Michał Rawita-Witanowski Square

Michał Rawita-Witanowski Square is a small urban plaza in Piotrków Trybunalski [city in central Poland], at the intersection of ulica Wojska Polskiego with Aleja Armii Krajowej. The name commemorates a man to whom the city owes two important cultural institutions: a museum and a library.

Who was Michał Rawita-Witanowski

Michał Rawita-Witanowski was born in Częstochowa, but it was Piotrków that he associated with most of his life. By profession he was a pharmacist and ran his own pharmacy in the city, but he is remembered most in its history as a regionalist and social activist engaged in building local cultural institutions. Although he was not born in Piotrków, it was here that he spent most of his professional and social life, involving himself in matters that continue to benefit the city's residents today.

Founder of the museum and tourism society

Rawita-Witanowski was the creator and founder of the Piotrków Museum, where he assembled over 2000 natural history, archaeological, ethnographic and numismatic specimens. These collections spanned many different fields, from natural history to numismatics, demonstrating the broad interests of their creator. He also established the Piotrków branch of the Polish Tourism Society and for 35 years, essentially throughout his active life, served as its chairman, building in the city a community of people interested in regional knowledge and history.

A square in the city centre

The square bearing his name is located at the intersection of ulica Wojska Polskiego with Aleja Armii Krajowej, in a place accessible to everyone year-round, without charge and without time restrictions. It is a small green public space, one of those that gives Piotrków character, and at the same time reminds visitors of the people who built its cultural institutions. Naming the square after the museum's founder is the way the city, daily and in public space, pays him proper remembrance.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Wojska Polskiego, intersection with Al. Armii Krajowej, Piotrków Trybunalski
• Getting there: city centre, on foot from the market square or by public transport
• What to expect: a small urban square, accessible 24 hours a day