Description

The Sopot Museum was established in February 2001. A historic, eclectic villa located in a garden right next to the Sopot beach was chosen as the seat of the newly established facility.

It was built in 1903-1904 for the family of the Gdańsk merchant and entrepreneur Ernst August Claaszen (1853-1924). The architect of the villa was Walter Schulz.

The collections of the Sopot Museum include approximately 10,000 historical exhibits and works of art. The collection includes objects in the field of painting, graphics, sculpture and artistic crafts illustrating the history of the city and the region, as well as documents, maps, photographs and postcards related to Sopot and other towns, mainly seaside resorts.

The core of the collection are historical objects (photographs, postcards, documents) closely related to Sopot, often donated by the city's inhabitants. The museum also has many artistic exhibits and everyday objects from, among others, the Sopot casino. The collection also includes personal trinkets, such as jewelry, toiletry items, decorated thimbles, clothing items (including Ruth Koch née Claaszen's wedding trousseau), swimsuits (from Germany and England) and women's evening bags.

In addition to exhibition and scientific research activities, the Sopot Museum organizes many cultural, entertainment and educational events. Historical lectures, open to everyone, are organized periodically and are very popular among museum guests, as are historical walks. In the summer season, jazz concerts are held outdoors.