual calendar also determined the most favorable times for sowing and harvesting.

Milk and dairy products were key components of the Kashubian diet. Buttermilk was often consumed with lunch and butter was both eaten and sold.

Cereal grains were used to prepare groats (from barley, wheat, oats, buckwheat, and rye), which were served thick or used in soups. Grains were also milled into flour for baking bread, frying or baking pancakes and making noodles or dumplings.

The diet was also rich in potatoes, rutabagas, carrots, cabbage, peas, and beets. One notable dish was „trypane ziemniaki”—boiled and mashed potatoes served with buttermilk. Cabbage was eaten raw or fermented.

Meat was considered a festive dish and was more commonly prepared in wealthier households. A representative Kashubian delicacy was „okrasa”—minced goose meat salted and stored in clay pots, eaten throughout the year as an addition to other dishes or bread. Fish were also a staple food, served baked, boiled, roasted, and less often fried. During fasting periods, large quantities of salted herring were consumed.

Meals were often supplemented with wild mushrooms and forest fruit gathered in Kashubian woods, cultivated fruit, and beekeeping products.

The Kashubian Strawberry „kaszëbskô malëna”

Strawberries were introduced to Kashubia in the early 20th century. Helena Gruchała was the first to begin their cultivation and the priest Anastazy Sadowski played a key role in popularizing strawberry farming among local peasants. Initially grown in the Długi Kierz area, the cultivation spread over time and now encompasses the entire Kashubian Lake District, earning the region the name “the strawberry basin.” Thanks to favorable soil and climate conditions, Kashubian Strawberries are known for their unique flavor and aroma.

Each year, around late June to early July, the open-air festival “Truskawkobranie” (“Strawberry Harvest”) takes place. The event not only promotes this beloved fruit but also celebrates Kashubian culture and tradition.

Fishing (Ground Floor, Room III)

Fishing—alongside agriculture—was one of the primary occupations of the Kashubian people. The region’s numerous lakes, rich in fish, provided a valuable food source. Fishermen went out on the water in dugout canoes („czółna”). The exhibition displays two types of these canoes that were used for fishing. Originally, single-log dugouts („dłubanka”) were used. Later, a more advanced form appeared, featuring a log-based bottom with sides constructed from horizontal wooden planks.

This room showcases the tools and equipment used by fishermen for lake fishing. These include multi-pronged fish spears („ościenie”) for stabbing fish, a lantern („kaganek”) used to attract fish with light, gillnets, fish traps („żaki”), and a type of dragnet („klepa”), which was equipped with floats, sinkers, and ropes braided from pine roots.

A separate section of the exhibition is devoted to winter fishing tools. There are a sled-mounted winch („baba”), ice axes for chopping fishing holes , a fishing stick a tool called „szukarek” for locating fish under the ice, and pitchfork-like implements used to guide nets beneath the ice.

Pottery (Ground Floor, Room IV)

With the development of industry and the influx of inexpensive mass-produced goods, traditional Kashubian folk workshops gradually began to disappear. However, a revival of pottery art occurred in the early 20th century, inspired by the renowned ethnographers Teodora and Izydor Gulgowski, founders of Poland’s first open-air museum in Wdzydze.

Pottery is one of the oldest branches of Kashubian folk craftsmanship. Its products, Kashubian ceramics, have centuries-old traditions. The exhibition illustrates the various stages of the pottery-making process, including manual or mechanical clay preparation, shaping vessels, drying, firing, decorating and glazing.

We have on display finished ceramic products such as stove tiles, vases and other ceramic items from the workshops of the well-known Kashubian families Meissner, Necel, and Kaźmierczak. The Necel family workshop in Chmielno, still in operation today, remains highly popular among tourists visiting the region. Notably, the workshop is now run by the tenth generation of the family, continuing the longstanding pottery tradition.

The Kashubian ceramics showcased in the exhibition are distinguished by characteristic decorative motifs such as the Kashubian star, fish scale pattern, or tulip design, often complemented by wavy lines or dotted accents.

Elements of Kashubian Ritual and Culture (Upper Floor, Embroidery Room)

In this room, we exhibit objects related to annual rituals and customs, musical instruments and traditional folk toys.

