An oversized chair in front of the Salon Meblowy Stolarzy Swarzędzkich is a distinctive landmark in Swarzędz. It was installed in 1995 to promote furniture from Swarzędz. The landmark makes the local furniture-making tradition visible; the story behind it spans the development of the craft through to the later rise of the carpenters.
Furniture Craft and Town History
Swarzędz was granted town rights in 1638. Craftsmanship developed there from the town’s beginnings; for a time, Swarzędz was also an important textile center. The carpenters of Swarzędz began to prosper in the second half of the 19th century. At first, furniture was made mainly for local markets, and later it reached shops in Poland and Germany. Early development of crafts, a temporary role in textiles and the later rise of the carpenters thus mark different periods in the town’s history. The shift from local markets to shops in Poland and Germany also shows how the reach of furniture production changed.
Historical and Interactive Insights
The Church of St. Martin adds another point of interest to the historical picture: it was consecrated in 1656 and recognized as a historic monument in 1968. The consecration and recognition as a historic monument mark two different milestones. This adds another timeline to the history of craftsmanship, without equating church history with furniture production.
At the Swarzędzkie Centrum Historii i Sztuki, visitors can explore the collections and take a virtual tour of Swarzędz as it was in the past. They can look for familiar places on the town model. Visitors can also virtually build a piece of furniture and step into the role of a firefighter. The tour and model focus on the town as it was and its places; the furniture-building activity and firefighter role center on interactive tasks. The experiences therefore differ not only in subject, but also in how visitors can engage with the town.
Experience Furniture: Exhibition and Independent Exploration
The Salon Meblowy Stolarzy Swarzędzkich is located at 41 Wrzesińska Street and was originally called Rzemieślniczy Pawilon Meblowy. A permanent furniture exhibition is on display there year-round. Unlike the virtual experiences, this exhibition focuses on the furniture presented in the salon.
The Swarzędzki Szlak Meblowy can be explored independently with a free brochure. It is available at the Salon Meblowy Stolarzy Swarzędzkich, the Swarzędzkie Centrum Historii i Sztuki, the promotion department of the Swarzędz Town and Municipality Office, and online. A leaflet is available at the center or online; a phone and an audio map are also among the independent exploration options. For the trail, you can choose between printed materials and an audio-guided option. The free brochure is also available at one of the listed distribution points, the salon, which is also home to the year-round furniture exhibition.
Discover more destinations: Swiatniki N Warta, Czmoń, Kicin, Golęczewo, Promienko, Glinka Duchowna, Tomice, Zakrzewo.
For the overview of the wider region: Poznań.
