Established in 1935, the museum was a community initiative. After World War II, as a state institution, it was given a seat in the former Piarist monastery, where it is still housed today. The District Museum in Rzeszów is a multi-departmental institution, and so is the nature of its resources. These include rich archaeological, art, library, ethnographic and historical collections, including militaria and a very important collection of artefacts related to Rzeszów's history. The museum also has a valuable Judaica collection.
The collection of Rzeszów Judaica is diverse. Its largest part comprises objects related to Jewish festivals. Highlights include the parokheth, a collection of assorted Hanukkah lights, and a napkin used during Passover. In addition, the collection includes various documents, paintings, engravings, postcards (e.g. depicting Rzeszów synagogues) and photographs. The latter are mainly from the first half of the 20th century and were made in Edward Janusz's atelier. While the provenance of the photographs is known, the origin of much of the other Judaica is often uncertain.
The Judaica collection is precious due to both its material and emotional significance. This is because each object records the fate of the people it originally belonged to.
