Rola Muzeum Geologicznego IG na tle zadań i problemów muzealnictwa przyrodniczego

Abstract

ROLE OF THE GEOLOGICAL MUSEUM IN THE GEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE IN THE LIGHT OF TASKS AND PROBLEMS OF NATURAL MUSEOLOGYSummaryThe Geological Museum of the Geological Institute is a scientific unit of the institute, and in its expositions “Mineral raw materials of Poland” and “Stratigraphy of Poland” it illustrates the main geological problems investigated in the institute. Both conceptions and assumptions concerning the topics of the exhibitions have been established by K. Bohdanowicz and J. Czarnocki, being now a basis of the activity of the Museum. The geological material collected in the archival and exhibition departments belongs to the richest in Poland, illustrates the country's mineral basis and reflects the synthesis of the geological structure of Poland. The exhibition material is arranged systematically. In addition to the expositions mentioned above there are also expositions that allow the interested geologists to carry on comparative studies as well. Here belong: palaeozoological, mineralogical and petrographical exhibitions. Of particular interest is the petrographical exhibition, since here the scientific material has thoroughly and carefully been selected, and all explanations especially worked out. There is assumed that the exhibition ought to be of scientific-didactic character, having in view a wide circle of interested visitors.The Geological Museum of the Geological Institute is visited by the scientific workers of a lot of home and abroad institutions, by students and pupils, as well as by all interested in geology. Visitors interested in specialistic geological problems have to their disposal the rich archival department, too. All collections listed in the archival department have general catalogues (author's catalogue, age catalogue, locality catalogue, bore hole catalogue, and catalogue of location on a map to a scale of 1:100000), and detailed catalogues (stratigraphic-palaeontological, mineralogical and petrographical ones).The Museum is in contact with foreign centres, exchanges catalogues and specimens, invites foreign visitors interested in museology problems.Like any other modern museum of natural type, the Geological Museum of the Geological Institute connects scientific research with social didactics. There are here archival department dealing with scientific work (scientific elaboration of collections, scientific preservation, documenting and showing of collections), and exhibition department, where, by organizing both permanent and periodical exhibitions and by co-operating with schools, the most important principles of social didactics are realized, i.e. modelling of material1stic philosophy of life and patriotism of the young people.