Die Sammelleidenschaft des Teschener Kaufmanns Bruno Konczakowski (1881–1959)

Abstract

The collector’s passion of Bruno Konczakowski (1881–1959), a merchant from Cieszyn Konczakowski (1881–1959) was a merchant from Cieszyn, best known as a collector of antique weaponry. The beginnings of his collection can be dated to the turn of the 20th century when he studied at Max Allina's school in Vienna. He soon joined the Verein für historische Waffenkunde, founded in 1896, and received a gold medal for his work for the organization in 1936. The social and professional contacts he made in Austria led him to become a man of passion who, in his private museum in Cieszyn, gathered such extremely valuable exhibits as the suit of black combat armor from the end of the 16th century, polearms, firearms and protective armaments, high-class smallswords with hilt grips made of porcelain, and many others. He promoted the knowledge of historical weaponry, of which in his own collection he had over 400 pieces illustrating the evolution of European weapons throughout the modern period. He was also interested in other fields of art and artistic craft. After his death his collection became the foundation of the armory of the Wawel Royal Castle National Art Collection in Kraków/Cracow. While he was still alive, however, in 1938 he donated his collection of oriental weapons to the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw.