The tenement house at No 7 Kościelna Street (formerly No 2 Rynek) was built around 1870. It used to belong to Seweryn Kurowski, a chemist and deputy mayor of Wadowice. In 1905, the house became the property of Józef Lisko, a confectioner, who – six years later – sold it to a Jew, Chaim Bałamuth, a merchant and president of the local Jewish community as well as a town alderman. There, Bałamuth ran a hardware store facing the Square, and Adolf Zadora had a bookbinding workshop in the back while upstairs flats were rented out to lodgers.

In 1919, Karol Wojtyła Sr., his wife Emilia Kaczorowska and their 13-year-old son Edmund moved in, taking up two rooms and a kitchen. Their second son, Karol Józef (the future Holy Father John Paul II) was born there on May 18, 1920 and lived there for the next eighteen years. During that time, he lost both his mother who died in 1929 and his brother Edmund who passed away in 1932. Together with his father he left Wadowice in 1938 to study at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, majoring in Polish.

Their old home had undergone many changes: a parquet floor replaced the old painted boards; the doors connecting an enfilade suite of rooms were moved from close to the windows to the center of the walls; a new door opened to the balcony now; two windows (overlooking the church) were walled up; and finally, three more rooms were added.

The Oldest Museum Commemorating the Life of John Paul II and His Ties with Homeland

The idea to set up a museum dedicated to the Pope was first conceived by Rev. Prelate Edward Zacher, Ph.D., long serving the Holy Father as his religion teacher and a parish priest in Wadowice, and His Eminence Franciszek Cardinal Macharski. Before the museum could be established, it was necessary to find substitute flats for the lodgers.

Father Zacher proved very helpful in handling the formalities while the Metropolitan Curia of Cracow and the Wadowice Town Council both offered their support. By 1980, most lodgers had moved out making it possible to undertake major renovation of the building in 1981-1982. The house was very dilapidated and required reinforcing the floors, replacing the wooden balcony with a concrete one, replacing the windows and laying a new parquet floor.

On May 18, 1984 – John Paul II’s 64th birthday – the exhibition in the Holy Father John Paul II Family Home was ready.

As only very few original fixtures and furniture of the Wojtyłas’ flat survived, the exhibition had the character of a rather permanent biographical display. Its objective was to portray and preserve for posterity the life and works of Karol Wojtyła in Poland before he became the Bishop of Rome. The exhibition consisted of John Paul II’s personal belongings and chronologically arranged papers, handwritten documents, books and photographs. The most valuable exhibits included: a picture – the First Holy Communion keepsake; a scapular presented to young Karol Wojtyła by the Carmelite Fathers of Wadowice on “Górka”; a picture taken at his first Holy Mass Service with his autograph; two rosaries of the Holy Father (one given to him by Sister Lucia of Fatima); his cardinal’s garment; the papal garment which he put on immediately after being elected the Pope. The exhibition was designed by Marek Rostworowski.

In 1998, two more rooms were added to the permanent exhibition to showcase a composition of photographs arranged so as to symbolically depict Pope John Paul II and his homeland. The photographs were taken during the Holy Father’s three visits to Wadowice and at the 20th anniversary of his appointment to the Holy See.

The museum, run by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, became very popular with pilgrims and tourists from all over the world.

Chronology of the Museum of the Holy Father John Paul II Family Home in Wadowice

• 18 May 1984 – the Museum opens on the 64th birthday of John Paul II. It houses a permanent exhibition staged in the original two room apartment of the Wojtyła family, on the first floor at Kościelna St., 7 (formerly at Rynek 2). The exhibition was designed by prof. Marek Rostworowski.
• 1984–2010 – the Museum is a part of the Archdiocese of Kraków, run by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. As the number of exhibits grows, the Museum is extended into another apartment on the first floor.
• March 2006 – the building is purchased from the legal successors of its prewar owners by the Ryszard Krauze Foundation and donated to the
  Archdiocese of Kraków.
• 2007–2008 – Preparation of the new museum concept by Barbara and Jaroslaw Kłaput. Development of the museum reconstruction project. The exhibition area will be extended up to
  approx. 1200 sq. m, occupying the four levels of the building, i.e. the basement, ground floor, first floor and attic.
• 6 April 2009 – the ownership of copyright on the concept and preliminary design for the extension, purchased by the Ryszard Krauze Foundation, is transferred to the Archdiocese of Kraków.
• 16 October 2009 – a letter of intent to establish a new cultural institution, the Museum of the Holy Father John Paul II Family Home in Wadowice, is signed by four entities: the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Małopolskie Voivodeship Office, the Archdiocese of Kraków and the Borough of Wadowice.
• 1 April 2010 – an agreement for the establishment of the Museum is signed.
• 7 April 2011 – the Museum Council and its Chair, Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko, are appointed.
• 18 May 2011 – a co-funding agreement is signed; it envisages the provision of EU funds under the Małopolska Regional Operational Programme.
• 6 September 2010–27 March 2013 – renovation and construction works are carried out by J. Kasperczyk  sp. j. construction company, based in Smardzowice near Kraków.
• 28 July 2011 – signing a contract for the design and implementation of the permanent exhibition. Contractors: Barbara and Jaroslaw Kłaput / “Kłaput Project” in Warsaw.
• 10 April 2013 – an agreement for the provision and installation of multimedia equipment is signed. Supplier: Trias SA z Torunia.
• 9 April 2014 – the new permanent exhibition opens in the reconstructed Museum of the Holy Father John Paul II Family Home in Wadowice.

