Town-house of the Myszkowscy

Address:

Olkusz

GPS:

50° 16' 43.5324" N 19° 33' 34.7076" E

The house number 29 at the Market Square in Olkusz is sometimes called the town-house of the  Myszkowscy, which proves that this wealthy family once was its owner. When in the early 90s of the previous century a man named Myszkowski, who normally lived in Germany, came to Olkusz, he discovered to his great surprise that there was a a building in Olkusz bearing his name.

Seweryn Uruski writes in "Armorial of Polish Nobilty": According to the family tradition this great family comes from John, who lived in 1384, whose brother Wojciech was archbishop of Gniezno, and for whom this dignitary of the church bought the property Przeciszów ... "First, however,  documented member of the family is unknown "N of the house Myszkowski (Jastrzębiec crest, born about 1380), Castellan of Oświęcim", the ancestor of the family (perhaps the son of John who was the brother of Archbishop Wojciech Jastrzębiec). Why did the house in Olkusz belong to the Myszkowscy family? It is quite possible that it fell into their hands in the days of Grand Marshal of the Crown and the governor of Rabsztyn , Zygmunt Myszkowski (he commissioned to build in Rabsztyn the lower, palace part of the castle) or it was his son Alexander Myszkowski, Castellan of Oświęcim and the governor, who married Elizabeth Komorowska in 1598. Four-floor basements, barrel vault, and an underground passage to church. In the early 90s I was able to look into these cellars, only one level was available at the time and a steep, tall staircase led to it. Indeed, the main hall was impressive, one of the chambers was directly under the sidewalk in front of the house. In the direction of the market square there was an exit hole from which the ground came in, and there was also a bay - probably the trace of the door leading into the corridor (perhaps in the direction of the church?) The house of the Myszkowscy has recently been thoroughly renovated, with newly built attics below the roof. Today the house is the seat of Olkusz branch of the Cooperative Bank in Wolbrom.
 

source: District Office in Olkusz