User:Wojciech.pospula/sandbox/The Cross House

The Cross House was originally associated with the monastery of St. Spirit; the building housed a hospital of poor scholars, from the 16th century bearing the name of Saint Roch - patron of the hospital chapel. From the mid-13th century, the branch was initially a branch of St. Spirit became independent, and in the years 1458-1460 the house was located at the junction of today's Szpitalna and St. Mark streets. The brand became the property of the hospital. At that time, a thorough reconstruction of the facility began, which lasted until 1474. The scholars' hospital was under the authority of both the clergy and the secular authorities, on whose behalf the provisional authorities were taking care of it. One of them was Antoni Franckiewicz who, at the end of the 16th century, carried out a thorough renovation of the building and reactivated the operation of the hospital. From this period comes a two-story renaissance outbuilding, connected with the main edifice. This reconstruction is commemorated by the plaque from 1594 preserved in the hall.

18th century was the last century of this hospital. From 1790 owner of the abandoneded building was parish of St. Mary's Church, after small adaptations the building was intended as a shelter for the poor. In the 1830s, general renovation of the building moved the shelter into the outbuilding and the main building was redesignated for private apartments.

1903 the property was bought by the City Council with plans for demolition of hospital buildings. The building remained and was turned into shops and living appartments. After the Council's decision, the property rights were transfered to museum and in 1958 a resolution was passed to carry out a thorough renovation, including the adaptation of the facility for the needs of the future theater museum. Renovation works brought back the original architecture of the building and finished in 1969. In this year, the Theater Department of the Historical Museum was opened, naming it Stanisław Wyspiański.

In March 2008 permanent exhibition was closed as well as the suspension of the exhibition activity of Galeria Teatralna in The Cross House.