The musical instruments on display:”bazuna” (a long wooden horn), „burczybas” (a friction drum), and a devil’s fiddle. They are still used today by Kashubian folk ensembles.

A particularly interesting exhibit are Kashubian Musical Notes. These vary slightly across the Kashubian region and their origins remain unknown. The "alphabet" of notes is sung by naming a series of illustrated symbols positioned along the musical staff, then repeated in reverse order. This unique system adds to the distinctiveness of Kashubian musical heritage.

Songs played a vital role during family celebrations, such as weddings, and became especially significant during the partitions of Poland, when the local population faced intense Germanization. Singing helped preserve the native Kashubian vocabulary and cultural identity.

In the hallway, we also display „kleki”—wooden clappers symbolizing the authority of a village leader along with shepherds' staffs and mechanical folk toys such as „tracze” (wooden buzzers). The village leader used the „kleka” to call village meetings. Passed from house to house with an attached note, it served to inform residents of the village leader’s announcements and intentions.

Folk Art (Upper Floor, Room I)

This room showcases examples of both traditional and contemporary Kashubian folk art. Richly detailed embroidery is prominently displayed, including two of the Museum’s most unique and valuable collections: a series of women’s bonnets from the 17th to 21st centuries (so-called “golden headpieces”) and a collection of 19th-century reverse glass paintings.

The women's bonnets were originally crafted by embroiderers from the convents in Żukowo and Żarnowiec, and later also by wealthy Kashubian women. These bonnets, embroidered with gold or silver thread, represented the most beautiful element of a Kashubian woman’s festive outfit. They were made from velvet, brocade and taffeta, and featured floral motifs such as tulips, palmettes, daisies, and pomegranate fruit.

These ornate bonnets were worn only by affluent women; in the mid-19th century, the value of a single bonnet exceeded the value of a cow.

The museum’s extensive collection of reverse glass paintings captivates with its simplicity and the harmony between artistic expression and narrative content. A particularly interesting example is a depiction of St. Anne, painted on glass with a mirrored background. Typical for the Kashubian region are paintings that incorporate printed images of faces or busts, which were then surrounded by hand-painted floral ornaments.

Also, noteworthy are various examples of Kashubian embroidery from different schools, which evolved over time, adapting to local preferences and needs.

The exhibition is complemented by wooden sculptures, among which the carved figures of monks from the Kartusian monastery are especially remarkable.

The Bride's Dowry (Upper Floor, Room II)

The room displays items that were traditionally part of a bride's dowry. In the Kashubian region, it was customary for a young woman getting married to receive a dowry from her parents. This typically included several dowry chests filled with bedding, underwear, and everyday household items such as a washboard, scales, and butter churns.

A sprig of myrtle from the bridal wreath was often sewn into the hemstitching of the bedding, as local customs held that it would ensure painless childbirth for the bride.

The dowry chests also contained secret compartments (hidden boxes) with valuables.

On the day the young wife moved into her husband’s home, the newlyweds would travel together to their new farm. It was customary for the bride to settle on her husband’s property bringing her dowry with her.

Kashubian Room (First Floor, Room III)

The furnishings in this room reflect those of a traditional Kashubian household from a century ago. The items collected here are primarily folk furniture used in everyday life. A characteristic feature of these pieces is their functionality. Most of the beds in this room could be extended or pulled out depending on the situation and need—such as at night. When an unexpected guest arrived and there was a need for overnight accommodation, a chest of drawers was used for that purpose. One of the most interesting pieces of furniture on display is a youth bed, which could be extended as needed—it grew along with the child.

The room also presents baskets woven from pine roots, crafted by women during long winter evenings.

Children are often particularly intrigued by the „pyzder”—a disciplinary rod that hung within reach by the parents' bed (this bed had special curtains to „prevent flies from biting the parents” – that’s the official explanation) and was used to punish disobedient children. Kashubian families were usually large and often lived together in a single room.

