Muzeum przyrodnicze jako backteller antropocenu

The definition of a natural history museum as an institution continues to evolve following the humanistic reflection on the Anthropocene. This article focuses on the history of the State Museum of Natural History in Lviv, one of the oldest institutions of this type, recently reopened after years of reconstruction. The text seeks to analyse the museum concept and operations through the prism of the contemporary debate on the human–nature–culture relationships. The primary questions include: (1) How was the human–nature relationship depicted in the museum space as the latter evolved into its modern concept? (2) Which problems and motives present in the museum exhibitions seem close to the contemporary challenges and vision of the Anthropocene? (3) What museum interpretations are possible in the context of old natural history collections and the contemporary debate on the museum’s function and its transformation? An important conclusion is that natural history collections not only provide a valuable material for natural research, but are also a significant testimony to changes occurring in the contemporary perception of the human–nature relationship and its impact on political, economic and cultural processes taking place in modern societies.