The restoration of the Sukiennice Cloth Hall, located in the Kraków Main Square, stands as a primary achievement in the career of Tomasz Pryliński. Tasked with the project by Mayor Mikołaj Zyblikiewicz, he oversaw the comprehensive structural renewal and the creation of an upper-level museum space that concluded with a ceremonial ball on October 3, 1879.
Education and Early Career
Born in Warsaw in 1847, Pryliński pursued formal training in engineering and architecture abroad. He studied at the Bavarian Polytechnic in Munich between 1862 and 1866 before moving to Zurich, where he graduated from ETH Zurich in 1869. After spending time in Belgium, he established his practice in Kraków in 1872. His initial professional engagement involved working as a land surveyor for the Bank of Galicia in 1873.
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Pryliński developed a specialized interest in Polish Renaissance architecture. His methodological approach to heritage preservation led him to conduct the first photo-documentation of Wawel Castle, the historic site commissioned by Casimir III the Great. Between 1881 and 1884, he applied his expertise to conservation projects at the Bishop's Palace and the Church of St. Francis de Sales in Kraków.
Final Years
Pryliński died in 1895 in Thalkirchen, near Munich, at the age of 48. Following his death, his remains were transported to Kraków. He is interred in a tomb located at the Rakowicki Cemetery, a structure designed by architect Zygmunt Langman.
Fast facts
- Born: 1847, Warsaw
- Died: 1895, Thalkirchen
- Education: ETH Zurich, Technical University of Munich
- Citizenship: Congress Poland
- Burial Site: Rakowicki Cemetery
- Key Project: Sukiennice Cloth Hall restoration
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of the Sukiennice project?
It involved a major restoration of the Cloth Hall and the creation of the Sukiennice Museum on the upper floor, completed in 1879.
Where is Tomasz Pryliński buried?
He is buried in a family tomb at the Rakowicki Cemetery in Kraków.
Achievements
- Trained at Technical University of Munich and ETH Zurich