Bazyli's Smithy (Utility Building)

The idea for creating an exhibition referencing a blacksmith's workshop came from a resident of Kartuzy, Mr. Andrzej Dąbrowski, who wanted to preserve the memory and legacy of his grandfather Bazyli and ensure that his belongings would not be destroyed or forgotten. To that end, the museum undertook efforts to convert a storage area into an exhibition space. Thus, the warehouse in the museum’s so-called utility building was adapted into a permanent exhibition titled „Bazyli’s Smithy”. Practically, the entire exhibition arrangement was prepared by Mr. Andrzej together with his sons. In 2019, the building underwent thorough revitalization, which allowed the blacksmithing equipment to be displayed in its full glory.

Bazyli’s original smithy was dismantled in 2017. Like most such buildings, it was made of wood in a rectangular layout and located away from other buildings due to fire risk, either in the middle of the village or on its outskirts. Fortunately, all of its equipment survived. Most of the tools were kept by the family, although some had been dispersed. Mr. Andrzej managed to repurchase them and donate them to the museum.

The exhibition features blacksmith tools such as a 1911 blacksmith’s bellows, a forge, tongs, lathes, grinders, pincers, as well as family photographs.

At that point, it would be worth to get some information about the blacksmith himself.

Bazyli Antoni Dąbrowski was born on October 1, 1887, and died on November 27, 1968. He was the son of Józef,descended from a branch of the Dąbrowski family from Dąbrówka, and Antonina née Stenka from Gowidlino. His parents managed the Dąbrówka estate, which allowed them to live there and lease a small portion of land for their own use. They were also entitled to use the resources of the nearby forest and lake.

In 1907, Bazyli graduated from a Prussian vocational school in Bytów, trained as a blacksmith, locksmith, watchmaker, and tinsmith. He did his apprenticeship with blacksmith Martin Wirkus in Jamno. A copy of his graduation certificate was donated to the museum in Bytów by the family. After finishing school, Bazyli was drafted into the Prussian army and served in Colmar—now in southern France in the Vosges Mountains (part of the Alps). He served in a cavalry unit until 1911 and specialized in horse shoeing, for which he received a certificate that remains in family possession. He worked as a blacksmith in a local mine. After completing military service, he returned home and worked for a German blacksmith in Rokity.

In 1917, during World War I, he was again conscripted into the Prussian army, serving in Grudziądz (Grandez) and Königsberg (now Kaliningrad). He survived an artillery shell explosion, which killed and seriously injured many. Though he survived, he suffered from hearing problems for the rest of his life.

The unit in which Bazyli served moved from Königsberg southward toward Lublin, then retreated in the direction of Łódź. Although the war officially ended in the fall of 1918, Bazyli returned home in the spring. His regiment had been scattered, and Prussian command told soldiers to "save themselves however they could." He recalled:

„We once slept in a barn, and when they pulled back the straw in the morning, they discovered they had been lying on hidden corpses.”

After the war, Bazyli and his wife Marta moved in with his parents. He resumed work with the same German blacksmith in Rokity. After World War I, the newly independent Poland was established with new borders, one of which ran just past the village of Kamionka. Rokity then belonged to Germany. Bazyli must have earned well, as he soon bought a farm and built his own smithy.

In the 1930s, he purchased an 8.52-hectare farm in Borek near Sulęczyno from Franciszek Malek, who moved to Kartuzy. He brought his parents to live with him on the new farm.

Bazyli was a respected blacksmith and marked his products with a special stamp hammer engraved with the letter “D.” He repaired farming and household equipment, crafted horse-drawn plows, harrows, hoes, fittings for wagons, sleds, carriages, and complete wagons with all the necessary hardware.

Bazyli’s smithy must have prospered, as the experienced blacksmith had even planned to build a windmill. Fearing inflation, he loaned a sum of money to his brother-in-law Jan Sildatk from Leman, who was building a house. They agreed the loan would be repaid in the equivalent value of seven cows. Shortly afterward, a currency revaluation reduced the value of money. Jan repaid the loan at a third of its original value, justifying it by saying that if Bazyli had left the money in the bank, he would have received even less. Bazyli responded:

„Let it be as you say, but in my view, it’s not right.”

In his later years, Bazyli turned to beekeeping. He kept about ten hives and always had some honey for family needs. Like many Kashubians, he enjoyed using snuff, which earned him scoldings from his wife, especially during Lent. His twilight years passed surrounded by beautiful nature, neighbours, family, and especially his beloved grandchildren. Bazyli Dąbrowski passed away on November 27, 1968.