One of the most famous musical families in Poland, along with numerous guests, sang the most beautiful carols and pastoral songs. We could hear, among others: „Wśród nocnej ciszy”, „Północ już była”, „Nie było miejsca dla ciebie”, „Gdy śliczna Panna”, or „Kolęda z wysokości”. Traditional carols performed in original arrangements delighted audiences in Wadowice. The Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was filled to the brim.

The concert in Wadowice has been the second one of the band’s tour this year.

Thank you to the participating artists and to all the guests!

The main source of inspiration for writing excellent texts was for Michał Zabłocki the testament of John Paul II that the Pope had written and completed during the Lenten retreat for most of his life. The music was composed by Bartosz Tomaszek. The audience was delighted by the performance of the song that constituted the title of the concert, as well as other songs, including „Nieziemska miłość”, „Módlcie się”, „Nie chcę nic dla siebie”, „Tylko normalnie o mnie mówcie” or „Mój Prymasie”- the last one in the interpretation of Pola Tomaszek. The soloists were accompanied by exceptional musicians: Adam Niedzielin (piano), Janusz Witko (saxophone and flute), Marek Olma (percussion instruments) and Tomasz Kupiec (bass).

As a surprise for the audience, Michał Zabłocki played the role of narrator reading fragments of the Holy Father’s will.

The concert was organized by the Museum Family Home of the Holy Father John Paul II in Wadowice in Wadowice as part of the final celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the election of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla to the Chair of Peter.

After the solemn opening of the exhibition by the museum’s director, the rev. dr. Jacek Pietruszka, we could listen to the artist’s speech on his work and on the context in which the presented works were created. 5Among the guests there were, among others: rev. prof. Józef Krzywda and a professor of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, Karol Badyna.

The exhibition will be made available to the public for free from November 5 to 30.

The Cardinal was very touched when visiting the museum exhibition. He mentioned the meetings with John Paul II. At the end of the visit, the Cardinal asked the Museum Director to commemorate not only the John Paul II’s life, but also his wonderful message. He also assured his prayer for this intention.

His Eminence Cardinal Robert Sarah was ordained to the priesthood at the age of 24 by Bishop Raymond-Maria Tchidimbo. He studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and at the “Studium Biblicum Franciscanum” in Jerusalem. On 13 August 1979, Pope John Paul II appointed him Metropolitan Archbishop of Conakry. He was consecrated bishop by Cardinal Giovanni Benelli. At the time of receiving episcopal ordination at the age of 34 he was the youngest Roman Catholic bishop in the world.

Between 1985-2001 he filled terms as president of the Guinean bishops’ conference. On 1 October 2001, he returned in Vatican, where he was appointed secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, which was then led by Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe. On 7 October 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him president of the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum”, which coordinates the charitable activity of the Church. He replaced than the German Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes.

Two weeks later, the decision about his cardinal nomination was announced. During the Consistory on 20 November 2010, Pope Benedict XVI made him Cardinal-Deacon. He was a cardinal elector in the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis. On 23 November 2014, Pope Francis appointed Sarah as Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

An extremely moving event took place in the heart of our Museum as part of the new edition of the „National Reading” campaign. During the meeting, Marta Bizoń and Marcin Wasilewski – Kruk presented the greatest works of Polish literature such as: „Bogurodzica”, „W Warszawie”, some poems by Cyprian Kamil Norwid, some extracts from „Pan Tadeusz” and „Przedwiośnie”. Many guests actively participated in the event.

Thank you all for this exciting meeting.

During the tour, Cardinal Comastri shared his personal memories of John Paul II, saying that „the calmest eyes I have seen are the eyes of Mother Teresa and John Paul II. They were saints and were pleased to meet with God.” The visit in the Museum was a sentimental and emotional journey in time for the Cardinal. Memoirs of His Eminence were recorded, and will be available in the future to visitors of the  John Paul II Family Home in Wadowice.

