On February 1, 2001 the Museum of Sopot began its activity at Poniatowski St. No 8. The building of this new museum is an antique residence which was built in 1903 by the Sopot architect Walter Schulz for Ernst August Claaszen, a merchant from Gdańsk. Luckily, the original projects of Schulz and many archival materials belonging to the founder of the residence have remained until now. Ernst Claaszen was born in 1853 in Gdańsk and died in 1924 in Sopot. His wife Martha, de domo Steinmeyer, and his daughters Theodora and Ruth lived in the Sopot residence until the death of Ernst Claaszen ran a sugar wholesaling and exporting firm. He was also a representative of one of the Berlin engine factories, and later of Daimler's, for the West Prussia area. At the beginning of the 20-th century he became the Honorary Consul of U.S.A. for West Prussia. Claaszen ran his business in Gdańsk, changing the address many times, but Ogarna St. was the place where his counter worked for the longest. time. During that time, in his correspondence he used to give the address in Sopot, 8 Ernstrasse, which today is called Poniatowski St. No 8. Around the year 1910, a newly deliminated street leading from Parkstrasse (nowadays Parkowa St.) to a seaside walk was named Ernst Claaszen St. in order to honour the owner of the lots situated there. The name of the street lasted until 1945. In 1926, after Claaszen's death, the widow sold the house to Oskar Meltzner, an entrepreneur from Gdańsk. The last owner of the house, Herbert Meltzner, lived there from 1934 probably until the II World War.

After 1945, the residence was nationalized and became a strictly guarded property of the government as well as a summer seat of the communist leaders. After 1980, it was delivered to Sopot government, which placed there the Pedagogical and Psychological Family Service Bureau for the Children in Sopot. On February 1, 2001 the building became a seat of the Museum of Sopot. Luckily, the interior of the house in a nearly unchanged condition will allow to reconstruct a rich owner's house from the beginning of the 20-th century. The programme of reconstruction, which is being prepared now, comprises the representative historical interiors on the ground floor. The programme will be realized after a thorough building repair has been finished. On the first floor where bedrooms were placed, some rooms for temporary exhibitions are foreseen. The museum studies and offices will be placed in an attic. In a high, spacious cellar where originally a kitchen, laundry and the quaters for household supplies were located, will be organized a museum cafe whose arrangement refers to the original functions of these rooms. The planned conservation and revalorisation works will be conducted in 2001 as well as in 2002.

The villa built by Claaszen is located immediately by the Sopot beach and has all features typical for resorts architecture of the beginning of the century: picturesquely developed body, turrets and bays, terrace and balcony, veranda oriented towards the nearby beach, high steep roof and presentable functional interiors with rich stuccowork decoration of the ceilings, and decorative carpentry. The villa is surrounded by a wide park, in which nowadays a great attraction is an old well preserved forest stand with many species. Fortunately preserved house interiors, with an almost unchanged layout, will make it possible to reproduce the scheme of the summer mansion of the wealthy proprietor of the first quarter of the 20th century. It would be expedient to recreate also the historical furnishings of the representational rooms of the ground floor - the dining room, living-room, veranda used in the capacity of winter garden and the study of the master of the house. The storey, where primarily were the bedrooms of the spouses and of both their daughters, will be assigned as alterable exposition rooms devoted to the history of Sopot and broadly viewed matter of life, to culture and tourist attractions of old resorts. A broad attention of the city dwellers and the sojourners aroused the exhibition open in February and March this year, tided „Reminders of Sopot". On 2 June, 2001 will be open an exhibition entitled „Illustrated stroll around ancient Sopot", organized conjointly with the Society of Friend of Sopot and the Municipal Public Library in Sopot. There will be the opportunity to see over early guides, folders, maps, old photographs and photos - supplemented with authentic, sometimes very witty commentaries taken from old documents, postcards or guides. For the first time in Sopot will be thrown open for visitors the collection of Sopot medals gathered by Bogumił Filipek.

In July and August 2001 the following exhibitions are planned: among other things the exhibition by Marian Mokwa, display of bonsai trees with addition of oriental exhibits. Museum of Sopot organizes meetings concerning the history of the town, usually connected with projection of films. On the inauguration of Museum of Sopot, in February this year, was issued the first edition of the Chronicle of Museum of Sopot, a quarterly dedicated to arts, history and culture of our town. In the beginning of June will appear the next number of this quarterly. The Museum schedules, for the summer season, cameral concerts in the museum park, near the littoral promenade. The official opening of the Museum of Sopot is planned for the 8th October 2001 within the framework of celebrations of the Centennial of the Town. Free entry to all events organized by Museum of Sopot. The Museum of Sopot organizes exhibitions, meetings with authors, lectures, movie and slide shows, and concerts. It is open for visitors from Tuesday till Friday (10 a.m. - 5 p.m.) and on Saturdays and Sundays (12 p.m. - 6 p.m.). On Mondays the museum is closed. Free entry to all events organized by the Museum of Sopot.

Muzeum Sopotu villa Emsta Claaszena

81-724 Sopot
ul. Poniatowskiego 8
tel: 551-22-66, 551-50-31
fax: 551-71-98