The Open Air Museum and its activities during the COVID-19 Pandemic (on the selected example of Łęczyca Farmstead in Kwiatkówek)

Abstract

This study is an attempt to present the impact of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions resulting from its development on the activity of Łęczyca Farmstead in Kwiatkówek. This facility is an open air museum/theme park and is part of the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography in Łódź. It was made available to visitors in 2013. As part of the study, efforts were made to present new directions of the museum’s activities shifted into the virtual space, as well as those that are a continuation of the previous activities related to the organization of traditional temporary exhibitions, outdoor activities and promotional events. This presentation is based on the activities undertaken in 2020–2021. While presenting the new directions of activities of Łęczyca Farmstead, particular attention was drawn to the virtual, temporary exhibitions and ethnographic materials published online, concerning e.g. some holidays, rituals or regional issues. Within the framework of this study, efforts were also made to present the fluctuation in the frequency of visitors to the open air museum in the discussed period of time, compared to the years 2013–2019.