Pastoral ministry of Cardinal Comastri is closely linked with the pontificate of John Paul II. It was the Pope who appointed him in 1990 as the Bishop of Massa Marittima-Piombino diocese, and four years later as the chairman of the National Center for Vocations and National Italian Committee for the Jubilee of the Year 2000. In 1996 he became Territorial Archbishop – Prelate of Loreto and a papal delegate to the Loretto Sanctuary. In the Great Lent 2003 he preached for the Roman Curia, and on 5 February 2005 John Paul II appointed him Vicar General for the Vatican City State and President of the Fabric of St. Peter.

Below we present a review of the concert by Joanna Mazurek:

„On 21 of October, in the church of Santo Spirito in Sassia in Rome, the Museum of the Family Home of Pope John Paul II in Wadowice and the John Paul II Foundation in Rome organized a special concert in honor of John Paul II, a great Pope and an extraordinary man loved by millions. Young artists from Poland played and song that night: Anna Lasota – soprano, soloist of the Music Theater in Poznań, Jakub Oczkowski – tenor, soloist of the Teatr Wielki National Opera in Warsaw and Piotr Żukowski – piano, lecturer at the Academy of Music in Poznan.
At the very beginning of the concert Piotr Żukowski conquered the hearts of listeners with the daring execution of the Polonaise in A major Op. 40 No. 1 of Fryderyk Chopin. It was followed by the very touching Ave Maria by Giulio Caccini, which was performed by Anna Lasota. The long, beautifully shaped phrases resounded in the temple walls. Jakub Oczkowski also seduced the audience with his noble sounding, full of strength and brilliance voice while performing Ave Maria by Michal Lorenc. All duets also proved to be incredible. Buddy Greene’s song „Mary did you know” is certainly one of the most interesting performances of the evening. The performers expressed the subtlety and deep sadness in the most amazing way. The concert was also full of dramatic, emotional entrances. The prelude C-Dur BWV 846 from the cycle Das Wohltemperierte Klavier by Jan Sebastian Bach, performed by Piotr Żukowski is yet another „pearl” of the evening. An extremely stylishly performed song was rewarded by audience with loud applause.
The music was accompanied by a word. The facts from the life of the Holy Father related to his meetings and relations with the Virgin (quoted by Łukasz Lech and Anna Maria Burzynska), were combined with beautiful songs, thanks to which the audience was put in a prayerful climate. During the celebration commemorating the 39th anniversary of the election of Karol Wojtyla to the Pope, the artists could not forget about Pope’s beloved songs. „Czarna Madonna”, „Maryjo Śliczna Pani” and „Barka” were song together with people from the audience, who were holding each other hands while praying and remembering the Polish Pope. This special evening will surely remain in our hearts for a long time. ”

In addition, on October 22, representatives of the Museum, including Rev. Jacek Pietruszka, took part in the mass celebrated by the President of the Administrative Board of the John Paul II Foundation and the Museum Council – Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko, in concelebration with Archbishop Konrad Krajewski – Papal Almoner and Archbishop Jan Pawlowski. The mass was attended by Mr. Janusz Kotański, Ambassador of the Holy See, his Spouse, and by many faithful from Rome and Poland.

The event was attended by representatives of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Cracow City Hall, the Museum’s directorate and invited guests.

The opening of the exhibition coincided with the anniversary of the launch at the Museum of WYD Cracow 2016, when during two weeks The Holy Father John Paul II Family Home Museum in Wadowice was visited by over 50,000 people from more than 100 countries.

The exhibition which is part of the program of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sts. John Paul II, through the prism of photographs presenting the Museum’s exposition, resembles the figure of the Polish Pope, his heritage and places inseparably associated with him. Among these are primarily Wadowice, where, as he said everything began, and also Cracow, where he lived and worked for 40 years and about which he wrote: Cracow (…) I thought about it and I still consider it to be my city. Former capital of Poland, (…), is – next to Wadowice – the city of my youth. Here in Cracow, I spent most of my life.

The exhibition is also an encouragement to discover the traces of Sts. John Paul II in Lesser Poland.

The exhibition will be presented on Market Square until July 31st, after that, it will be moved to other places in Cracow: Szczepanski Square and the Planty.

Visit to the birthplace of St. John Paul II was touching and a very joyful event for the Sisters. They listened with great interest to the stories of the earliest years of Pope’s life in Poland, about his family, and especially the history of his vocation. The Holy Door from the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome and the words from the inauguration of the Pontificate „Do not be afraid! Open the door to Christ! ” written in Chinese and other languages caused a great joy.

The sisters also shared their experience of ministry in China. A big surprise at the end of the visit was song „Barka” sung in Chinese.