Piastowska Street

It is worth paying special attention to Piastowska Street, one of a few streets leading to the market square as well as the main shopping street of the town, with a multitude of historical tenement houses dating back to 18th century.

Some of them have their old guild emblems retained. The building housing the “Pod Murzynem” chemist’s going back to early 19th century, “Pod Lwem” tenement house on the site of the non-existing Krakowska Gate, and also the building with wonderful Art Nouveau decorated façade deserve special attention. Where the street enters the market square, there are two outstanding spired buildings: a former “Pszczyński Dwór” hotel, at present housing the Pszczyna Community Centre), and a magnificent neo-Gothic tenement house with an oriel and richly sculptured façade decoration. The street ends with a low, shingled building erected at the turn of 19th century, a seat of the Silesian Press Museum. In 19thcentury Pszczyna became one of the most important printing centres in the Upper Silesia. As early as 1805 Karl Beniamin Feistel who came from Nysa worked here, and since 1843 also Christian Schemmel, who published, among others, a magazine entitled Tygodnik Polski Poświęcony Włościanom. The museum exhibition presents the Silesian press history since its beginnings to 1939. The Silesian Press Museum, the only press museum in Poland, also collects historical printing machines and devices. It also houses Izba Telemanna, a room of music and poetry, displaying historical musical instruments, including an 18th century positive organ.