Józef Mehoffer House

Józef Mehoffer studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, but soon became known as much for his stained glass, frescoes and other decorative arts. He bought this house in Kraków in 1932, enchanted by its courtyard and garden as well as its history: it had been a focus for clandestine activity during the January uprising, at which time it had been rented by the sculptor Franciszek Wyspianski.

After he bought it, Mehoffer undertook a full restoration of the house, adding new interior spaces to transform it into a family home. Work was interrupted by the war in 1939, and the Mehoffers were sent to a German camp in Ash, but when peace came in 1945 they resumed their tradition of holding musical and literary gatherings here. Mehoffer now established a studio here. Twenty years after Mehoffer's death, his son, Zbigniew Mehoffer (1900-1985) began the process of creating a Mehoffer Museum. Transferred to the management of the National Museum in Kraków, it formally opened to the public, following restoration, in 1996, and still retains its original collection of art, archives and memorabilia relating to the artist's life.