Panorama of Racławice in Wrocław
Medal No. 1 available right at the entrance!
Medal No. 2 available in the online shop of Golden Poland!
The Racławice Panorama in Wrocław is one of the few places in the world where you can admire a relic of 19th-century mass culture. This enormous painting (15x114m), through a combination of special painting techniques (unique perspective) and technical solutions (lighting, artificial terrain, darkened winding approach), “transports” viewers to another reality and time. The Racławice Panorama is the first and only preserved Polish work of this kind.
The creators primarily wanted to commemorate national traditions on the 100th anniversary of the Kościuszko Uprising and the victorious battle fought on April 4, 1794 near Racławice by insurgent forces – including famous scythe-bearing peasants – under General Tadeusz Kościuszko (1746-1817) against Russian troops commanded by General Tormasov. This “heartening” battle had special significance for the then-enslaved Polish nation.
After World War II in 1946, the painting along with part of the Ossolineum collections came to Wrocław. Here, successive Social Committees worked to conserve and display the canvas. The expectations of many Poles were only fulfilled after the August 1980 upheaval. The Panorama was reopened to the public on June 14, 1985. The great attraction of old Lviv immediately became Wrocław’s main highlight.
Modern viewers can also participate in this extraordinary spectacle of illusions. Notable visitors to the Racławice Panorama have included Pope John Paul II, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, and Czesław Miłosz.
Small Rotunda
A specially added room accessible from the main hall, showing historical aspects of the Battle of Racławice. The entrance is located past the ticket office, next to the viewing platform entrance. In the center of the rotunda, a relief map displays the topographic layout of the Racławice battle area.
Main Hall
In four specially designed annexes with semicircular wall recesses and varying floor levels on the south wall, visitors can explore multimedia presentations expanding knowledge about the Racławice Panorama, its creators and history, conservation details, and other European panoramas.
