Collegium Maius

The Great College or Collegium Maius of Krakow’s Jagellonian University is the place where the first university in Poland known then as Krakow Academy moved 30 years after its official opening. King Wladyslaw Jagello II purchased the first building in the mid-14th century but soon the size of that first building proved to be insufficient.

Gradually the college area was increased through the purchase of adjacent houses and the construction of new buildings. The Collegium Maius is the oldest part of the University, the result of a 15th-century reconstruction in a late-Gothic style. After 1840 the Collegium Maius became the new seat for the library of the Jagellonian University and its function changed completely after hundreds of years.

Finally, after the library abandoned the building in 1940, it was decided that the historic structure would serve as a museum giving shelter to the old University collections (works of art and keepsakes), as well as a significant number of scientific instruments. The historic rooms of the museum once shaped the knowledge of scientists like Copernicus who studied here in the 1490s.

Copernicus’ collection of old European art, historic science instruments & original furniture, and astounding rooms like the Assembly Hall will turn you back in time. The stroll around the stunning exterior courtyard and the recently renovated professors’ garden will make you feel like a philosopher. A truly unique place that you shouldn’t miss. More